Canada PM set to ask for Parliament's suspension

[depakid]

Source: Reuters

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected on Thursday to take the unprecedented step of seeking the suspension of Parliament so he can avoid defeat at the hands of the opposition.

Harper's extreme gambit is the latest development in a constitutional crisis that erupted last week after he tried to cut public financing for political parties, a move that would have hit the opposition particularly hard.

Harper's Conservatives won a strengthened minority in an Oct. 14 election but now face a confidence vote in Parliament on Monday they are likely to lose. The left-leaning Liberals and New Democrats signed a deal to defeat Harper and form a coalition government. They are backed by the Bloc Quebecois, which wants independence for French-speaking Quebec.

The opposition -- which accuses Harper of running away from his responsibilities -- says it is also angry that a recent government fiscal update contained few measures to help a Canadian economy hurt by the global meltdown. Harper now has no choice but to visit Governor General Michaelle Jean -- the representative of Queen Elizabeth, Canada's head of state -- and ask her to suspend Parliament until he can deliver a budget on Jan. 27.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN0437510320081204

[annabanana]

1. Can he DO that?. . Can he just cancel government because they're

about to kick him out? And I thought that the Queen was altogether OUT of the Canada business by now. .

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. It's postponing it - theoretically allowed, but it looks chicken, to me

and if he did it, he'd have to do something pretty spectacular to avoid a rescheduled no confidence vote when parliament sits again.

The queen is still the Canadian head of state, but purely ceremonial (not that she's there for a lot of ceremonies either). The Governor-General has the effective powers of the head of state; I think it'll be her decision on what happens.

[depakid]

3. Not by himself- Harper can only prorogue Parliament if the Governor-General agrees

Here's a bit about the Governor-General of Canada:

The governor general performs the duties of head of State and has several constitutional responsibilities. The role of the governor general is to serve as the representative of the Crown in Canada and as the guarantor of responsible government. One of the governor general's most important constitutional responsibilities is to ensure that Canada always has a prime minister, and a functioning and responsible government.

http://www.gg.ca/menu_e.asp

The current Governor-General, Michaëlle Jean, is an impressive woman with quite a story:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micha%C3%ABlle_Jean

The fate of the Canadian government (at least for the next few months)- rests in her hands.

[acmavm]

4. So, does anyone have a feeling for how she'll jump?

[depakid]

5. Watching CTV, everyone seems to have differing opinions.

It's uncharted territory.

She could just as easily conclude that Harper no longer has the confidence of Parliament (a majority of the House of Commons)- and so deny the request, in which case, Harper would have to resign- and Dion would become PM in a coalition government.

The Governor-General did something similar in Australia in 1975- on lesser grounds, handing over leadership to the Liberals (the Aussie Conservatives), but also called for a double dissolution (a new election of both the House and Senate).

From the comments on CTV- it doesn't seem like Canadians are at all pleased with the notion of another $300 million election, so maybe she won't go that route.

It's been fascinating to watch the process unfold:

http://www.ctv.ca/news

(the last "question period" in Parliament was intense- not to mention seemlessly bi-lingual).

[guodwons]

10. CTV: The Conservative Television Network

CTV is laughingly bought and paid for by the CONS (Mike Duffy is a pathetic joke). More credible MSM would be http://www.cbc.ca/news/ or http://www.theglobeandmail.com/ (even though they were for Harper in the Election - they are now calling for his resignation).

Even more rational thought can be found at http://www.progressivebloggers.ca/

[sourmilk]

6. While I agree that Harperbot 2008 simply HAS TO GO...

Why couldn't the opposition have waited until after the Cons tabled the budget next month?

[cyclezealot]

7. cause Harper was embolden for a minority government

As I understand it.... Political parties in Canada receive government support for their elections, rather than have private money destroy their democracy.. Harper wanted to end that.. That would have made Canadian elections like US elections.. Elections out to the highest bidder. With Harper's big budiness friends in the West financing the right...., democracy would have been US style... Up for the highest bidder.... Also, Harper wanted to pass several anti labor laws, similiar to Reagan's actions during the controler strike... I think the whole thing was fabricated to force the parties into this box and maybe bring on another election..

[iverglas]

11. pretty good summary for a furriner ;)

... and one might have known ... a European one. ;)

[cyclezealot]

12. Thanks . we have roots on two continents..

US and France... But, my family ancestry goes back to Canada... The internets is international, we all know..

[Posteritatis]

8. It would've been two months of handsitting re: the economic mess

And, as the other response to your comment notes, he was trying to undercut the opposition parties' electoral funding.

[Titonwan]

9. Aaahhhh! ... I see now!

So THAT'S it. I was wondering how in hell Bush thought he was running this country. He's imitating wacky Canadian Government!

[LeftishBrit]

13. Good grief

Suspending parliament because he might be defeated - that's not a democratic action at all, and I hope Michaelle Jean puts him in his place.

[depakid]

14. Too late- she acquiesced, and now in the midst of the financial crisis

Canada has no working government.

Canada Political Crisis Suspends Fight Against the Economic Crisis

Canada’s political crisis, which will keep the nation’s legislature closed for the next seven weeks, may exacerbate financial turmoil and job losses in the world’s eighth-largest economy.

“We are in the worst crisis since 1929 and we have no government. How can this be good?” said Stephen Jarislowsky, the 83-year-old chairman and founder of Montreal money manager Jarislowsky Fraser Ltd., which manages about $40 billion. “It’s terrible.”

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, in an unprecedented move, suspended Parliament yesterday until Jan. 26 to stave off a bid by opposition parties to oust him and his government. Backed by labor unions, the opposition wants to speed up spending on infrastructure and help the country’s ailing manufacturers, particularly automakers and the forestry industry.

The turmoil comes as Canada faces its first recession in 16 years, and corporations such as BCE Inc. struggle with ailing pension funds and slowing sales. Canadian lenders, meanwhile, are posting record debt writedowns that are shaking the country’s financial system.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aF0ZC0VK2i1g