Teleidoscope

Tue, Dec 02, 2008

Oh, Canada!

Posted at 12:56 pm MST to Current Events

There are 4 parties and a couple of independent representatives in the Canadian Parliament. They just had a federal election a few weeks ago, and in the aftermath the Conservative Prime Minister announced some policies that were considered overly heavy-handed (and in some cases outrageous) for a party that had about 30 percent of the electorate, not an outright majority.

The other parties have gotten together and are forming a coalition government composed of everybody else (give or take the couple of independents): representatives of more than 60 % of the Canadian population.

Th Conservatives are calling it a 'coup' even though it is a perfectly proper process in the parliamentary system. But the Canadian Conservatives seem to have a lot in common with the Republicans in terms of stupidity, arrogance, economic obliviousness and a willingness to play fast and loose with the Constitution (which is what drove three parties that don't much like each other to make common cause).

The Governor General is returning from a trip outside the country. If she doesn't go along with the Conservatives who want to torpedo the change of government, the Conservative regime will have lasted a record-setting 3 weeks from election to dissolution.

Th ability to throw the bums out in short order seems very attractive after the last 8 years.

And their election process lasted a couple of months, not a couple of years.

But it may be interesting watching the Liberals, New Democratic Party and Parti Quebecois trying to cooperate.

If nothing else, some of these guys have style: at one point while the coalition was still just rumors, former Prime Minister Jan Chretien (NDP) answered a reporter's questions "Je ne comprends pas anglais".

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