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

[In Between Man]

If you were the GG, what would you do?

I would call an election!!!

I want to see the the exact plan the coalition has for the future months of this country, and compare it to the Cons plan. Then I wish to vote on the matter.

The separatist coalition leaders are a bunch of knuckleheads. If they are so keen to work together, and keep the Cons out of power, they should have presented that option in the last election. They knew that the Cons were gonna form a minority government, so why didn't they form their unholy alliance then? Present their platform to the people.

It was wrong when the Cons made deals with the Bloc, and its wrong for the Libs/NDP to do it now.

 

[Colpy]

If you were the GG, what would you do?

I would call an election!!!

I want to see the the exact plan the coalition has for the future months of this country, and comparing to the Cons plan. Then I wish to vote on the matter.

The separatist coalition leaders are a bunch of knuckleheads. If they are so keen to work together, and keep the Cons out of power, they should have presented that option in the last election. They knew that the Cons were gonna form a minority government, so why didn't they form their unholy alliance then? Present their platform to the people.

It was wrong when the Cons made deals with the Bloc, and its wrong for the Libs/NDP to do it now.

Exactly!

Making deals with the BQ, complete with concessions, should be (and probably will prove to be) political suicide.

 

[Praxius]

If you were the GG, what would you do?

I would call an election!!!

I want to see the the exact plan the coalition has for the future months of this country, and comparing to the Cons plan. Then I wish to vote on the matter.

The Conservatives had plenty of time to present their plan during that time.... um..... oh yeah..... The last Election.... and they didn't do anything but attack and attack.

Another chance they had and they did nothing. This time around, it'll be more attacks yet again. It's the exact same tactics he has used since he's been PM. This is why the other parties are forming a coalition in the first place. Sheish.

The separatist coalition leaders are a bunch of knuckleheads. If they are so keen to work together, and keep the Cons out of power, they should have presented that option in the last election.

Well they planned on working with the government but Harper just dished them out crap with no offer to solve the problems, I imagine they knew this would come eventually and even I would be planning an escape route when it occured.... he did it almost as soon as his arse warmed the seat.

And they wouldn't have had to present this option in the last election because they like everybody else probably hoped Harper would have grown the hell up by now and started working with the rest of the government as he claimed he wanted to do.... it probably wasn't needed, and it wasn't..... but now it's going to hell in a hand basket from day one, so what are you gonna do?

Exactly what they can and are allowed to do.

Yes, this isn't the normal form of government we all are used to, but it is an equal and alternative method of our government for when the other system doesn't work for whatever reason.

I'd have to say this is one of those reasons.

They knew that the Cons were gonna form a minority government, so why didn't they form their unholy alliance then? Present their platform to the people.

Ok, your speculations on what they did and didn't know are getting a tad foolish.

If they knew all of that and they knew Harper was going to do all of this, and they knew everything else like you expect them to.... then the Liberals would have canned Dion long ago. Layton would have probably gone more on the attack and perhaps start some of his plans a little slower to see if they actually work, rather then scare everyone into thinking Hitler incarnate came to eat their souls with evil socialist concepts..... OOOoOooOooOoooooo..... Booga booga!!!

And May would have just stayed home and not wasted her time (Well perhaps that's a strong way of wording it as I imagine it was fun and she had a good experience)

I had a funny feeling that Harper would do this, I hoped he wouldn`t... but he did.

And the other parties can`t just simply make decisions on a hunch like you or I.... they have to do their jobs, which they attempted to do. Their hunches were proven, they then took action, just as I would or hope someone in that authority would.

And for that, I say good job for them doing this.

It was wrong when the Cons made deals with the Bloc, and its wrong for the Libs/NDP to do it now.

It's not a big deal, cripes people, stop running around flayling your hands in the air like your head is on fire.

The Bloc promised 18 months of co-operation with the Coalition. All they can really do is bring their own proposals like they normally do, and veto as a 3rd party tie breaker. If they start pulling stunts and trying to screw over the country.....

Poof, that's it

The Coalition is dissolved and we go back to elections just like what some want..... but at least this government that you, I and many others voted for, can stand a chance to actually work.... with or without Harper's involvement.

Since he's not doing much, it's not a big loss anyways.

 

[Francis2004]

Here's a question nobody has even bothered to entertain..

If there was enough members from every party ( Conservatives ( 35 ), Liberals (35 ), Heritage Party ( 35 ), Greens ( 35 ) , NDP (35 ), Western Block Party ( 35 ), Canadian Action Party ( 35 ), Work Less Part ( 13 ) and Bloc ( 50 ) that runs in Canada and the Bloc actually had more members, listed between brackets, then all others who would the Governor General appoint as Official Governement if a coalition was formed and does it really matter when it was formed?

PS I could have used a lot more from the list included but I was running out of time and had to take my son to the doctors..

Elections Canada On-Line | Political Parties, Candidates and Others

Hey Ron there already is an official " Western Block Party "....

 

[In Between Man]

They knew that the Cons were gonna form a minority government, so why didn't they form their unholy alliance then?

I tell ya why pal,;-) its cuz they knew the people would have completely laffed at the concept of a separatist coalition. They're also pulling this stunt now, cuz they're desperate for power. Can you blame them though? Its hard to keep your spirits up, when the conservatives are right all the time.;-)

 

[Ron in Regina]

Hey Ron there already is an official " Western Block Party "....

Really? We made that name up yesterday....go figure. Are they up to some actual
good like I was proposing, or just another pack of hammerheads?

I guess my non-existant party will have to be The "Real Canadian Western BlocK Party" then.

 

[Adriatik]

The Governor-General could very well take time to make her decision. She needs to consult advisors and hear both sides of the story. If she chooses to she could reflect and only give her decision next wednesday for example... That's probably what's going to happen and the non-confidence vote will occur as planned on Monday.

Anyway, Harper doesn't deserve to prorogue parliament, not to dodge certain defeat at the beginning of a term...

 

[Ron in Regina]

Hey Ron there already is an official " Western Block Party "....

Oh Man! That's that separatist thing lead by the creepy Lawyer who represents all the
Skin-Heads and David Akenikew. That's where all the freaky separatist talk would have
been coming from. Oohhh...cr@p. I had no idea....Seemed like a good name...:angryfire:

 

[SirJosephPorter]

Exactly!

Making deals with the BQ, complete with concessions, should be (and probably will prove to be) political suicide.

Sorry, Colpy, another election will probably produce another minority government, it won’t settle anything.

And a new election will prove political suicide for Lib, NDP and Bloc, really? So what, Cons win each and every seat, 300 odd seats, is that your prediction? As a loyal conservative I wouldn’t expect you to predict anything else. No doubt you think that Conservatives now will form a perpetual majority, perpetual government, like they do in Alberta. Oh, boy! Happy days are here again.

Now let us look at it objectively. Conservatives are toast in Quebec. If election were held tomorrow, they will get zero seats in Quebec, that is a deficit of 10 seats to start with.

Ontarians in general, don’t like politicians who badmouth Quebec. I haven’t seen any polls, but I wouldn’t’ be surprised if Harper loses support in Ontario as a result of his trashing Quebec.

If election were held today, I think Harper will be lucky to get the 143 seats he has currently. Sure, his badmouthing of Quebec will make him even more popular in Alberta, but that is not going to help him, at most it may get him one more seat.

No, the likely outcome of an election today would still be a conservative minority, with perhaps reduced number of seats to Cons. And how is that going to solve anything. Now, if you wishful thinking is right and Cons end up with 300 seats, then you are right, we will have dictatorship of Harper for the next four years.

But the most likely outcome is another minority, that will be 300 million $ down the drain with nothing to show for it. We will still have the same situation on our hands, Conservatives versus the coalition.

 

[Cliffy]

My goodness there is a lot of political excitement over all this. Harper is a dick and the coalition holds most of the seats. I fail to see anything being said here by the cons except "the sky is falling" and those in favour of the coalition being logical and reasonable. So, now everything is just going round in circles, I would just like to ad that I think our GG is one hot babe and I hope that this stupidity doesn't take too many years off her life.

 

[Colpy]

Sorry, Colpy, another election will probably produce another minority government, it won’t settle anything.

And a new election will prove political suicide for Lib, NDP and Bloc, really? So what, Cons win each and every seat, 300 odd seats, is that your prediction? As a loyal conservative I wouldn’t expect you to predict anything else. No doubt you think that Conservatives now will form a perpetual majority, perpetual government, like they do in Alberta. Oh, boy! Happy days are here again.

Now let us look at it objectively. Conservatives are toast in Quebec. If election were held tomorrow, they will get zero seats in Quebec, that is a deficit of 10 seats to start with.

Ontarians in general, don’t like politicians who badmouth Quebec. I haven’t seen any polls, but I wouldn’t’ be surprised if Harper loses support in Ontario as a result of his trashing Quebec.

If election were held today, I think Harper will be lucky to get the 143 seats he has currently. Sure, his badmouthing of Quebec will make him even more popular in Alberta, but that is not going to help him, at most it may get him one more seat.

No, the likely outcome of an election today would still be a conservative minority, with perhaps reduced number of seats to Cons. And how is that going to solve anything. Now, if you wishful thinking is right and Cons end up with 300 seats, then you are right, we will have dictatorship of Harper for the next four years.

But the most likely outcome is another minority, that will be 300 million $ down the drain with nothing to show for it. We will still have the same situation on our hands, Conservatives versus the coalition.

What I've seen is Liberal voters turning to the Conservatives.....you are correct, the CPC is toast in Quebec, but I'm betting they could more than make it up if there was an election tomorrow..........there are 223 seats outside of Quebec, and the CPC just needs 154..........

Funny, and something I don't understand.....the supporters of the coalition complain that consulting the people would cost $300 million.........which is exactly 1 percent of the $30 Billion of debt that the coalition has promised us.

Personally, win or lose, I think the opinion of the people needs to be sought on this issue.......

 

[Dexter Sinister]

First, everybody should read this: King-Byng Affair - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
It's the nearest thing to a precedent there is for this situation.

It looks very likely that Harper is going to ask the G-G to prorogue (fancy word for adjourn) the House until some time in late January so the impending confidence vote will die on the order paper. He's promised a budget for January 27th, so presumably the House would reconvene shortly before that, then the confidence vote will be on the budget rather than the incendiary document the government introduced last week.

I doubt very much he'd ask for dissolution, that would mean an election, and with a coalition deal already in place and having had an election less than two months ago, I think the G-G would be constrained to deny such a request and ask the Liberals to try to form a government. Normally she'd be constrained to deny a request to prorogue the House too, when the session is less than two weeks old and the only reason to do it is to duck the confidence vote. But it's complicated by the presence of a band of separatists having the balance of power in the coalition. The coalition deal expires 30 June 2011, about 30 months from now, but the Bloc has agreed to support the coalition on confidence matters only for 18 months, so odds are we'll be having an election in 19 months anyway. And there's a great deal of rancour being expressed over the influence of separatists in the federal government, which is really the ugliest part of this.

Harper's arrogant folly has put the G-G into a very awkward position: no matter what he asks for and no matter what she decides, there will be bitter recriminations from one side or the other, which is not something you should do to the G-G. It's the influence of separatists in the coalition that's the real sticking point. If the Liberals and NDP had enough seats together to form a majority it's a no brainer: deny whatever Harper asks for, either prorogation or dissolution, which would require him to resign, and opt for the coalition. It's the separatist presence that might lead the G-G to opt for proroguing the House.

Predictably, almost everybody who objects to the coalition--including the Conservatives--doesn't seem to understand parliamentary democracy. We did not elect a Conservative minority government, we elected a House of Commons, the government is formed from within it by Parliament's internal rules and procedures and traditions, and what Dion and Layton and Duceppe have done is perfectly legitimate in that context. It's just those Bloc heads that complicate it. Note, however, that they have no formal role in the coalition, merely an agreement to support it on confidence matters for a period of 18 months, so we'll probably be having an election in 19 months anyway.

If I were the G-G, I'd say no to whatever Harper advises: meet the House next Monday and face the consequences of your arrogant folly, or resign now and I'll ask Dion to try to form a government. I wouldn't prorogue the House just to save his butt for another 2 months or so, while we all suffer through a period of media saturation with political spin and lying and name calling and ugly attack ads, nor would I dissolve the House and force an election nobody wants.

 

[Francis2004]

First, everybody should read this: King-Byng Affair - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
It's the nearest thing to a precedent there is for this situation.

It looks very likely that Harper is going to ask the G-G to prorogue (fancy word for adjourn) the House until some time in late January so the impending confidence vote will die on the order paper. He's promised a budget for January 27th, so presumably the House would reconvene shortly before that, then the confidence vote will be on the budget rather than the incendiary document the government introduced last week.

I doubt very much he'd ask for dissolution, that would mean an election, and with a coalition deal already in place and having had an election less than two months ago, I think the G-G would be constrained to deny such a request and ask the Liberals to try to form a government. Normally she'd be constrained to deny a request to prorogue the House too, when the session is less than two weeks old and the only reason to do it is to duck the confidence vote. But it's complicated by the presence of a band of separatists having the balance of power in the coalition. The coalition deal expires 30 June 2011, about 30 months from now, but the Bloc has agreed to support the coalition on confidence matters only for 18 months, so odds are we'll be having an election in 19 months anyway. And there's a great deal of rancour being expressed over the influence of separatists in the federal government, which is really the ugliest part of this.

Harper's arrogant folly has put the G-G into a very awkward position: no matter what he asks for and no matter what she decides, there will be bitter recriminations from one side or the other, which is not something you should do to the G-G. It's the influence of separatists in the coalition that's the real sticking point. If the Liberals and NDP had enough seats together to form a majority it's a no brainer: deny whatever Harper asks for, either prorogation or dissolution, which would require him to resign, and opt for the coalition. It's the separatist presence that might lead the G-G to opt for proroguing the House.

Predictably, almost everybody who objects to the coalition--including the Conservatives--doesn't seem to understand parliamentary democracy. We did not elect a Conservative minority government, we elected a House of Commons, the government is formed from within it by Parliament's internal rules and procedures and traditions, and what Dion and Layton and Duceppe have done is perfectly legitimate in that context. It's just those Bloc heads that complicate it. Note, however, that they have no formal role in the coalition, merely an agreement to support it on confidence matters for a period of 18 months, so we'll probably be having an election in 19 months anyway.

If I were the G-G, I'd say no to whatever Harper advises: meet the House next Monday and face the consequences of your arrogant folly, or resign now and I'll ask Dion to try to form a government. I wouldn't prorogue the House just to save his butt for another 2 months or so, while we all suffer through a period of media saturation with political spin and lying and name calling and ugly attack ads, nor would I dissolve the House and force an election nobody wants.

Well said Dexter..

As well the economy cannot wait that long for Parliament to resume just because political egos are bruised.. Time to move ahead and let the chips fall where they may.

 

[Colpy]

If I were GG....i'd declare myself President for Life, and announce that my first Act as such would be to publically hang Harper, Dion, Layton and Duceppe on a common gallows on Parliament hill.

That should ensure the support of the people for my leadership for at least 10 years.

(Sorry Dexter, I'm losing it)

 

[Francis2004]

If I were GG....i'd declare myself President for Life, and announce that my first Act as such would be to publically hang Harper, Dion, Layton and Duceppe on a common gallows on Parliament hill.

That should ensure the support of the people for my leadership for at least 10 years.

(Sorry Dexter, I'm losing it)

Ha ha ha.. Hate to say this Colpy, but you may last 10 seconds but I fear not 10 years.. People tend to turn on you fast..

I certainly would not want the job.. Too many whinners out there.. Some like me..

 

[Dexter Sinister]

If I were GG....i'd declare myself President for Life, and announce that my first Act as such would be to publically hang Harper, Dion, Layton and Duceppe on a common gallows on Parliament hill.

That should ensure the support of the people for my leadership for at least 10 years.

(Sorry Dexter, I'm losing it)

I sympathize, really. My instincts aren't any different. Hang 'em all and start over. But we have a government of laws, not men, and what's going on is within the law, however repulsive the men doing it might be. If it's true that we get the government we deserve, I'd sure like to know what we've done to deserve this.

 

[s_lone]

It's just those Bloc heads that complicate it. Note, however, that they have no formal role in the coalition, merely an agreement to support it on confidence matters for a period of 18 months, so we'll probably be having an election in 19 months anyway.

There is an important factor that needs to be taken into consideration in all this ''sleeping in bed with the separatists'' story and not many have mentioned it.

There is a provincial election going on right now in Quebec. And guess what, it's happening on December 8th, the day the opposition would defeat the Conservative government if the GG refused the prorogation.

If the Quebec Liberals win the election, and it looks like they will with a majority government, there will be absolutely no separation threat for at least the next 4 years. This is a very important detail because the Bloc does not have the power to separate Quebec from Canada. Of course, it plays an important role in the separatist strategy, but without a PQ government in power in Quebec City, the Bloc is mostly relegated to the status of party of regional interests.

That being said, having the Bloc as a player in the coalition is not a threat to Canada if the PQ isn't in power. People must get over the fact that they are separatists. Being a separatist is not a sin. It's not illegal. And for the most part, the Quebec separatist movement has shown itself to be most respectful of Canada's democracy. The Bloc has been there for a while now and hasn't destroyed Canada. Its mandate is to protect Quebec interests and in the present circumstances, the Bloc is making sense, at least for the people who elected them...

So what should the GG do? I don't know much about parliamentary procedures but I'd find a way to report her decision until after the Quebec election, just to make sure... The Quebec Liberals look like they are going to win fairly easily, but everything is so volatile right now that you just don't know what could happen next.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

All good points there, s_lone, I've always thought of you as the thinking person's separatist. It seems worth noting that the BQ has not campaigned on separatism in the last two elections, it's much more aware of pragmatism and reality than most of us give it credit for.

 

[JLM]

If I were GG....i'd declare myself President for Life, and announce that my first Act as such would be to publically hang Harper, Dion, Layton and Duceppe on a common gallows on Parliament hill.

That should ensure the support of the people for my leadership for at least 10 years.

(Sorry Dexter, I'm losing it)

No, you are not it that makes about the most sense since this whole charade got started...........:lol:

 

[s_lone]

All good points there, s_lone, I've always thought of you as the thinking person's separatist. It seems worth noting that the BQ has not campaigned on separatism in the last two elections, it's much more aware of pragmatism and reality than most of us give it credit for.

Thank you for the compliment. But I must insist on the fact that I don't consider myself a separatist. I am really in the razor sharp middle of the opinion spectrum... I have strong sympathy for the separatist movement but I believe it's possible for Quebec to get the independence it needs and wants while being a part of Canada. It's tricky... Quite tricky... but possible if we work it out in a decent and civil way.

The ideal for me will always be for Quebec to be part of the Canadian union. I might have unorthodox views of how Canada should be structured in terms of provincial vs federal power but I am entitled to those views because guess what, I am Canadian too... And as long as I am one, I will push for my own vision of Canada...