Is it time to abolish parliament?

[Cobalt_Kid]

Whatever term is used for the (PMO+Cabinet+Civil service) is irrelevant. The fact is the function of day to day managing the government and proposing policy is seperate from the oversight function performed by the people's reps. In Canada the governing function has so much subverted the oversight function that it is easy to see them simply as one thing.

The PMO doesn't make law in Canada the Parliment does, and the PMO ignores those laws at it's own risk.

A minority parliament does cause the PMO to be concerned somewhat with what parliament has to say. It is the only time in our system that this occurs, and even this restraint is quite weak and it does not occur very often.

That's funny.

The Conservative government could fall tomorrow and the current PMO cease to exist because of it's slim minority, that doesn't sound too powerful to me.

That is a straw man argument.
The PM has extensive powers of coercion to dictate policy.

The Prime Minister can be as dictatorial as he wants, he still has to answer to the electorate. Where have you been for the last few years anyway, did you notice a change in government last year when the people decided they wanted it. It wasn't the PMO that made that choice.

 

[atlanticaparty]

The PMO doesn't make law in Canada the Parliment does, and the PMO ignores those laws at it's own risk.

Parliament makes the laws the PMO tells it to.

The Conservative government could fall tomorrow and the current PMO cease to exist because of it's slim minority, that doesn't sound too powerful to me.

The Prime Minister can be as dictatorial as he wants, he still has to answer to the electorate. Where have you been for the last few years anyway, did you notice a change in government last year when the people decided they wanted it. It wasn't the PMO that made that choice.

The Prime Minister can be as dictatorial as he wants, that's the problem. Yes he/she must answer to the electorate, but only after a long time (usually 4 years) and with a timing he/she decides.

 

[L Gilbert]

Parliament can also enact laws that come from opposition parties.
It is natural, however, for the ruling party to try pushing it's favored laws through the parliament.
There are safety checks to make sure that PMs can't get away with too much. Clark was essentially booted out by Turdeau, for instance.
At any rate, I don't want a parliament either. I would prefer a republic guided by direct democracy or else have BC give Ottawa its walking papers.

 

[atlanticaparty]

Parliament can also enact laws that come from opposition parties.

But only if the PMO allows it.