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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Election, Ho!

It seems like there is going to be Election 2011 as all three opposition parties rejected the budget. The surprise, for me at least, came when the NDP rejected the budget. As some of you might remember, I thought that the NDP would fold. Seems like I was wrong. The only question now is: how are the Tories going to be brought down? It could be done in multiple ways.

  1. By voting against the budget.
  2. By voting on a contempt for Parliament motion - wouldn't necessarily trigger an election, but as it does technically contain jail time as a penalty, Harper would opt to go to the polls.
  3. By voting against last year's budget - there are still some measures that need to be voted on from the last of this fiscal year's budget.
  4. Last, but not least, Harper could start the election before by going to the Governor-General. He could always prorogue again, but it's not likely.
To me, the technicalities do not really matter; the Harper Tories need to go down. I do think that it would be a good, strategic move to vote on the contempt of Parliament issue first. The Liberals are able to do this as Friday is an opposition day, when the Liberals set the agenda. The 40th Canadian Parliament is coming to a close.
OTTAWA—The Conservatives’ budget was swiftly and flatly rejected by all three Opposition parties, spelling the likely end of the Conservative government within a week. 
“I believe it’s time that families got a break, I believe in a Canada where no senior lives in poverty,” said NDP Jack Layton. “Clearly Mr. Harper doesn’t.
Read more at the Toronto Star.

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3 comments:

  1. Good. It's overdue. Let the chips fall... I'm not particularly worried about the prospect of a Harper majority. If he lands another minority my Conservative buddies in Ottawa tell me he's gone and, along with him, the social conservatives. If he gets a majority the Canadian public will get to see him without his sheep's clothing.

    What I'm looking forward to is a rejuvenation of the hopelessly moribund Liberal Party. The LPC has been shell shocked since Dion got mauled and it showed in their choice of his successor. For all his talents and qualities this guy isn't suited to leading Canada, not by any measure.

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  2. I'd love it if you're right.

    I suspect the opposition parties are currently trying to figure out which one gives them most impetus going into an election campaign, though. The majority of Canadians aren't paying close enough attention to understand what happened, though, and may not care too much about committee politics. I suspect that is what is going to make them hesitate on the contempt issue. On the other hand, it might give them an opportunity to force an election based on Harper's well-known contempt for the Canadian public.

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  3. Ignatieff's a clown

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