If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

CBC News

#1Dec 3rd, 2008

Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean is expected to arrive in Ottawa on Wednesday where she will immediately be thrown into a political crisis that she will have to resolve by deciding the fate of the federal government.

The Tory government has already signalled it is considering all legal options to prevent a Liberal-NDP coalition from taking power. That increases the chances that Harper will ask Jean to prorogue Parliament, which would suspend the current session until January, when his government would present a budget.

But the Governor General faces other political options as well. She could decide to call an election should the Conservatives lose a confidence vote set to take place Monday or allow the proposed Liberal-NDP coalition to govern.

Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, who would head the proposed coalition, said on Monday that he has sent the Governor General a letter stating he has the confidence of the House of Commons to form the government should the Conservatives be defeated. Read more.

If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

More...

Socrates the Greek

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

Quote: Originally Posted by CBC News

Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean is expected to arrive in Ottawa on Wednesday where she will immediately be thrown into a political crisis that she will have to resolve by deciding the fate of the federal government.
The Tory government has already signalled it is considering all legal options to prevent a Liberal-NDP coalition from taking power. That increases the chances that Harper will ask Jean to prorogue Parliament, which would suspend the current session until January, when his government would present a budget.
But the Governor General faces other political options as well. She could decide to call an election should the Conservatives lose a confidence vote set to take place Monday or allow the proposed Liberal-NDP coalition to govern.
Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, who would head the proposed coalition, said on Monday that he has sent the Governor General a letter stating he has the confidence of the House of Commons to form the government should the Conservatives be defeated. Read more.
If you were the Governor General, what would you do?
More...
Quote has been trimmed, See full post:

I would tell Harper that you called the last election on the basis of the fact the parliament got dysfunctional, you got your strengthened minority, and now you are asking me to get the Canadian voters to foot another $300Million on another election, SORYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
PACK YOU BAGS AND F OFF.........LOSER..............That is what HARPER DESERVES; I know she would not say the f word but I do because Harper deserves no respect...............

Kreskin

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

If I was the GG I would ask Dion if he thinks he has the support of the Canadian people because last we looked his own party was throwing him under the train and voters just sent him a clear signal. I would also ask him if they've paid the country back for the adscam thievery.

DurkaDurka

No Party Affiliation

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

She should send the parties back to the polls. There are many Liberal voters out there who are quite dismayed to see Dion aligning their party with the Bloc & NDP.

Socrates the Greek

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

Quote: Originally Posted by Kreskin

If I was the GG I would ask Dion if he thinks he has the support of the Canadian people because last we looked his own party was throwing him under the train and voters just sent him a clear signal. I would also ask him if they've paid the country back for the adscam thievery.

Good day Kreskin, Deon is not the problem here; the problem is the Cons who will do the unthinkable to hold on to power they do not deserve. They are pathological liars, they think that Canadians are pigs, that is why Harper did not offer any stimulus and instead he offered his double edge sword, and said lets go at it. For that HARPER HAS NOTHING TO OFFER TO CANADIANS BUT WAR IN PARLIAMENT.

scratch

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

Well laid out S.G.

regards
scratch

Ron in Regina

Free Thinker

If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Stay in Europe, I guess. No matter shat she does, it'll have a backlash
that will not be a positive thing for her office. Not a win-win for her...

DurkaDurka

No Party Affiliation

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

Quote: Originally Posted by Socrates the Greek

they think that Canadians are pigs

Smoke another one sock puppet, you're losing it...

SirJosephPorter

No Party Affiliation

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

I see the responses pretty much broke on political lines, Cons said that GG should call another election; Libs said that GG should tell Harper to take a hike. Well, let me say what GG should do and what I think GG would do.

First, proroguing the Parliament is a bad idea. Does anybody know when Harper is obliged to call another session of the Parliament if it is prorogued? Is it within 3 months? 6 months? One year? How long is he allowed to govern without the support of the Parliament?

Even if Parliament is prorogued for two moths (till end of January), that means that Harper will be governing for two months with no support in the Parliament, in effect we will have a dictator for two months.

What GG should do is adjourn the Parliament for say two weeks, on the clear understanding that the first business of the Parliament will be a no confidence motion. That will give time for passions to cool down. It will also test the coalition. Was it put together in a moment of passion, in a fit of rage, or are they serious about governing? It will also give the coalition the time to flesh out their agenda, their cabinet etc. Coalition will be able to consolidate their position and will be all the stronger in two weeks’ time.

On the other hand, if coalition partners cannot even get along for two weeks, how are they going to govern for year and a half? Since Harper will be governing without the support of the Parliament, we will in effect have a dictator for two weeks, but that is only for a short time.

When after Parliament meets in two weeks’ time and Harper is defeated, GG then should give the coalition a chance to form the government.

This is what I think GG should do. Probably what she will do is grant Harper his request for prorogation. That will mean that Parliament will be shut down for two months (I only hope it is for two months, and not one year). After that when Harper is defeated, GG probably will give coalition an opportunity to form a government.

#juan

No Party Affiliation

#10

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

I see this problem as one of Harper's own making. Governing with a minority is different from governing with a clear majority and Harper would bloody well know this. To pull the crap he did, he must have expected some reaction. That the cons backed off on the bill proves that they knew they were skating on thin ice. If I were GG, I would ask the coalition if they could govern until the next Liberal leader is picked. After that, the public should decide in an election who should be in power.

Kreskin

#11

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

Quote: Originally Posted by Socrates the Greek

Good day Kreskin, Deon is not the problem here; the problem is the Cons who will do the unthinkable to hold on to power they do not deserve. They are pathological liars, they think that Canadians are pigs, that is why Harper did not offer any stimulus and instead he offered his double edge sword, and said lets go at it. For that HARPER HAS NOTHING TO OFFER TO CANADIANS BUT WAR IN PARLIAMENT.

You do realize the Cons won more seats than the NDP and Libs combined? I call that a mandate. I call the coalition a power grabbing farce.

Socrates the Greek

#12

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

Quote: Originally Posted by DurkaDurka

Smoke another one sock puppet, you're losing it...

Easy with the venam DD I can easely call you a
Mental invalid, but I am not in the moud, if you persist then you like Harper set you bed and you will sleep in it?

lone wolf

Free Thinker

#13

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

Y'know ... they have all this anti-bully stuff going on in the schools, then let one pull off an obnoxious spoiled brat tirade in Parliament. What example does that set? As much as I don't care for the coalition and backroom deals, it does demonstrate that you CAN clobber a bully with a united front.

I'll settle for Harpo's resignation....

SirJosephPorter

No Party Affiliation

#14

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

Quote: Originally Posted by Kreskin

You do realize the Cons won more seats than the NDP and Libs combined? I call that a mandate. I call the coalition a power grabbing farce.

Kreskin, that would have meant something if Cons had got the majority. Since they didn’t get majority, that means nothing. Even if they have more seats than Libs and NDP combined, they don’t have support of more than half the MPs, which is required for a government to govern.

What you are saying is just a statistical quirk, nothing more. Libs and NDP together got many more votes than Cons did; they represent many more people that Cons do.

Without a majority, these numbers really don’t mean anything. The only thing that matters is who has the support of the Parliament, who has the support of more than 50% of the MPs. It certainly ain’t Cons.

Socrates the Greek

#15

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

Quote: Originally Posted by Kreskin

You do realize the Cons won more seats than the NDP and Libs combined? I call that a mandate. I call the coalition a power grabbing farce.

37% is not a majority of the people.......
We are not talking about self made stats, we include all Canadians that voted, 37% not a majority I repeat.
The Coalition is a derivative of two things; one is the freedom we all enjoy in Canada if we find the necessity to unite and fight that is a civil liberty we all share and enjoy.
Two, if Harper had respect for the opposition he would be in a much better position than he is today…You can sit there and be a cheer leader for the Cheating Cons all that does exposes you as an undemocratic fellow. Democracy is at its best when people respect one another. Harper is lacking all these cordial qualities.

Last edited by Socrates the Greek; Dec 3rd, 2008 at 04:23 PM..

scratch

#16

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

I must agree.
scratch

SirJosephPorter

No Party Affiliation

#17

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

Quote: Originally Posted by #juan

If I were GG, I would ask the coalition if they could govern until the next Liberal leader is picked. After that, the public should decide in an election who should be in power.

I don’t see that, Juan. The fact that the governing party has a new leader are not grounds for a new election. Paul Martin was PM for considerable amount of time before we had an election. In UK, Brown has been a PM for a long time now, and I understand they don’t have an election until 2010.

So I don’t think a new leader, a new PM has anything to do with it. As I have explained before this, in Canada, we don’t vote for a government anyway, we don’t have a say in who becomes the PM. We only vote for an MP, and the MPs then decide who will be the PM.

Only one thing is important when it comes to governing. Does the government have the support of the Parliament, of more than 50% MPs? If that is the case, let them govern, new leader or old. If not, new elections.

JLM

No Party Affiliation

#18

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

Quote: Originally Posted by CBC News

Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean is expected to arrive in Ottawa on Wednesday where she will immediately be thrown into a political crisis that she will have to resolve by deciding the fate of the federal government.

The Tory government has already signalled it is considering all legal options to prevent a Liberal-NDP coalition from taking power. That increases the chances that Harper will ask Jean to prorogue Parliament, which would suspend the current session until January, when his government would present a budget.

But the Governor General faces other political options as well. She could decide to call an election should the Conservatives lose a confidence vote set to take place Monday or allow the proposed Liberal-NDP coalition to govern.

Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, who would head the proposed coalition, said on Monday that he has sent the Governor General a letter stating he has the confidence of the House of Commons to form the government should the Conservatives be defeated. Read more.

If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

More...

I'd tell them to quit acting like a bunch of babies and go back to the drawing board and hammer out a sensible plan and report back in a month. Nothing changes until then.

Praxius

Free Thinker

#19

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

If I was the Gov. General:

We just went through an election based on Harper's Decision. He promised to start working with the other parties and didn't except ignite them into enough anger and being fed up that they are willing to work together, delaying the government for a month has never been done so soon after an election, it will be used for propaganda purposes rather then trying to resolve this issue with the other parties, and the only logical solution is to allow the other parties to form a Coalition as they requested and have every right to do under the democratic process we currently have and deny Harper/Conservatives their request to delay the government.

In the best interests of the country, the people, and to maintain order and functionability, the Coalition would go forward. If it fails, we goto an election, then and only then.

Socrates the Greek

#20

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

Quote: Originally Posted by lone wolf

Y'know ... they have all this anti-bully stuff going on in the schools, then let one pull off an obnoxious spoiled brat tirade in Parliament. What example does that set? As much as I don't care for the coalition and backroom deals, it does demonstrate that you CAN clobber a bully with a united front.

I'll settle for Harpo's resignation....

Good day LW, ME TOO

JLM

No Party Affiliation

#21

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

Coalition won't work, Prax.

lone wolf

Free Thinker

#22

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

Somehow ... I get the impression he's too stupid to stay down....

Northboy

#23

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

Quote: Originally Posted by CBC News

Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean is expected to arrive in Ottawa on Wednesday where she will immediately be thrown into a political crisis that she will have to resolve by deciding the fate of the federal government.

The Tory government has already signalled it is considering all legal options to prevent a Liberal-NDP coalition from taking power. That increases the chances that Harper will ask Jean to prorogue Parliament, which would suspend the current session until January, when his government would present a budget.

But the Governor General faces other political options as well. She could decide to call an election should the Conservatives lose a confidence vote set to take place Monday or allow the proposed Liberal-NDP coalition to govern.

Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, who would head the proposed coalition, said on Monday that he has sent the Governor General a letter stating he has the confidence of the House of Commons to form the government should the Conservatives be defeated. Read more.

If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

More...

I'd put all four in a room and remind them their first obligation should be the welfare of the nation and its people. Then I'd tell them to stay there until they sorted it out.

JLM

No Party Affiliation

#24

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

Quote: Originally Posted by Northboy

I'd put all four in a room and remind them their first obligation should be the welfare of the nation and its people. Then I'd tell them to stay there until they sorted it out.

Maybe only one would emerge alive. lol

DurkaDurka

No Party Affiliation

#25

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

Quote: Originally Posted by JLM

Maybe only one would emerge alive. lol

What a slap fest that would be

Zzarchov

#26

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

Quote: Originally Posted by Kreskin

You do realize the Cons won more seats than the NDP and Libs combined? I call that a mandate. I call the coalition a power grabbing farce.

He did not win a majority, pure and simple.

And he refused to form a coalition to govern, as is required. He does not have support of Parliment.

If we get real technical though, he has no right to the office of prime minister, nor does the office exist in our constitution.

Technically the queen (through the GG) could walk up to to Jane Doe on the street and make her PM.

It is a terrible system.

There is no rule that says the PM is the leader of the party with the most seats. None, its just tradition.

We have had Prime Ministers who are not members of Parliment before.

Technically the Prime Minister can be prime minister for ever.

And Constitutionally, I do not believe the prime minister has any actual power nor does the office have to exist (The same as the cabinet).

There is also (btw) no need to call an election after a vote of non-confidence.

Not that it matters, because the MP's don't have to really obey any special rules of the "prime minister" which is in actuallity, a make believe post.

But thats all theoretical, in the day to day workings, people obey the PM as if he special powers, so he does.

hermanntrude

#27

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

talk about rock and a hard place. Damned if you do and damned if you dont.

mt_pockets1000

#28

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

a rock----------->Michaelle Jean<-----------a hard place

scratch

#29

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

True, but she will still have a decision to make and very soon.

scratch

SirJosephPorter

No Party Affiliation

#30

Re: If you were the Governor General, what would you do?

Dec 3rd, 2008

There is no rule that says the GG is the leader of the party with the most seats. None, its just tradition.

We have had Prime Ministers who are not members of Parliament before.

Zzarchov, that is what I have been saying all along (I assume you mean the PM, and not GG). Even you are I could theoretically become the PM. How? It is simple.

Let us say Conservative party elects you (or I) as the leader. As the leader of the majority party in the Parliament, you automatically become the PM; you have the confidence of the Parliament (assuming Cons have more than 50% of the seats).

But you are not a member of the Parliament, a necessary condition for becoming a PM. Well, no problem. A Conservative MP in a safe conservative seat resigns; you run in his place and are assured of getting elected.

Or you don’t want to take even that much trouble? Again, no problem. Harper appoints you to the Senate before he steps down. As a member of the Senate, you are a member of the Parliament and so eligible to serve in cabinet.

So theoretically anybody can become the PM. I don’t think too many people are aware of that.

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