OTTAWA – A day before Canadians take to the streets to protest Stephen Harper’s prorogation of the House, he invited his own MPs, along with a clutch of television cameras, back to Parliament Hill to deliver a lecture on what a good job he believes he has been doing, and then left without taking a single question.
“His arrogance is breathtaking,” said New Democrat Leader Jack Layton. “That’s how he thinks he should be able to run this country: without having to answer to anybody, without hearing a murmur of criticism. I urge Canadians to join the anti-prorogation rallies tomorrow to send a statement to Mr. Harper about his contempt for the democratic process.
“This is the old politics of Stephen Harper and the Conservatives: more secrecy, more arrogance, and more refusals to be held accountable by Parliament. There’s a new politics and it’s coming from the grassroots. The new politics says it’s time for real accountability.”
Following a caucus meeting earlier this week, Mr. Layton announced that the New Democrats will bring proposals for legislation to limit the power of the Prime Minister to prorogue the House. Under the proposals, prorogation could only occur after a vote in the House of Commons.
“That vote would then inform the Governor General of the will of the majority, so that prorogation would happen when it is needed – not simply when the Prime Minister feels like it,” said Mr. Layton.
Propose all you want. Once the Harperites get their majority in the senate, anything that limits his power will be defeated.
Indeed, propose all Harper and those untrustworthy neocons want, “anything that limits his power will be defeated”.
It is, was, and will be with this man, ALL about power. The reason the MAJORITY of Canadians resist giving it to him and his right wing cohorts is obvious.