Hey, Your Excellency, didja hear the news? Canada lost 70,600 jobs last month, the worst drop in a quarter century. The auto industry is on the brink of collapse and needs parliament's urgent attention. Ontario is heading into the tank. Thank God we've got a parliament geared up to respond to this emergency. Oh, what's that? We don't? They've been locked out of the House of Commons? Oh, who did that? The Governor-General? Can she do that? What's that you say? No one knows why she did it and she's not talking? Say what? No parliament until when? The end of January, next year? Are you serious?
She shut down parliament because Steve asked her to save his skin? She didn't even talk to the opposition leaders about it? She figured that the 62% of Canadians who voted for someone else don't need a voice in parliament, Steve can reign as our unelected monarch? Really?
The questions answer themselves. Put together all the answers and you have a Governor General who recklessly wielded powers in a way that usurped Canadian parliamentary democracy. I don't think she's ignorant of the importance of our democracy and how it's been crafted over these several centuries. I guess she felt her view, informed only by the guy in the crosshairs, was enough that she didn't even need to hear from the opposition about it.
Michaelle Jean has no place occupying Rideau Hall.
I've always been ambivalent about Canada's constitutional monarchy - until now. Back then I thought the GG had a role to play in removing abusive and illegitimate governments. I just didn't imagine the Queen's representative would dream of using her regal powers to prop up an abusive and illegitimate government.
Parliament has been mugged and Harper needed Madame Jean to collaborate with him to pull it off. He went to her acknowledging that he had lost what every prime minister cannot purport to govern without - the confidence of the House of Commons. He knew it, she knew it. She also knew that our economy is approaching freefall and we cannot do without a working parliament at this critical juncture. Despite everything she knew, she acted capriciously, perhaps even contumaciously.
I was a lukewarm supporter of our constitutional monarchy until yesterday when monarchy chose to trample our constitutional democracy. Now I can't wait to see that whole institution abolished and the smell of it purged from my country.
She shut down parliament because Steve asked her to save his skin? She didn't even talk to the opposition leaders about it? She figured that the 62% of Canadians who voted for someone else don't need a voice in parliament, Steve can reign as our unelected monarch? Really?
The questions answer themselves. Put together all the answers and you have a Governor General who recklessly wielded powers in a way that usurped Canadian parliamentary democracy. I don't think she's ignorant of the importance of our democracy and how it's been crafted over these several centuries. I guess she felt her view, informed only by the guy in the crosshairs, was enough that she didn't even need to hear from the opposition about it.
Michaelle Jean has no place occupying Rideau Hall.
I've always been ambivalent about Canada's constitutional monarchy - until now. Back then I thought the GG had a role to play in removing abusive and illegitimate governments. I just didn't imagine the Queen's representative would dream of using her regal powers to prop up an abusive and illegitimate government.
Parliament has been mugged and Harper needed Madame Jean to collaborate with him to pull it off. He went to her acknowledging that he had lost what every prime minister cannot purport to govern without - the confidence of the House of Commons. He knew it, she knew it. She also knew that our economy is approaching freefall and we cannot do without a working parliament at this critical juncture. Despite everything she knew, she acted capriciously, perhaps even contumaciously.
I was a lukewarm supporter of our constitutional monarchy until yesterday when monarchy chose to trample our constitutional democracy. Now I can't wait to see that whole institution abolished and the smell of it purged from my country.
