The agreement reached at the 11th hour on the uncensored Afghan torture documents is hardly a victory for democracy. It is precisely the opposite and it is the Liberals we have to thank for it. We have come to expect nothing better from the Harper Conservatives -- the most dishonest, anti-democratic and arrogant government in living memory.
The Liberals -- fearing the possibility of an election and too cowardly to face down the bully Stephen Harper -- went along with what will be a terrible precedent: allowing three outside "experts" to vet the documents that MPs and Canadian citizens had a right to see. The ruling of the Speaker was absolutely clear: MPs had an absolute right to view the documents. Full stop. No qualifications. That's what absolute means.
The Liberals and the NDP early on allowed the Conservatives to frame the argument as one involving national security and then further allowed them to suggest that MPs are so irresponsible that they can't be trusted to read the documents and not reveal national security secrets to the Taliban.
This is sheer idiocy on both counts.
First, if there are 10 pages out of the 40,000 in question that have anything to do with genuine national security I will eat all of them. These documents were identified because they related to the torture of war prisoners -- not our strategic approach to the war. Did any of the opposition parties do any kind of analysis of this spurious argument? Did they decide that Canadians were too dull-witted to understand the arguments? Had they immediately ridiculed this obvious red herring as they should have we wouldn't have been through this humiliating (to our democracy and the opposition) process.
The final result is a precedent that puts the judgment of MPs in their own House of Commons, second to so-called experts. What experts? And who will define national security? The "experts" or Parliament? The whole question revolves around this definition and yet we have heard virtually nothing about what it might mean.
The fact that the Conservatives will very likely get to choose one, and the opposition another (with a third to be agreed upon by both) demonstrates that there is no such thing as neutral experts. The whole process is totally political -- which is why it should have stayed in the House of Commons and the final decision made by MPs exclusively.
Now we have a new definition of the absolute right of Parliament -- the almost absolute, the not quite absolute, the nearly absolute, the absolute except when the executive branch of the day says no. This is the fault of the Liberals. The NDP and Bloc fought til the end against the panel of experts and finally caved in order to advance the Afghan torture issue. It was a hard choice. The NDP and Bloc knew that Harper was quite capable of calling an election on the issue -- one too distant from the immediate concerns of Canadians to fight an election on -- an election that would deny the NDP the opportunity to run on substantive issues.
Ultimately, of course the responsibility for this latest assault on democracy lies at the feet of Stephen Harper. His efforts to emasculate parliament are legion -- including earlier appontment ofyet another third partry -- former SC Justice Frank Iacobucci -- to vet the documents. It will take years for our tattered democracy to recover from the ruthless violations visited on it by this, the worst prime minister the country has ever had.
"Ultimately, of course the responsibility for this latest assault on democracy lies at the feet of Stephen Harper..."
- actually, although I agree with the general drift of the article, we part ways here. Ultimately, the responsibility for 'our' country falling into chaos and being taken from us lies at **our** feet - We the People of Canada. If 'we', or a majority of us, are content to allow this theft to take place - then, as the old saying has it, we are indeed getting the government 'we' deserve.
Which says something about 'us', if you take that a bit deeper. Democracy is not a spectator sport, it requires participation - when we allow others to 'do it' while we watch passively from our couches - it is not that surprising that those who really want it get it.
Sad times.
(I explore the whole situation of what has become of our country, and why, with some thoughts about what we might do about it, in some detail here - What Happened? http://www.rudemacedon.ca/what-happened.html )
I should have thought the fact that the Conservative (and possibly Liberal) government(s) violated the Geneva Conventions and questions concerning who knew what and when are substantive issues that would resonate with most, or at least enough, Canadians in an election.
Should we have an election over these (along with Parliamentary supremacy) issues? Hell yeah, I say bring an election on!!!!
The worst Canadian Prime Minister had to be the first, as far as being the worst one can be measured, in the case of Canadian PMs the first cannot be beat.
Harper has to call an election this fall, anytime after that the fruits of his labours will begin to bloom. The mortgage crisis will become more apparent, the truth about Afghanistan will be coming out, his promise to bring the troops home is drawing near...election this fall when everyone is distracted getting back to work ( if they have a job) this fall.
RR
June 24th is the sixth anniversary for about 75 MPs. After that, they are qualified to receive a pension once they reach 55 years-old. The summer will be quiet on Parliament Hill. Once September comes, I will guess that Harper will give a reason for pulling the plug on Parliament and ask the GG for an election (which he will likely get). The 75 particular MPs plus other oldtimers won't need to worry if they lose their seats in the next election. They'll each be eligible for a pension.
Murray, I was cheering you on until I got to this part:
This completely undercuts your argument that the Liberals were at fault. The Liberals' "excuse" is that they didn't want to force an election on the issue - exactly the same excuse you offer on behalf of the NDP and the Bloc!!
"Hard choice" indeed! All three opposition parties have to carry the blame on this.
Jack Layton's crowing about a victory for Parliamentary Democracy is nothing short of obscene.
Perhaps I quailfy as an expert, and if so, then everyone in Canada as well. In reality, I find my expertise have to been wasted most times when voting; not that I spoil my vote, but that it is spoiled by those who, regardless of party affiliation, abuse it after being granted power. When I listened to the talking heads from each party, gushing over an agreement that seems more like a get out of jail for free card, issued by their own hired help, I knew that there was much more to this three ring circus than a bunch of buffoonish clowns. We may now, never get the straight on whether war crimes have been perpetrated, and who maybe involved. Our politicians', oops, I mean our employees ineptitude is however working against them this time and has revealed, to me at least, their own or their parties culpability in something so grievous to their careers, or perhaps even their freedom, it must remain hidden. Undemocratic the lot of them. Power and privilage has won once again, over truth and justice.
"This is a victory for Parliamentary Democracy, said New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton." NDP Press Release
Sorry - your excuses on behalf of the Bloc and NDP just don't wash - the issue was far bigger than optimal positioning to win an election. Canadians have been let down by all of their so called representatives. Let's hope that war crimes and Canada's part in them, don't go away so easily as these sellout politicians did on this crucial question.
Worse than Kim Campbell, the Conservative Stooge who took the fall without knowing, Canada's first and last female Prime Minister, to date anyways strange how that works. Can you see Kim at the helm today? I couldn't see her then but when it all game down to numbers, in the poles that is the Conservatives knew they where going to crash. Charest was broken hearted but it saved him from the fall and I'm not sure he ever figured it out.
Canada is at a lost when it comes to a real leader who cares about this glorious land and its wonderful, diversse people rather than the bottom line of foreign investors as the former economist from Alberta has his own vested interests rather than that of the country and people as a whole. Iggy is weak as crash and fall, stand up to the man its not always about winning but taking a stand on something, anything it just may bring the Liberals up in the poles. There is no pass or fail here its politics there is life after death, ask Kim Campbell she will tell you and lets not forget Smarty Marty.
I could actually read your contempt of our unfortunate government and the invertebrate chief opposition--the Liberals.
I absolutely agree with what you have wrote...And for the first time,I got to read the absolute truth of our beloved Prime Minister..The WORST PM in Canadian history...Worse than MacKenzie King,worse than Mulroney(I NEVER dared imagine someone could've been worse than Lyin'Brian...Congratulations,Stevie) and worse than Kim Campbell.
The only honest thing the Reform Party did was dropping the 'Progressive' from their brand.
If 30 years ago you were to ask me if I'd vote for Joe Clark,I would have laughed my ass off...But boy oh boy would No Joe look good as PM now....And that's an absolute (and ironic) truth.
It's all enough to make me vomit.