Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Playing Politics with Canadian Lives

The anti-terror laws die Thursday. Yesterday in the Commons, Stephen Harper offered a compromise, but Dion has stubbornly refused to consider it.

Unfortunately, this very important issue has spiraled out of control and become some sort of political showdown.

I hope to have an more extensive commentary later, but let's start with Don Martin's column, "Not all Liberals will enjoy the kill":

...Opposition parties argued yesterday that these emergency powers are too radical for rights sensitive Canadians, yet in the next breath insisted they merely duplicate measures available elsewhere in the Criminal Code...

(. . . )

And the Conservatives have signalled an unusual willingness to bend on the extension, offering to settle for a six-month extension with a promise to study changes to the law until the fall sitting.

Liberal MP Ralph Goodale, whose righteous indignation knows no blustery bounds, is having none of it. The way he argues it, the political atmosphere in Ottawa has been so poisoned that the Conservatives cannot be trusted to keep their word.

Gosh. If it wasn't so wretchedly costly and doomed to recreate another minority Parliament, an election could almost be justified to euthanize a House of Commons slowly spiralling into bickering paralysis.



He also suggests that MP Navdeep Bains should abstain from the vote, which is what I have been saying for the last few days, and which I suspect was what was partially behind Kim Bolan's weekend revelation:

"Liberal MP Navdeep Bains should be a tad squeamish as well. Mr. Bains was the MP Prime Minister Stephen Harper inferred had influenced the Liberal's position because his father-in-law might appear at an investigative hearing on the Air India bombing. As such, Mr. Bains is clearly in a conflict of interest and should abstain from voting."


I fault both sides for this impasse. More to follow.


Also please check out:

Paul Jackson - Grit Record Terror-ible.

Dr. Roy - Dion unwilling to compromise.

Jonathan Kay - National security vs. Liberal ethno-politics. Very interesting!

Excellent post by Sandy (Crux of the matter) - Alice & Liberal Friends in Wonderland.

Kim Bolan - Air India Probe Crippled if MPs Kill Key Part of Anti-Terror Law.


* * * *

Update - Personal Comment: I suppose the only thing I would like to add to this post is that I agree with the Blonde Conservative - It may indeed be time to pull the plug on this acrimonious session of Parliament and put us all out of our misery.

Things are not just at an impasse; they are moving in the direction of threatening the safety and economy of the country, by means of an unofficial coalition of opposition parties promoting an extreme left-wing agenda.

This Parliament is not getting things done for Canadians. All parties appear to be just out for themselves. The Conservatives seem most interested in preserving the integrity of the country, but I am getting fed up with the whole lot of them in Ottawa.

But what would we replace it with? More of the same?

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good morning Joanne. I can't believe it. I just put up a post and we are on the same wave length again. Right on!

Anonymous said...

"it may indeed be time to pull the plug on this acrimonious session of Parliament and put us all out of our misery."

But what guarantee is there that the same numbers and the same MPs won't be there next time to recycle the acrimony? Everyone claims the high ground, but the accusations and name calling never end.

As for electing some Green MPs, it would erode further the possibility of any party being able to have its policies implemented.

The more parties there are, the more inability to move forward.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Gabby, yeah. It all stinks. I'm becoming very disillusioned with the whole game.

Anonymous said...

Well, maybe some sanity will prevail & the next government will be in a majority position. Need I say which party I would like to see in that position?

If only the Bloc could do a disappearing act ...

Joe Calgary said...

With all the weird ass politicking going on, I'm starting to feel like a long tail cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

I say lets hit the polls... screw the cost, we either need to give Harper a mandate, or let the country decide to become a leftist, Chavex-like state.

Regardless, I need to know. We are one or the other, and if it's the other, tell me now so I can get my money and my ass the hell out of here.

Anonymous said...

I am not tired of the Conservatives. They've done more (and continue to try amidst nutty opposition parties) than the Liberals did in 13 years.

The only way I'd like the plug pulled is if I knew they would get a majority, but no one can predict the future. The way skittish Canadians vote, that would be a gamble.

PM Harper is strong enough of a leader, as are the rest of the Conservative MP's to continue to plod along, trying to make positive, secure changes in Canada, until the future looks more sane of a time to actually pull the plug.

The biggest problem in this country, however, is not the Liberals. It's the media that manipulates the population in an anti-Conservative, pro-Liberal way, no matter what the cost to our country.

It's the media that needs the plug pulled on it.

Anonymous said...

"Regardless, I need to know. We are one or the other, and if it's the other, tell me now so I can get my money and my ass the hell out of here."

All or nothing. Black and white.

Typical.

Why don't you take your money and get out of here anyway? You'll need a lot of it to be "safe" anywhere else that has a government to your liking. For stability you would want one that doesn't bother with elections.

Anonymous said...

"Among veteran Liberal insiders, it is believed that the several hundred Sikh convention delegates Bains and his allies led into the Dion camp (via Gerard Kennedy) came with a price: an end to the investigative powers contained in the Anti-Terrorism Act, which was opposed for predictable reasons by various Sikh, Tamil and Muslim organizations."

from the National Post article you linked to, Joanne. thanks for that.

All I can say, is "holy hell." How sleazy, at the expense of the security of our country.

raz

Brian in Calgary said...

If only the Bloc could do a disappearing act ...

One can only wish. So much for the Bloq promise (uttered by its leader, Bouchard) to only be around for a couple elections or so.

Anonymous said...

With all of the talk about the Liberals these past weeks, what about the NDP and Bloc??? What's their reason for not voting for the extension??? They're somehow getting off the hook here ....responsibility wise.

raz

molarmauler said...

Because we know they're MoonBats, and now the Liberals are too.

Anonymous said...

I agree Joanne Stephane Dion is a Leader a dangerous Leader
Florence

Anonymous said...

"So much for the Bloq promise (uttered by its leader, Bouchard) to only be around for a couple elections or so."

Well, I guess the $147000+ per annum, plus a nice pension may have something to do with it. Actually, I think the Bloc members, in their heart of hearts, hope Quebec never separates, because that would end their furlough from a real job.

That last phrase "furlough from a real job" is applicable only to them, not to other parties that field 308 candidates in the 308 ridings across this country.

Brian in Calgary said...

... their furlough from a real job.

I love that phrase, gabby. I'm going to have to remember it.

Anonymous said...

"I love that phrase, gabby. I'm going to have to remember it."

You're welcome to it. With the PQ down in the polls here in QC, little wonder Duceppe declined to become the PQ's leader. Mind you, I'm not ready to cry victory for Jean Charest yet, because electorates can turn on a dime.