The House Has Fallen, The House Has Fallen...?
Well, heavens to Betsy, so it has! A minority Liberal Parliament, of some seventeen months' duration, hanging on by its uncut fingernails, in a graspingly hasty alliance with the New Democratic Party. Poof! You're gone. Here today, gone tomorrow, once the Prime Minister visits the Governor-General and she, in her wisdom and as custom demands, dissolves the House.But what, one could certainly be excused for asking has been accomplished? Any intelligent observer of the political scene in Ottawa could respond to that one: nothing. For we had a minority government, puttering along, to be sure, and now it is gone. To be replaced by, whatever else but yet another minority government. And what will it do? Why putter along, of course.
The leader of the Conservative party in Canada, or should I say, as most Canadians most certainly believe, the Reform/conservative party, has elected in a period of great unwisdom and a rattling of the dice to incite the troops, and just incidentally in the process bring onside those other disaffecteds, the Bloc and the NDP. Talk about unholy alliances, indeed. The vote was held and the House fell to a vote of non-confidence.
Is the Prime Minister the least bit perturbed about this turn of events which he certainly had very good reason to anticipate? Not that you might notice. He should be. This is an expensive enterprise for the electorate, the taxpayer, the citizen of Canada, this silly little charade, reminiscent of nothing so much as boys unhappy with the status quo, heckling, threatening, making good on their threat: my vote potential is bigger than yours, nah, nah!
Certainly it is true that the Liberals, as the old saying goes when the governing party becomes arthritic and begins to do more harm than good for the country, should be thrown out. And what have we waiting in the wings to take over and swing into Responsible Governance Mode? Not much, not bloody much. Stephen Harper, that frightingly righteous born-again? Jack Layton, that bombastic would-be thespian? Gilles Duceppe, that stiff-necked separatist? Which brings us wearily to Paul Martin, that very good friend of multi-nationals and biiiig biznis, who proclaims himself and his party Canada's salvation. Throw the bastards out indeed, and bring in whom?
The Reform/conservatives just do not sit comfortably with Canadians. They do not really and truly express Canadians' vision of themselves, their country, their place in the world. Poor Stephen Harper; he'll be looking for another job soon. One wonders will the National Citizens Coalition want him back? Jack Layton has his heart in the right place for the most part, but his head is so big it keeps shoving restraint over for showmanship. Well, so what? we've had some pretty daft statesmen in our history and we've muddled along. Trouble is Canadians are not ready for, nor will they ever likely be ready for, a governing NDP party. More's the pity, in a very real sense.
So, dammit, Paul Martin and his merry band of brigands will be back. As a minority government of course. By their truly stupid machinations the Liberal party has lost, for who knows how long, credibility and good feelings in Quebec. Without a good hunk of Quebec they can never garner sufficient votes, given the decided lack of enthusiasm for them out in Western Canada to form a majority government.
Fine kettle of fish, as the saying goes. This could end up being a miserably endless cycle of vote-and-dispatch. We end up with mediocrity in government, and perhaps when all is said and done, it's what we deserve. But, I don't really believe it, not really As for me, never having voted any way but one, I'll continue to do the same with great and grave reservations, not the least of which is that my 'party of choice' will never form a government, but can continue to prick the conscience of the majority.
posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, November 29, 2005
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