disgusted!

[lone wolf]

CARP.... How poetic ... considering that's where the hide-away from the worst-case scenario of political arrogance is

 

[Colpy]

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper P.C., M.P. (Calgary Southwest), the Prime Minister of Canada, seems to be declaring that the priorities that were expressed in the last throne speech — and indeed, the entire agenda of Her Majesty’s Government for Canada — is misguided and should be cancelled. The intention of prorogation is for a completed session to be ended so that a new one can begin — this session is far from completed.


We should also consider the fact that the prime minister was in vehement opposition to the idea of the House of Commons discussing the Afghan torture issue — and lo! and behold, as soon as a special committee is prepared to discuss the matter, we have prorogation on the table. It sounds to me as though the prime minister and the Government have something that they don’t wanat brought to light. It is not the process that is suspect — prorogations are entirely constitutional and, when used appropriately, something that shouldn’t be given a second thought. The prime minister isn’t using it appropriately — but is he allowed to use it anyway? Absolutely, it’s his prerogative as prime minister, and it’s an essential component of our flexible constitutional arrangements that he has that prerogative.


The opposition parties cannot force an election — only the prime minister can force an election. Whether this is through presenting a clearly unacceptable motion to the House, pushing an unsatisfactory budget, or declaring some benign issue a matter of confidence, it will be the prime minister visiting Rideau Hall. The opposition parties aren’t invited.


You’re mistaken.

Per s. 86.1 of the Standing Orders of the House of Commons, private members’ business continues uninterrupted through prorogations. Bill C-391, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Firearms Act (repeal of the long-gun registry) will be carried over into the next session, and returned to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security for comprehensive review. This was one advantage to moving this issue as private members’ business, instead of as Government business (as all Government business dies upon prorogation).


I’m glad you and I can agree that the Government’s agenda is completely unneeded.


These bills are being abandoned by the prime minister and the Government through prorogation:

• Bill S-5 — the Long-gun Registry Repeal Act
• Bill S-6 — An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (accountability with respect to political loans)
• Bill S-7 — the Constitution Act, 2009 (Senate term limits)
• Bill S-8 — the Tax Conventions Implementation Act, 2009
• Bill C-6 — the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act
• Bill C-8 — the Family Homes on Reserves and Matrimonial Interests of Rights Act
• Bill C-13 — An Act to amend the Canada Grain Act, chapter 22 of the Statutes of Canada, 1998 and chapter 25 of the Statutes of Canada, 2004
• Bill C-15 — An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts
• Bill C-19 — An Act to amend the Criminal Code (investigative hearings and recognizance with conditions)
• Bill C-20 — the Nuclear Liability and Compensation Act
• Bill C-23 — the Canada–Columbia Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act
• Bill C-26 — An Act to amend the Criminal Code (auto theft and trafficking in property obtained by crime)
• Bill C-27 — the Electronic Commerce Protection Act
• Bill C-30 — the Senate Ethics Act
• Bill C-31 — An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act and the Identification of Criminals Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act
• Bill C-34 — the Protecting Victims from Sex Offenders Act
• Bill C-35 — the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act
• Bill C-36 — the Serious Time for the Most Serious Crime Act
• Bill C-37 — An Action Plan for the National Capital Commission
• Bill C-40 — the Expanded Voting Opportunities Act
• Bill C-42 — the Ending Conditional Sentences for Property and Other Serious Crimes Act
• Bill C-43 — the Strengthening Canada’s Corrections System Act
• Bill C-44 — An Act to amend the Canada Post Corporation Act
• Bill C-45 — An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
• Bill C-46 — the Investigative Powers for the 21st Century Act
• Bill C-47 — the Technical Assistance for Law Enforcement in the 21st Century Act
• Bill C-52 — the Retribution on Behalf of Victims of White Collar Crime Act
• Bill C-53 — the Protecting Canadians by Ending Early Release for Criminals Act
• Bill C-54 — the Canadians by Ending Sentence Discounts for Multiple Murders Act
• Bill C-55 — the Response to the Supreme Court of Canada Decision in R. v. Shoker Act
• Bill C-57 — the Canada–Jordan Free Trade Act
• Bill C-58 — the Child Protection Act (Online Sexual Exploitation)
• Bill C-59 — the Keeping Canadians Safe (International Transfer of Offenders) Act
• Bill C-60 — the Keeping Canadians Safe (Protecting Borders) Act
• Bill C-61 — the Railway Continuation Act, 2009
• Bill C-63 — the First Nations Certainty of Land Title Act

These are all Government bills introduced during the current session that have not yet been passed. So, the Government very clearly hasn’t completed what it set out to do, and there are lots of ‘essential’ bills on the order paper, at least according to the Government’s agenda. So, why prorogue Parliament? Something is very clearly amiss.

I stand corrected on the private member's bill, and am very pleased to admit I was wrong.......especially as the make-up of the Senate and the committees concerned will mean a much friendlier reception for the bill when Parliament returns... :_)

Look, with Stephen Harper, breathing is a political act. Of course this is as well. It just happens to be the correct one.

I agree they have mishandled the Afghan issue, but I do believe the thing is a tempest in a teapot.....no solid evidence of torture has been forthcoming.........and an inquiry simply provides our enemies with propaganda.....a recruiting tool for terrorists. It needs to be shut down NOW. Its a war, the rules are a little different, you don't provide your enemies with weapons, either physical or psychological. All else is secondary....

Yes, the opposition can force Harper to call an election.....all they have to do is defeat the new budget.....but you know that.

 

[Mowich]

Ridiculed? Here? Nah, you must be thinkin' of some other place! :lol:

OK, you might run into the odd disparaging remark but as my Granny used to say, "Consider the source." If it's downright rude, crude, and mean, ignore it. Ain't worth nuthin', and most especially not your time to reply to it.

For what it's worth, I think you're talking good sense here and I would like to see it blossom into a basket of bountiful ideas that could benefit all of us. And don't forget, some of the one-liners can be quite entertaining too! A little chuckle now and then is good for the soul.

:canada:

I would like to second your comments, CB. Go for it, G-Pac-C

 

[Mowich]

Join a political party, attend their meetings, express your concerns, vote on candidates, donate time and money......in short, participate beyond the short strokes on election day..........less than 3% of Canadian voters do..........so your influence is multiplied many times.

Well said, Colpy. :canada:

 

[Avro]

Exactly.....and so what???

There is absolutely nothing wrong, suspicious, questionable or under-handed about the process....it is completely normal in today's context.

When Parliament returns, there will be a Throne Speech and a budget, and the opposition will have every opportunity to force an election.....if they dare.

I am sorry the Bill kill firearms (long gun) registration will die........we fought hard for 14 years to get some reform to the point it was at today........(sigh)

But there really is no essential matters before the House....time to hit reset.

Wow, what a shock, you defend the move by Harper.

 

[AnnaG]

Harper in proroguing parliament again so that he can reset everything..

It is simple.. It starts with my Senate Thread I had earlier this month.. If Harper appoints new Senators he cannot control the already running committees that have Liberal Senators as head of them.. After he appoints new Conservative Senators he will have to reset Parliament by proroguing it.. This will permit all Senate committees to be reformed and have Conservative heads to them as well as be bias to ram thru the legislation..

However it means all legislation done in 2009 that was not complete will be null and void and have to be re-done.

One point that should be made from this.. Although Harper will now have control of the Senate, he could well lose control of Parliament as the NDP could well no longer support him in the house..

These are all possibilities..

6 of one; half dozen of the other. Politics in Canuckville is all crap. None of those people are worth a slug's sneeze.

 

[Francis2004]

These bills are being abandoned by the prime minister and the Government through prorogation:

• Bill S-5 — the Long-gun Registry Repeal Act
• Bill S-6 — An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (accountability with respect to political loans)
• Bill S-7 — the Constitution Act, 2009 (Senate term limits)
• Bill S-8 — the Tax Conventions Implementation Act, 2009
• Bill C-6 — the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act
• Bill C-8 — the Family Homes on Reserves and Matrimonial Interests of Rights Act
• Bill C-13 — An Act to amend the Canada Grain Act, chapter 22 of the Statutes of Canada, 1998 and chapter 25 of the Statutes of Canada, 2004
• Bill C-15 — An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts
• Bill C-19 — An Act to amend the Criminal Code (investigative hearings and recognizance with conditions)
• Bill C-20 — the Nuclear Liability and Compensation Act
• Bill C-23 — the Canada–Columbia Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act
• Bill C-26 — An Act to amend the Criminal Code (auto theft and trafficking in property obtained by crime)
• Bill C-27 — the Electronic Commerce Protection Act
• Bill C-30 — the Senate Ethics Act
• Bill C-31 — An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act and the Identification of Criminals Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act
• Bill C-34 — the Protecting Victims from Sex Offenders Act
• Bill C-35 — the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act
• Bill C-36 — the Serious Time for the Most Serious Crime Act
• Bill C-37 — An Action Plan for the National Capital Commission
• Bill C-40 — the Expanded Voting Opportunities Act
• Bill C-42 — the Ending Conditional Sentences for Property and Other Serious Crimes Act
• Bill C-43 — the Strengthening Canada’s Corrections System Act
• Bill C-44 — An Act to amend the Canada Post Corporation Act
• Bill C-45 — An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
• Bill C-46 — the Investigative Powers for the 21st Century Act
• Bill C-47 — the Technical Assistance for Law Enforcement in the 21st Century Act
• Bill C-52 — the Retribution on Behalf of Victims of White Collar Crime Act
• Bill C-53 — the Protecting Canadians by Ending Early Release for Criminals Act
• Bill C-54 — the Canadians by Ending Sentence Discounts for Multiple Murders Act
• Bill C-55 — the Response to the Supreme Court of Canada Decision in R. v. Shoker Act
• Bill C-57 — the Canada–Jordan Free Trade Act
• Bill C-58 — the Child Protection Act (Online Sexual Exploitation)
• Bill C-59 — the Keeping Canadians Safe (International Transfer of Offenders) Act
• Bill C-60 — the Keeping Canadians Safe (Protecting Borders) Act
• Bill C-61 — the Railway Continuation Act, 2009
• Bill C-63 — the First Nations Certainty of Land Title Act

These are all Government bills introduced during the current session that have not yet been passed. So, the Government very clearly hasn’t completed what it set out to do, and there are lots of ‘essential’ bills on the order paper, at least according to the Government’s agenda. So, why prorogue Parliament? Something is very clearly amiss.

My fear would be an Omnibus bill to pass all this legislation thru Parliament.. In a minority Government the government could fall as the opposition parties rally to defeat the many bills they oppose in this lump of legislation they surely do not all agree on..

Each party will have bills they totally do not want to see go thru as they stand.. This will then become an issue ( election one ) for each party to jump on and start hammering the Government on again..

It is still left to be seen if the Afghan issue will have gone away by March or will it rear it's ugly head again as focus shifts away from the Olympics and back onto Ottawa..

 

[lone wolf]

Does Harpo have that six years for pension yet?

 

[FiveParadox]

And they can all be introduced again in their original format - Loved how the Senate delayed the Keeping Canadians Safe Act - they attempted to gut that bill after all parties gave unanmiuos support - The Senate Committees will now change - and then we will see. Chretien or Martin or any PM would have done the same thing - so get of the high horse before you fall and hurt yourself.

What a very interesting comment, Goober...

You see, the reason I say that is, you’re being completely disingenuous in trying to push propaganda against the Honourable the Senate of Canada. The Keeping Canadians Safe (International Transfer of Offenders) Act and the Keeping Canadians Safe (Protecting Borders) Act never passed second reading in the House of Commons, so they never reached the Senate for debate at all. The Senate didn’t attempt to ‘gut’ the bills — rather, the Government and House stalled on those bills. You stand corrected, you’re welcome.

Anyhow
Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year and all the best is 2010.

Thank you, you too! :smile:

I stand corrected on the private member's bill, and am very pleased to admit I was wrong.......especially as the make-up of the Senate and the committees concerned will mean a much friendlier reception for the bill when Parliament returns... :_)

This is assuming, of course, that the bill ever leaves the House of Commons. One unfortunate aspect of a bill being private members’ business is that it receives nowhere near as much debate time as Government bills — but it also has the advantage of surviving prorogations. The Government will have to hope that it survives for almost the entire five-year maximum life of Parliament for the legislation to be enacted (which is unlikely, given the prime minister’s fixed election date legislation).

Look, with Stephen Harper, breathing is a political act.

:lol: How very true, well said!

I agree they have mishandled the Afghan issue, but I do believe the thing is a tempest in a teapot.....no solid evidence of torture has been forthcoming.........and an inquiry simply provides our enemies with propaganda.....a recruiting tool for terrorists. It needs to be shut down NOW. Its a war, the rules are a little different, you don't provide your enemies with weapons, either physical or psychological. All else is secondary....

Here I must disagree with you once again, and this is a topic on which I am most passionate. We are presently participating in an armed intervention — Canada is not, in real or constitutional terms, “at war”. Should we be? Yes, I believe so. However, to do that, the prime minister must recommend to Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D., the Governor General of Canada, that a declaration of war be made. This is something that neither of the last three prime ministers have been willing to do.

In my view, we owe it to ourselves and to the people of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to take our role there seriously — this current half-assed ‘intervention’ is unacceptable. I feel that we should either (a) declare war and dedicated the entirety of our resources to the defeat of terrorism out of Afghanistan, or (b) admit that it isn’t as important as we’d led on, and pull out entirely. I don’t believe that this is time for a gray area — we should either be completely into it, or leave it to someone who has the dedication to do so (because right now, with this and the former Government, that isn’t us).

Yes, the opposition can force Harper to call an election.....all they have to do is defeat the new budget.....but you know that.

Of course the opposition parties can defeat a budget.

And what would cause that? It would be due to the prime minister governing as though he has a majority when, in fact, he must have the support of the House of Commons to govern. It is almost a guarantee that the prime minister, if he thinks he can win an election, will place some sort of ‘poison pill’ in the budget to antagonise the opposition parties (think election financing amendments in the previous budget). At the end of the day, only the prime minister can request a general election — and it would be brought about by being held accountable for his agenda by the elected House of Commons.

My fear would be an Omnibus bill to pass all this legislation thru Parliament.. In a minority Government the government could fall as the opposition parties rally to defeat the many bills they oppose in this lump of legislation they surely do not all agree on..

Each party will have bills they totally do not want to see go thru as they stand.. This will then become an issue ( election one ) for each party to jump on and start hammering the Government on again..

I’m not quite as concerned, Francis2004, about the idea of an omnibus bill — such legislation is extremely rare in Canadian federal politics. (Having said that, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the prime minister take the American omnibus approach, and herald it as a fantastic new strategy for governmental efficiency, courtesy of “Canada’s New Government”.) I imagine whatever committee such a bill would be referred to would split it up anyway.

 

[JLM]

Join a political party, attend their meetings, express your concerns, vote on candidates, donate time and money......in short, participate beyond the short strokes on election day..........less than 3% of Canadian voters do..........so your influence is multiplied many times.

Yeah right, and stand a good chance of going to jail for aiding and abetting dangerous (fiscally) criminals. :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

[FiveParadox]

It appears to be official.

Today The Right Honourable Stephen Harper P.C., M.P. (Calgary Southwest), the Prime Minister of Canada, has had his request for prorogation approved. He spoke to Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D., the Governor General of Canada, by telephone. The Web site of the Parliament of Canada confirms that all Government bills (i.e., the several justice bills I cited earlier) have now fallen off the order paper.

 

[Nuggler]

CBC says:

Anyway, the backgrounder includes a similarly intriguing omission from its explanation on what, exactly, survives prorogation, which notes that "the call for a new session does not remove the requirements in Orders or Addresses of the House for the tabling of government reports."


That is, of course, entirely true, but it's not the whole truth. What PMO doesn't mention is that Standing Order 40 states that prorogation "shall not have the effect of nullifying an Order or Address of the House for returns or papers, but all papers and returns ordered at one session of the House, if not complied with during the session, shall be brought down during the following session, without renewal of the Order." Which means that, notwithstanding the Wall Street Journal's otherwise accurate summary, the order to produce those uncensored detainee-related documents has not been "killed," but remains very much alive until Parliament is dissolved for a general election. """


Interesting. Wonder if Harpo knows this.

 

[Walter]

One more time and he's tied with Cretin.

 

[AnnaG]

One more time and he's tied with Cretin.

lol Maybe he'll get around to his own style of Shawinigate and Adscam sometime, too.

 

[Risus]

Come on guys, get realistic. He onlt delayed the reopening of parliment until March, a delay of what, 6 weeks?? Once again the liberals and their lacky followers are grasping at straws.

By the way, relic, please learn to spell and type.

 

[AnnaG]

Come on guys, get realistic. He onlt delayed the reopening of parliment until March, a delay of what, 6 weeks?? Once again the liberals and their lacky followers are grasping at straws.

By the way, relic, please learn to spell and type.

8O lol

 

[relic]

55, I wondered how long it would take for some jackoff to get petty,you win risus

 

[FiveParadox]

Come on guys, get realistic. He onlt delayed the reopening of parliment until March, a delay of what, 6 weeks?? Once again the liberals and their lacky followers are grasping at straws.

By the way, relic, please learn to spell and type.

If you believe that a prorogation is simply a ‘delay’, then your grasp of parliamentary procedure and the Canadian constitution is weak (at best). Prorogation has also killed all Government bills (such as the dozen-or-so much-heralded Conservative justice bills — you know, the ones that are now apparently not as important as they’d been shouting in the House), and disrupted the work of committees (much to the delight of the Conservatives, since they apparently have something to hide on the Afghan torture issue). There was nothing routine about this prorogation, it was a clearly political ploy, and a shameful abuse of the privileges of the prime minister’s office.

 

[Kreskin]

The Canada - Jordan Free Trade Act bill??? Stop the presses. Everyone back to work!

 

[FiveParadox]

The Canada - Jordan Free Trade Act bill??? Stop the presses. Everyone back to work!

Let’s not be so hasty. The Senate reform bill died, too, and that’s good news for all sides! ;-)