Welcome, Prime Minister Dion
Shortly after the federal election, I wrote that I had no regrets having supported Stephane Dion when I was a delegate to the Liberal leadership convention in Montreal in December 2006.
My words then:
“Liberals wanted a true Liberal who hadn’t been compromised by the sponsorship scandal, and Mr. Dion was our man. He’d crafted the Clarity Act, a key weapon against separatism. Even those who voted against him recognized his intellectual capacity, his sincerity, and his unquestioned integrity.”
Now, with the Liberals and the NDP having engineered a coalition that will have the support of the Bloc Quebecois, it is apparent that Mr. Dion’s political skills are somewhat more sophisticated than almost anyone has realized.
At the same time, it’s evident that the current Prime Minister has proven surprisingly lacking in leadership capabilities. His spin machine and ad spending splurge convinced many Canadians that here was a man of decisive leadership, trustworthy, and far-sighted. How hollow all that has been proven!
The Tory dogs of war are already nipping at his heels. Regardless of how the current episode ends, it is hard to see how Mr. Harper will ever again enjoy the unstinting loyalty of his followers - albeit forced in many cases – that was his during his time at 24 Sussex. The Globe and Mail suppprted the Conservative party in the election, but is now calling for Mr. Harper’s resignation.
There is much moaning and fretting over the perceived instability the Coalition will bring to government, and about the so-called constitutional crisis arising from the Opposition’s actions over the past few days.
In fact, there is every liklihood that the Coalition will be more stable and that it will enjoy the confidence of more Canadians than Mr. Harper ever commanded.
My sense is that given the opportunity, Mr. Dion will be a fine Prime Minister who will build consensus in addressing the critical issues of economic stimulus, environmental protection, and social progress.
The 18-month agreement between the NDP, the Liberals, and the Bloc ensures the Coalition of a smooth passage through Parliament at least until the middle of 2010. The NDP-Liberal accord runs until June 30, 2011, with the Bloc having the option to sign on for the additional year.
There is really no constitutional crisis at the present time. Every Parliamentary tradition dictates that when a govenment loses the confidence of the House (is defeated on a confidence motion) the Governor General has the obligation to invite another party leader to form a government if it looks as if he/she could gain the support of a majority of MPs.
This is what happened in 1926 when Mr. King asked for dissolution and an election. Instead the Governor General, Lord Byng, called on Mr. Meighen and the Conservatives to form a government. When the Tories were defeated in the House, there was of course no alternative to an election.
In the present circumstance, there could only be a constitutional crisis if Mr. Harper sought to prorogue the House without the Opposition being given the chance to mount a non-confidence motion. The Governor General has the right to deny such a request, but this has never happened.
Should Mr. Harper attempt to carry on without the support of Parliament, the resulting uproar would indeed generate a good deal of economic as well as political uncertainty. This is not something the country needs at this time. Let’s hope he won’t attempt such a desperate strategem.
What brought all this on, of course, was the PM’s extreme partisanship and his attempt to use the Economic Update (and the crisis it was supposed to address) to put forward an ideological agenda. What little economic content the Update had was, to put it quite simply, pathetically inadequate.
Perhaps now’s the time to give a cheer for minority government. Canada, more than most other democracies, invests almost unlimited authority in a Prime Minister with a majority.
Our first-past-the-post electoral system invariably gives the winning party far more power than it deserves based on its share of the popular vote.
John Turner once told me, “the people are always right.” Maybe the wisdom of this adage was proven anew when Canadians chose to limit the authority of Mr. Harper when they voted on October 14th.
Also worth reading:
