I‘m not sure if anyone else has come across this, but my insider government contacts have alerted me to a minor contoversy abrewin’ over a proposal to limit public financing for politcial parties. I know, right? You’d think people would be talking about this, but I haven’t seen it covered in the media or anything, which I have surveyed extensively. And by “surveyed extensively” I mean I’ve read only the bottom right hand corner of page A8 of the Globe and Mail, which has no mention… oh, wait… no nevermind, it’s there.
Maybe I should just take a quick peak through the rest of the intertubes… Ok, I’m back, and as it turns out, the story appears on all the other pages of ever newspaper in the country. And on every website and blog. And in a text message I just got from my mom. And on the banner flying behind that plane outside my window.
My two cents is that this is just wowtastic. Paul Wells is steamed, but I’m pretty copacetic with the whole thing – finally something interesting happens on Parliament Hill and everybody just goes batty, instead of thanking the political gods for sending us something to discuss other than cuts to arts funding and an election for Speaker of the House.
Unfortunately, it looks like Harper is backing down from his hitherto awesome gambit, which sucks and is boring. What he should have done was allowed his government to fall, allowed the NDP and the Liberals to form a coalition government, sat back and watch as they bicker, quibble, quarrel and squabble (in that order) and then take all the heat for the financial shitstorm over the next year or so. Then, Harper could have ridden onto Parliament Hill on his trusty white steed and smashed them from behind with his lance. And he would say “see what happens when I’m not around?” Now that’s what I call a plan. If we’re not interested in actually governing the country, which all of our politicians have demonstrated in spades, I think we might as well enjoy ourselves. That’s what Jesus would do.
JUSTAWESOMEDATE: Hoorah! I still can’t tell if Harper, in accordance with my preferred theory outlined above* is playing “3D Vulcan chess” (copyright Paul Wells), or whether he’s playing “whac-a-mole” (copyright me). But I don’t even care. Not one bit. This is the first time in recent memory where I haven’t gazed at Parliament Hill and had the overwhelming desire to smash myself in the face with a whole puncher.
* I think this theory, which will hereafter be called “Operation: Ah, What the Hell?” , may have been Norman Spector’s first, although strangely, Stormin’ Norman makes no mention of the inevitable medieval jousting tournament, so I really don’t know what he was going on about…
Well, good point…Canadian politics isn’t exactly boring anymore…
And with the well good and poisoned, its going to be a very fun couple of years.
I do enjoy being a libertarian these days.
The well has been poisoned for the past 3 years. In my opinion, this doesn’t changes things much. I think I’m just having trouble believing that the government can do anything really consequential (good or bad) anymore. When you hear the word “apocalypse” so often, it starts to lose all meaning.
So now what?
Will the opposition parties back down or will they defeat the bill and seek to form the government?
It’s my understanding that the “official” reason why they are threatening to vote down the government is because there isn’t a stimulus package included. So if they do vote the government down they cause uncertainty and chaos. If they let the bill pass they look like a bunch of selfish bastards only interested in their share of the public teat.
Harper is either a genius or nuttier than squirrel shit.
One thing that aggravates me to no end is the idea that the government needs to do something now. Right now… as in yesterday damnit. Watching U.S. politicians vote for a multi-billion dollar stimulus package as the US economy continues its slide down the crapper makes me question the wisdom behind this line of thinking.
I dunno… maybe it’s a good idea to wait to see what our largest trading partner does before we jump in with both feet. Personally when I see the government restraining to spend our money I look at this as a good thing. Actually coming close to miracle status.
[...] Prairie Wrangler knows what I’m talking about: Unfortunately, it looks like Harper is backing down from his [...]
Looks like you get your wish, Olaf. What I really want to know is how many NDP CabMins there will be? If it’s strictly by numbers they’ll be 33% of the coalition so that’s about 10 Ministers, right? Jack will have to get a senior post, Finance? Foreign Affairs? Defence? Industry? I can hardly wait! And digging 10 deep into the NDP caucus, how many whack jobs get portfolios? I’m betting like 5 total nutters in cabinet.
And don;t get me started on the Liberal vote in Quebec when the cooperate with the Bloc!
Rat,
I know, sweet right! This is getting good! My brain is actually having so much fun with this, it should be illegal!
What I find most interesting about this whole thing is not that everyone seems content to suggest Harper is just ‘playing politics’, but that not very many people want to recognize the other parties are doing the exact same. It is all politics. Anything that occurs which actually benefits Canadians is purely coincidental. That is the only way it works.
Kirk,
Harper is either a genius or nuttier than squirrel shit.
I don’t see how these are mutually exclusive.
SL,
I don’t know brother, I mean, I left the following comment over at Kady’s blog:
Also, do they really want to govern at a time like this? I mean, kudos to the opposition for finding a pair of brass ones, but really?
“Well, we’re headed towards an iceberg, the ship is on fire, and we just got attacked by a gang of maurading zombie pirates. But go below deck Captain and get some sleep, I’ll take it from here”
So if the opposition thinks that governing during a massive recession is somehow a good long term political move, I’d like to hear why.
What option do they have really? They have NO capacity to fight another election. And surely they will take some of the blame if it were to come to that. I like it call it the oppositions ‘Three Part Quagmire’:
1. They cannot accept the fiscal update, for partisan reasons, the loss of public funding would F them over huge.
2. They have no capacity to fight an election, no one has the money except (guess who?) the CPC.
3. How do they defeat the government but not trigger an election? Some sort of hilarious power sharing deal.
Personally, I’d love to see it go down as well. But it is not about saving Canada, it is about saving their collective arseholes.
SL,
Yea, I mean, I guess they’re screwed either way. I really don’t know what to think of this. But I’m having a blast.
Since you haven’t responded to my “text message,” I’ll probably be at Murph’s closer to 5:10-5:15. I got an unexpected Friday afternoon jam job from my manager.
Mclea,
What is this, Facebook?
Haha, I’ll take care of this SL.
Back on topic: Harper, super master genius in the mold of Joseph Stalin von Einstein, or big dummy dodo?
I vote big dummy dodo. But entertaining for sure.
It’s my understanding that the “official” reason why they are threatening to vote down the government is because there isn’t a stimulus package included.
No, it’s only because of the $7.7 million the Liberals stand to lose. Yes, it’s all about a lousy $1.95 per vote. For that, they want to create political instability — exactly what this country does NOT need now.
Nothing says “We don’t believe in democracy or the will of voters” like this latest stunt cooked up by the Liberals. The Conservatives have 143 seats in the House, while the Liberals have only 77. Even if they were to add the NDP’s 37, they still would not have enough to survive as a Governor-General-appointed minority government for more than 24 hours. In other words, an election would happen one way or the other – and the Liberals would be to blame for it.
I am in total agreement; however, I think it’s important that someone, either Harper or Ignatieff, recruit Rachel MacAdams into politics and that a missing dirty nuke from Kazachstan gets involved somehow. Then we hire any director from Coronation Street to man CBC news coverage, and start selling tickets!
Ashley,
I like where your head is at. Correction: I really like where your head is at.
I think you’re onto something here. Correction: I really think you’re onto something here.
Werner,
I agree with you. That’s why I put “official” in quotation marks.
Who the hell is going to be PM? Dion? Apparently some Liberals are not too thrilled at that prospect. How about Ignatieff? That will really please the Rae crowd. They would be handing the Liberal leadership to Iggy on a silver platter.
How about Layton as Minister of Finance? So much for those tax cuts to help the economy. Will the NDP compromise on the tax cuts or will the Liberals agree to cancel them?
Harper has given the opposition a week. Hopefully cooler heads will prevail.
But then again we are talking about Ottawa…
Werner,
I agree completely.
http://politicalmueslings.wordpress.com/2008/11/28/operation-make-me-throw-up/
I see us bringing in a secret Trudeau lovechild in week three or week four – heck, maybe it could be revealed as Justin’s wife, and they never knew their carnal knowledge-gathering sessions were matters of illegal half-incest. Then, as the public turns from them forever, Trudeau’s ghost appears (maybe on Christmas Eve??) to remind us that the eyes of the nation have no place in Justin’s bedroom. Just then, Michael Ignatieff’s neo-conservative babykiller friends from his days in America stage a murder attempt on Bob Rae, while Dominic LeBlanc goes missing!
Jesus, what a couple of hours.
I can hardly wait for Rachel McAdam to show up. Perhaps get in a little wrestling action with Rona and Rudy….
I am definitely making popcorn.
Any dibs on when the Civil War breaks out? This whole thing has a definite Yugoslavia 1990 feel about it…
Funny stuff Olaf. Thanks. I fully intend to rip off your fourth paragraph for the benefit of my own dog pile on this topic at Unambig. With linky love, naturally.
“Then, Harper could have ridden onto Parliament Hill on his trusty white steed and smashed them from behind with his lance.”
I believe that translates to Steve gets someone to drive him across the street in an armored SUV where upon he climbs out and waggles his flaccid tadger at your maiden auntie.
I’m with you here Olaf, this is the kind of politics I like, full frontal mid air crash in glorious slo-mo with extra cookies.
Oh and Rat, there may well be some crazies in the NDP slice of cabinet pie but really, Stockwell Day is always the trump card in that game. Dinosaur Jesus says so.
Nothing says “We don’t believe in democracy or the will of voters” like this latest stunt cooked up by the Liberals. The Conservatives have 143 seats in the House, while the Liberals have only 77. Even if they were to add the NDP’s 37, they still would not have enough to survive as a Governor-General-appointed minority government for more than 24 hours. In other words, an election would happen one way or the other – and the Liberals would be to blame for it.
Incorrect Werner. They would also have the Bloc’s support as well, giving them a majority coalition. Perfectly legal under our constitution. And let’s not forget, if you really believe in democracy, or the will of the people, 60% plus voted for those three parties in the last election nearly double who voted for the Cons. Harper tried to pull a fast one and got caught. He started the political game playing and now the opposition is finishing it. Buck up.
[...] Dawg. The Prairie Wrangler My [...]
I mentioned this at SDA but it gets buried in 300 comments: What about the open Senate seats? Does Harper fill them this week, just in case, or does he leave them for Dion to fill? And if the latter, how many does Dion fill with Dippers? 33% again? The mind boggles at a “functioning” NDP Senate caucus!
Rat,
I mentioned this at SDA but it gets buried in 300 comments: What about the open Senate seats?
Yea, someone mentioned that over at Macleans as well. It’s an interesting question. What a kick in the nuts to Harper if the opposition jumps in and fills them all.
psa,
I believe that translates to Steve gets someone to drive him across the street in an armored SUV where upon he climbs out and waggles his flaccid tadger at your maiden auntie.
Potato, potatoe, really.
Raphael,
Rip off away.
Kirk,
Who the hell is going to be PM? Dion? Apparently some Liberals are not too thrilled at that prospect. How about Ignatieff? That will really please the Rae crowd. They would be handing the Liberal leadership to Iggy on a silver platter.
Yea, I’ve been hearing Iggy too, like as in soon – maybe a caucus vote or something. Steve V. is pushing for it, anyways.
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