PublicAnimalNo9 PublicAnimalNo9:
Just out of curiosity, can someone refresh my memory as to why the Liberals had FOUR prorogues during their reign of stupidity?
Because prorogue is a legitimate procedural move, with a legitimate purpose.
It is used when the government has generally accomplished its legislative mandate, and wants to go forward with a new set of priorities. Hence, following prorogue, there is a throne speech.
Chretien prorogued for times, that is correct. The first three were in this vein. The fourth, I have read, was not so innocent, as it was used to avoid receiving the Auditor General's report on the sponsorship scandal. But is Chretien's record supposed to have been clean? Spare me.
Harper has prorogued three times, now. Not two. The first went unnoticed. The second was last year.
What makes this different is that this is twice in a row, twice in one Parliament no less, that Harper has used it to undermine Parliament. Not the AG, Parliament. First it was to dodge a vote of non-confidence that had been all but taken. The coalition was not a sure thing, so that doesn't justify the move. Parliament has the right to vote non-confidence in the government at any time. Think of the precedent: is it okay for the PM to prorogue any time there is a looming confidence vote? This time, he used it to shut down the embarrassing revelation on detainee treatment. Again, think of the precedent: is it okay for any PM to prorogue to quiet a troublesome committee? The Conservatives will not always be in power, some other party will eventually take over. Think of the future.
Harper is taking legitimate procedural moves with legitimate purposes, and using them far more often than intended, for purposes for which they were never intended, to the detriment of Parliament's primacy over Government, to the detriment of the faith of the voters in our political system, and to the detriment of the state of democracy in this country.
That Chretien used this move illegitimately once in four times does not in any way excuse Harper using it illegitimately twice in three times.
Ultimately, the voters decided that the Liberals had to go. Ultimately, they will decide whether these Conservatives have to. Hopefully they will remember this shameful disgrace of democracy when they decide.
Forum Elite 
