I don't even need to write my own thoughts on the matter!

[pyat]

tzoq passed this on to me:

"To condemn MPs for wanting power makes about as much sense as condemning firemen for being wicked, because they only live for fires. In this case, it makes even less sense, because we have one fire company that's sitting on its a** while something important burns down, and a bunch of others are saying, "For God's sake, then, give us the hose!" That's what they're there for. That's their job. That's why we send them to Ottawa....

... I've asked myself would I be feeling this way if the Tories were doing this to the Grits... as they would have liked to have done just a few years ago. In all honesty, I know I'd be pretty sore about it, but I wouldn't be arguing it was damaging to democracy, or illegal, or extraordinary. I know it's none of those things in our system — only rare, in Canada. And to be honest, if it keeps future minority governments in line, if it sinks in for the next Harper, so much the better."

Comments

[anidada.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

[mar2nee.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I agree, too.

[lee-in-limbo.livejournal.com]

Harper has finally shown his colours. He smiled warmly through those debates, but all the while, you could see that he thought everyone at that table but him was an idiot. He clearly thinks he's the only one who knows what's good for the country. Our democracy is not like that of the south, but it's still a democracy, and he's just proven that it's not the democracy he wants it to be, namely his.

I'm not going to overreact and write a big screed. Nevertheless, they've just set a dangerous precedent for future minority governments that believe they don't have to answer to that larger part of the country that didn't vote for them and disagrees with their policy changes. He's making history, and it's going to be very interesting to see what gets written about his little coup in the years to come.

Lee.

[neosis.livejournal.com]

I was pretty much thinking the same thing, even if the Coalition doesn't happen, the fact that they've banded together at all is bound to make Harper behave more reasonably until he thinks the danger has passed.

However, I am becoming concerned about the danger that Harper is posing to confederation by serving as a lightning rod for both Quebecois and Western alienation. That man does not know when to shut his yap.