Bring Harper Down Now

By Brad Thomson on 28 April 2007 - 7:50am

Stephen Harper has made it clear that he is NOT concerned about the environment. David Suzuki certainly agrees. I hope everyone saw him getting into John Baird's face! Planetary time is running out fast. We MUST NOT wait. We must not play politics. An election MUST be forced over the environment, Bill C-30 and the Kyoto Implementation Bill. NOW!

Every second delayed brings us perilously closer to our demise. Stéphane Dion, Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe have a moral obligation to the human race. Stop Stephen Harper.

Elizabeth and Stéphane have started rolling a snowball down the hill of Canadian politics. Layton and Duceppe must add their weight. And the resulting avalanche MUST bury the Conservatives. Our future is hanging in the balance.

Bring Harper down NOW. Do NOT attack one another. Focus ALL energies upon attacking the Conservatives' irresponsible conduct. If Canadians see a united opposition they will toss Harper out.

Canada will become an enlightened nation, and Elizabeth May just lead the way!

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Comments

It is a matter of confidence in the government.

Submitted by Edward Ing on 28 April 2007 - 12:13pm.

Even though John Baird's proposed environmental plan will not be voted on in Paliament, the government's action, or lack of it, must be judged by a vote of confidence in this government. How to address climate change is the most important question facing our civilization, not just our country, now.

As Elizabeth pointed out in her speak to the Peel Sierra Club, sixty percent of Canadians want Canada to meet its Kyoto obligations and want the government to solve climate change. As David Suzki pointed out, the government has failed to do this.

Because of the governing arrangements made in our country, as it stands, a minority government, without the support of the people, can dictate that Canada will not meet its international treaty obligation. Let the people speak through its representatives in parliament to see if our representatives still have confidence in this government! Liberals, NDP, Bloc, must stand and be counted as to whether they will let this government continue. If this truely is the most important issue to them, they must bring the government down so that Canadians have a chance to have a new government that will govern with their confidence.

Commentators, judging, by the polls have said that an election now will not change anything in parliament. I disagree. It is not written in stone that the party with the greatest number of seats gets to form the government. Rather the rule underlying parliamentary principle is that any citizen who can gain the confidence of a majority of parliamentarians should be allowed to form the government. If Liberals, NDP, Bloc have no confidence in this government, they should bring it down, have an election. Even if the party standings do not change in parliament and if they can't agree on anyone within their ranks to lead them, they should look forward to someone who can gain the confidence of the majority of members parliament. (And who knows, it could be a Green MP and I certainly have someone in mind for the job.)

Can change government without an election

Submitted by Erich Jacoby-Hawkins on 28 April 2007 - 9:28pm.

Although it's highly unusual, we can actually have a change in government without an election.

If the opposition parties were to unite on a motion of non-confidence, the Governer General would have two options:

1) dissolve Parliament, call an election.

Of course, the problem with this is that according to current polls, we would get mostly what we have now, with perhaps a few Green MPs added to the mix.

2) ask another party leader to form a government

This leader would have to begin with a vote of confidence from parliament.

So if Stephane Dion were asked to form a government and the NDP & Bloc supported him, he could create a coalition government (they would demand no less - they'd want cabinet positions). With the existing MPs, no election.

This happened once before, back in 1926, when the PM got in with a minority. He tried to call an election soon after to get a majority (and avoid censure), but the GG (not a friend) said "too bad, you can't govern, so I'll let the leader of the opposition try". Sadly, that didn't work either, the new government lost a confidence vote shortly after and they had an election anyway.

But the principle is there, and I believe still part of the reserve power of the GG. If Harper had tried to call an election within 12 months of last January, the GG might have gone this route - asked Dion to try instead. Now it is less likely.

Of course, if Dion were to present the GG with a letter or letters from himself, Layton, and Duceppe either in advance of or immediately following a non-confidence vote, telling the GG that the three of them had agreed on a coalition government, she might well take them up on it instead of sending us to the polls pointlessly.

I would be interested in seeing this. It would not be the Greenest, as it wouldn't put us in the House, but there are still some possibilities - by-elections (this time without a Liberal challenger to Elizabeth?), or Dion could, as PM, appoint Elizabeth (or Suzuki) or some other Green to Senate and hence to cabinet, a la Michael Fortier. Or one or more sitting MPs (or Senators) could leave their party and sit as independent Greens (even a party, if it were enough of them). Dare to dream.

Erich Jacoby-Hawkins
Barrie, ON

Erich Jacoby-Hawkins, Barrie ON - although I'm on Cabinet (Nat'l Rev. and Ecol. Fiscal Reform), views here are my own and may not reflect official GPC positions. Please visit www.ErichtheGreen.ca

Coalition Now!

Submitted by Brad Thomson on 29 April 2007 - 7:47pm.

Erich, you raise an interesting possibility. And it makes complete sense, it seems to me. Of course, Harper MUST be brought down now. But a better option than an election May well be a coalition. The point is to implement Bill C-30 without further delay. An election would cause this delay, and worse, could end up with a situation where C-30 would still not be implemented. The only guarantee that the necessary actions on climate change will be taken NOW would be with an immediate coalition. From the point of view of mankind and that of saving the planet, there is NO question about this. But what about the politics of it?

Well, Dion gets to be Prime Minister and seek to prove himself. Layton avoids an election against the Greens and finds himself in Cabinet to boot. And Duceppe too avoids a very unwanted federal election and joins Jack at the table.

If Michael Fortier can be in Cabinet, then do not tell me that Elizabeth May not!

Bring Harper down NOW. Implement Kyoto.

Gore Blasts Harper

Submitted by Brad Thomson on 29 April 2007 - 8:31am.

Al Gore called Harper's alleged environmental plan a fraud. He urged Canadians not to accept it. And he also pointed out that the rest of the world looks up to Canada on matters so important. All the more reason to stop Stephen Harper sooner rather than later. There is already one George Bush who thinks he is in control of the planet!

http://www.recorder.ca/cp/National/070428/n042827A...
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/04/28/gore.html