Prime Minister Stephen Harper has shut down parliament until March 3, 2010. It is a flagrant disregard for our parliamentary democratic system of government. The failure of our parliamentary system falls on the government of the day. Stephen Harper is one of the most controlling Prime Ministers in the history of Canada, but is that good for Canadians?
If these systems are perceived as not working well – as being “seriously overloaded,” to quote a distinguished Canadian Opposition Leader, the Hon. Robert Stanfield - it may be the rights of political oppositions, which are immediately and most visibly at stake, but ultimately the threat is to democratic rights and freedoms generally. It undermines democracy to simply say to hell with the opposition.
Parliament consists of the Senate, the House of Commons and the committees of Parliament. Canadian voters elected MP’s to both govern and oppose. It is both wrong and undemocratic to muzzle either. Is the Prime Minister now moving to govern by executive administration? His decision to prorogue parliament has effectively killed his own legislative agenda. Further, this is the second time in 12 months that Prime Minister Harper has pulled this stunt. Has the role of parliament and parliamentarians become redundant?
Canadians deserve to be represented by all the politicians they elected, not just the Prime Minister. It is both their role and their right. Canadians deserve to know all the truth about their government and all the actions taken by their government unless it risks national security. A one party government controlled by any Prime Minister is no form of democracy. Does this really serve the best interests of all Canadians?
