It's the economy AND democracy

For weeks now, political junkies have been wondering which was the issue that would provoke the collapse of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government. Would it be the economy (the budget)? Would it be democracy (the Speakers' ruling on contempt)?

It seems to me that Jack Layton has just managed to fuse the two issues into one big rejection of the Harper government. Yes, he didn't like what was in the budget, but he also didn't like the way Harper treated the parties in a minority Parliament. That latter point is what seemed to make Layton look truly outraged in his post-budget interviews.

And Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is only likely to have inflamed that anger even more when he said, in his post-budget interview with CBC, that the government didn't believe it was its job to work with the opposition parties in crafting the budget. The government consults with Canadians, Flaherty said, not political rivals. That sounds an awful lot like the back of the hand to Parliament -- the same thing that prompted the historic Speaker's ruling against Harper's government.

So in the end, what will be the death of this Parliament? It's the economy AND the democracy stuff, all in one package.

Comments

[Gabby in QC]

Re: “Would it be democracy (the Speakers' ruling on contempt)?”
Ms. Delacourt, maybe it’s time for you to put down your pom-poms long enough to read some Hansard:
Hansard, March 9, 2011 Speaker’s Rulings
“I am now prepared to rule on the question of privilege raised on February 7, 2011, by the hon. member for Kings—Hants concerning the production of documents ordered by the Standing Committee on Finance. ...
For these reasons, the Chair finds that there are sufficient grounds for finding a prima facie question of privilege in this matter.”
You see? The Speaker DID NOT hand down a ruling of contempt. He did however rule that there was the appearance (prima facie) of a breach of privilege, which he referred to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.
It was a given that the Conservatives, being outnumbered on that committee -- the chair usually does not vote -- were bound to be found in contempt, as their report indicated.
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/957379--committee-report-finds-government-in-contempt?bn=1
“A Commons committee recommended the government be found in contempt of Parliament, but the Conservatives could still avoid the historic censure if a vote on the budget or other confidence motion launches an election first.
The Commons procedure and house affairs committee tabled a *majority report* Monday concluding the government is in contempt for refusing to disclose enough information about the cost of several big-ticket items. …
If the report is adopted by the Commons — and it likely would be, given all three opposition parties passed it at committee level — then this would be the first time in the history of the Commonwealth that a government is found in contempt of Parliament. ...”
And given that the Conservatives are also outnumbered in the House, the motion to adopt the committee’s finding will also most likely pass.
OK, now you can go back to your pom-poms.

[I. Jordan]

Please keep stressing the democracy stuff. Few of your colleagues do any more.

[Tim]

Funny how Delacourt fails to mention that the Liberals owe Canadians millions of dollars of stolen taxpayers' money through Adscam. How can they expect to rule when they have never paid back the stolen money? But then again, the Liberals can do no wrong in the eyes of the Star, can they?