The lumps of coal in 2009

Lots of interviews with the Liberal leader are now published and online. (National Newswatch has handy links to the series.) You can find my story here, and also this interesting little sidebar -- Michael Ignatieff's answer when I asked him about low points in 2009.  Frankly, I was watching that moment too and could not believe what I was  witnessing  in the House of Commons. 

 Speaking of inglorious politics.... wait a minute... is anyone talking about the sorry state of Canadian politics these days?  In case you've been otherwise occupied, a recap: in the last week, the Conservative government decided to defy an order of Parliament, to boycott a Commons committee meeting on Afghanistan/torture, and now we're hearing talk  that Parliament itself may just be shut down (prorogued). And should you want to criticize/question these decisions, you will be accused of abandoning support for Canadian troops -- at Christmas! How very un-Bing-Crosby-like of you.

If there is any glimmer of interest/unease out there about all this, here's some recommended reading from recent commentary.

There's our own Jim Travers in the Star today.

Out there, if Conservatives have it figured right, the manipulation of an inconvenient Parliament will slide by with the same ease as the piece-by-piece deconstruction of democracy.

Susan Riley, in the Ottawa Citizen, with her usual eloquence, sent this dispatch yesterday.

But at what point do Canadians become alarmed at the absolute control, the intolerance of dissent and the manipulative messaging, often publicly funded, that characterizes this regime? Why aren't we worried now? We elected a minority government in a modern liberal democracy, representing a messy range of opinion. Yet that government operates like a not-so-friendly dictatorship.

And then there's Lawrence Martin,  from earlier this week in the Globe, warning us that collective apathy has allowed the government to do whatever the heck it wants, democracy (the d-word) be damned.

If your campaign is waged effectively, you will enfeeble the checks and balances in the system and give the d-word a good clubbing, emerging very much in control.

That's effectively what's happened in Ottawa over the past four years. The Prime Minister is now in such command that he can get away with pretty much anything. And he is lauded for his conquests.

Does anyone care?  The evidence would seem to indicate otherwise.

**** (Image of stocking comes from http://www.thestockingplace.com/images/1009.jpg)

 

Comments

[wascally wabbit]

No sympathy for Mr. Ignatieff from me (well not for the result of his actions in 2009).
And now musing dreamily about offering Canadians policy...well - this Liberal wonders - what has he done to earn a second chance?
If he were to look at the realities and say - OK Liberals - in order to get rid of Mr. Harper - we have to take a second look at a coalition of the Centre - Left - assming of course that the other Opposition parties trust me and my current set of advisers...then he might peek my interest...

[MyThought]

I'm hoping the media starts to care. They've spent so much time over-analysing Ignatieff, not talking much about Layton, etc. and have overlooked what is happening.

Unfortunately, we depend on the media and they've let us down over and over again.

If they start to finally wake up, I'll forgive them.

Afterall, they are supposed to be the "voice of the people" and not so much opinion. Too much opinion and not enough real reporting.

[Sarann]

I care and I am so happy to see the press starting to care. People can't care about what they are unaware of. I am retired and can pay lots of attention but many lead very busy lives and don't have time to ferret out details. They need to be told. Not many members of the press researched the constitutionality of the coalition; they let the government get away with lies about it. Good on you Susan.

[Ralph Benmergui]

The media is not the voice of the people. CBC excluded the media is privately owned and serves those who profit by it. As regards the CBC, with year by funding that declines-year by year- they have been reduced to a faux public broadcaster that is required to use by private network strategies to maintain itself.
The responsibility lies with us as citizens and those who are actually supposed to be our voice, Parliamentarians.

[Robert Viera]

Susan,

Your link to the "interesting little sidebar" points to the Help Ottawasteph blog. Could you post the link to the sidebar? Thanks.

[Inge Jordan]

The only journalist apart from youself who has consistently and deservedly criticized Harper and warned of his darker side is Susan Riley. Both Travers and Lawrence Martin have far too often praised him for his supposed decisiveness. Several of the most horrible politicians in the 20th century were also exceedingly decisive.

[MyThought]

The media is not the voice of the people. CBC excluded the media is privately owned and serves those who profit by it. As regards the CBC, with year by funding that declines-year by year- they have been reduced to a faux public broadcaster that is required to use by private network strategies to maintain itself.
The responsibility lies with us as citizens and those who are actually supposed to be our voice, Parliamentarians.

Posted by: Ralph Benmergui

...what a pile of poo. Really, it is. MP's aren't the voice of the people because Harper won't let them be. They all worry about their situation in the next election.

[MCBellecourt]

Don Newman was a solid presence on the CBC and his last day on the small screen was almost like attending a funeral. He still writes an occasional column, but it appears to be one every two weeks. Sure miss his broadcast.

If Evan Solomon wants to be able to fill Newman's shoes, he's got a looooong way to go. I watched him doing a year-end interview with Ignatieff and Ignatieff got rather annoyed with Evan at a couple of occasions because Evan wouldn't let Ignatieff finish what he was saying. Evan needs to slow down and shut up as needed if he wants to get close to touching Newman's calibre, because Ignatieff was being a lot more patient than I would have been.

If Ignatieff is reading this, a word of advice: When you do a debate in the next election campaign, do not let Harper, Layton, Duceppe or May interrupt you and get away with it. Insist they let you finish what you are saying, especially since you're quite likely to afford them the courtesy.

[Patrick]

I would have to say I agree with My Thought's comment about the over analyis of Ignatieff, particularly obvious at the Globe I think.

[MJH]

Quite a predicable year end commentary from the newspaper that is the Liberal Party communication arm.

Let's fight for non-partisan, objective journalism in Canada; journalism that does not side with the Conservatives or Liberals. Is it too much to hope for?