I knew that Harper and his bumbling Conservative horde were stupid creatures…but I didn’t think they would be suicidal!
NO stimulus plan for the economic tail spin PLUS a savage attack on political financing…equals three mad-as-hell-and-we’re not-gonna-take-it-anymore opposition parties ready to take a minority government to the woodshed…
In short…BLOODY HELL!
Did I ever think I’d live to see a news report that Ed Broadbent AND Jean Chretien are meeting to iron out the details of a COALITION government?
Did I ever believe that, in the span of two days, I’d see my country on the verge of its first TRUE COALITION government since the Union Party debacle of World War I?
Did I ever believe that, after an election that left me incredibly dispirited, I would see the Harper Conservatives on death’s door one month later?
Did I ever believe that I would live to see the Governor-General ACTUALLY exercising her limited powers? Powers that, until now, have merely been theory for a Civics class…
We live in interesting times. My friend James has written an incredibly detailed and wonderful look at the situation (by all means, READ IT and the next one), so I’ll simply add the multitude of questions that are floating around my suddenly-addled brain. A possible coalition government…with the separatist Bloc Quebecois? How will the Liberal leadership contest play into the negotiations for this possible coalition? Will Feckless Leader Harper somehow pull off a last minute, rabbit-from-the-hat proposal that will save his bacon? He managed to delay the confidence vote…but that will only buy him one week. In that week, the frightening-yet-exciting possibility of a siesmic shift in the politcal make-up of Canada could become a reality.
Events like this remind me why I actually decided to earn TWO political science degrees. The cut-and-thrust of the game…the plotting and manuvering…the real-life drama of governing…it felt like that fire that been finally extinguished within me. But it’s still there…embers still smouldering. Not completely igniting…but certainly warming up.
I may throw a party when the government falls. A happy dance will be in the mix, certainly…if, for no other reason, than to remind Harper that the majority of voters did NOT vote for him or his party. Listening to his frustrated, hypocritical bleating (he wrote to the G-G in 2004 recommending the SAME option that is being exercised now), you’d think that the opposition was organizing a coup d’etat. Actually, they are exercising their political right to try and offer an alternative government (that pesky BNA Act always gets in the way, Steve, I know…). A government that might actually OFFER some solutions & some relief to the economic downturn, instead of sticking its head in the sand.
The next nine days will be amazing…I hope. Stay tuned.
