Canada's PM Harper: Economy too fragile for election

[Newsjock]

Source: CBC News

Canada's economic recovery cannot afford to be disrupted by an "unnecessary" election, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said after announcing a minor cabinet shuffle.

... Speaking to reporters outside Rideau Hall after the ceremony, the prime minister said the global economic recovery remains fragile and is the "No. 1 priority for Canadians."

"Time is needed to carry out our economic plan," Harper said. "Canada cannot allow a break in its economic recovery plan with an unnecessary election."

The comments come as a new Ekos poll suggests the Conservatives' lead over the Liberals among potential voters appears to have dried up, with both parties virtually tied at the same level of support.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2010/08/06/cabinet-shuffle-harper.html

[Donnachaidh]

1. time to ride him out of town on a rail, complete with tar and feather overcoat

the unmitigating GALL of this arrogant putz....

[SidDithers]

2. Good thing that's not up to him to decide, eh?...nt

Sid

[Renew Deal]

4. Didn't he cancel another election with the help of the queen?

This guy is an anti-Democratic chump.

[Posteritatis]

10. He used a procedural end run twice to shut down Parliament ahead of no-confidence votes. (nt)

[KamaAina]

11. That's why I call him the Pro Rogue

Bush Jr. Harper was facing a certain vote of no confidence in Parliament, which would have meant new elections. So he asked the Governor-General, the Queen's representative, for permission to "prorogue" (suspend) Parliament -- and she agreed! This gave Harper time to patch things up and cling to power.

Governor-General Michaelle Jean is a brilliant and lovely Haitian-Canadian. Pity she had to end up as the Great White North's answer to the Felonious Five. :(

[SidDithers]

12. No, he prorogued parliament...

shutting it down when things were getting uncomfortable. Most recently, he didn't want his government facing Question Period during the Vancouver olympics.

There are parliamentary procedures available to him to delay a forced election, but if the opposition parties want an election, they'll get it.

Sid

[Canuckistanian]

13. The Queen has ZERO involvement in our government

What we have is a Governor-General (who is, on paper, the Queen's representative).

But the Queen would NEVER comment on or try to direct our government - we're a sovereign country ever since 1982 when we got our own Constitution.

[EmilyKent]

3. As opposed to yesterday when he

was bragging about how Canada is doing better than any other G8 nation, and how he single-handedly talked all the leaders into the need for massive cutbacks in spending now?

[Spazito]

5. Uh huh, same shit different day from little Stevie boy...

Micro-managed his way into yet another disaster for the Cons, keep it up, Stevie.

[MoonRiver]

6. Isn't this creep the one who is allowing the mass slaughter of seals and their pups?

I may be wrong but I'm hearing horrible things about Canada's current position on wildlife. I think Harper wants to mass exterminate seals under the position that they are "pests" and interfere with fishing.

[CreekDog]

7. Harper is quite delicate, notice how he wears that helmet everywhere

:D

[mmonk]

8. When are they going to get rid of him?

My sons need somewhere to go.

[Posteritatis]

9. When the opposition gets a notochord and forces an election. (nt)

[Canuckistanian]

14. Good way to put it n/t

[JVS]

15. USA wins!

[JVS]

16. By the way, why is Chavez called a dictator but I've never seen the term applied to Harper?

[marmar]

17. Poll numbers too fragile for election

Eh, Mr. Bonaparte-Harper

[JBoy]

18. Pretty shitty economic plan, if it can't withstand an election.

What a load of horseshit.

[Bitwit1234]

19. Remember that was what the Bush administration was thinking

about doing in 2006. Postpone the elections.

[activa8tr]

20. IF ONLY Obama could say the same and get away with it!...uh

Oh wait, this is a democracy, I forgot for a minute.

[AnArmyVeteran]

21. I've heard many right wing radio hosts say Obama wants to eliminate elections.

People like Glenn Beck, Rush Limblah, Michael Savage and others have said on the air that they fear President Obama will try to eliminate elections so he can remain president. It's absolute lunacy but their regular listeners actually believe such nonsense. Seventy-seven percent of republicans believe Obama isn't an American citizen. Among the tea bagging crowd it's even higher. They will believe anything told to them by one of their right wing radio or television heroes.

I never would have imagined the height of ignorance in this country could ever be so high. With such a large segment of our population being so stupid I believe anything is possible, like revolution or regular assassinations. I haven't heard one right wing radio program that didn't regularly use violence-producing language. They are capitalizing off of the most gullible and ignorant using fear, racism, hatred and rage to manipulate their less-than-bright audiences.

We are living in very scary times and now that the top to the bottle of insanity has been popped, there is no telling where our country is headed. And not one republican leader has the guts, integrity or patriotic duty to their country to categorically dismiss and condemn the insane rants from the far right. Not one.

[NYC Liberal]

22. And in fact it was BUSH'S Homeland Security Dept

that floated the idea of delaying the elections in 2004.

Don't remind Republicans of this. Their heads may explode.

[activa8tr]

24. Republican heads exploding, now there's a thought, and no guns involved. ... just

kidding.

[activa8tr]

23. Yes, I knew I didn't come up with an original Idea, Bush had come up

with it LONG BEFORE we knew there was such a thing as a Glenn Beck.

[applegrove]

25. Whatever happened to that Harper/neocon idea of having fixed elections in Canada...the year

before the ones in the USA (so in 2011). Harper wanted to set this as the Canadian election date so that American neocons could work their magic up here in the great white north I think. But since he got a minority (ies) he seems to talk about it Not So Much.