http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&add...
It was the beginning of a thread I started in the "Canada" forum on Democratic Underground(there are Canadians who post on that site, as some of us Yanks post here) :
Do you think this assertion by this person can be trusted?
He just posted the article that says that they will show up for work in Ottawa- as will the NDP and Bloc. He didn't say they would be in the House.
I'm not sure what you are trying to get at.
I'd thought I'd been hearing here, prior to that, that the Liberals weren't even going to be in Ottawa at all that day.
Depends on whether he's Canadian or American, Ken B. Seriously, when I read Daily Kos or Democratic Underground, the commenters are great on American stories, but when Canadian stories come up, I find that many of the commenters there are pretty clueless about Canadian politics. This is not to bash Americans - it's just that you have a completely different political culture and American progressives see Canadian politics through their lens. (E.g. many of them assume that the "progressive" party in Canada is the Liberal Party, because the US party system is much more binary than ours - and they assume that our other parties have the same status and power as American third parties.)
Of course, I find that it's the same vice versa, too - a very different political culture on a Canadian forum like this one than on Daily Kos or DU when it comes to discussing American politics, and a much more nuanced awareness on the part of American progressives on those sites of the political situation down there than we tend to have up here.
Ken, I had also heard on the Facebook group against proroguing that the Liberals had announced they'd be going back to Ottawa on January 25th. Then I heard here on babble that Iggy said that the Liberals wouldn't be going back to Parliament on January 25th. And I remember thinking, geez, where's the NDP in all this?
So I'm not sure what the story is, because in both cases I didn't have time to look for news sources that would back either assertion up.
The story is:
all the opposition parties will be in Ottawa. And they have all said so all along. The Liberals just make sure they get a story for saying they will be present, that does not mean the Bloc and NDP have not said they will be there.
No one is saying what in particular they will be doing.
Iggy did say a while back they wouldn't be engaging in a 'mock Parliament'.
Beyond that, its people reading between the lines, and/or being confused.
I won't name the MP, but this person said one consideration is to rent a venue in Ottawa for the 25th onwards and ask all interested MPs to attend and conduct as much business as possible business as they can, and to allow the media at least a glimpse of what they will be doing.
Whoever the MP is, the Liberals have said they won't do that.
And frankly, I don't think its tenable, even if all 3 parties showed up.
Depends on whether he's Canadian or American, Ken B. Seriously, when I read Daily Kos or Democratic Underground, the commenters are great on American stories, but when Canadian stories come up, I find that many of the commenters there are pretty clueless about Canadian politics. This is not to bash Americans - it's just that you have a completely different political culture and American progressives see Canadian politics through their lens. (E.g. many of them assume that the "progressive" party in Canada is the Liberal Party, because the US party system is much more binary than ours - and they assume that our other parties have the same status and power as American third parties.)
Of course, I find that it's the same vice versa, too - a very different political culture on a Canadian forum like this one than on Daily Kos or DU when it comes to discussing American politics, and a much more nuanced awareness on the part of American progressives on those sites of the political situation down there than we tend to have up here.
I've been assuming this person was Canadian. I just checked the profile on DU for the poster in question, and she self-identifies as a "citizen of the world". Which world, I'm not sure.
Whoever the MP is, the Liberals have said they won't do that.
Okay, I think there's a problem with communications. Did Iggy order all the Lib MPs back to Ottawa for the 25th, or not? I'm sure I read this on CBC and CTV.
I think the second place finishers to Tories in the last election should be invited to come to Ottawa on Jan 25. Those of us who live in CPC ridings deserve representation even if our MPs choose not to work.
Whoever the MP is, the Liberals have said they won't do that.
Okay, I think there's a problem with communications. Did Iggy order all the Lib MPs back to Ottawa for the 25th, or not? I'm sure I read this on CBC and CTV.
I don't really understand this persistent confusion.
Iggy "ordered" them back to Ottawa.
But he didn't say they were going to do anything in particular, such as particpate in what he disparagingly called "mock Parliaments."
He just said they will be back at "work".
Obviously there is some deliberate ambiguity there- what most people think of MPs being at work doesn't just mean being in Ottawa and going to Caucus meetings.
But just read Iggy's lips.
I think the second place finishers to Tories in the last election should be invited to come to Ottawa on Jan 25. Those of us who live in CPC ridings deserve representation even if our MPs choose not to work.
Like I said, I don't think this 'alternative Parliament' business is teneable. And inviting unelected pretenders would just make it even more of a circus.
I think it would be difficult to make this look good in the best of circumstances. And it would be handing Harper a golden opportunity to do it now. [Related comment at same time, 9:00, here.]
In fact, if Parliament and committees aren't meeting, and they're not going to arrange to meet publicly and debate the issues of the day, then I don't really see the point of ordering MPs "back to work" in Ottawa. It would probably be much more useful for the MPs to stay home and do constituency work in the meantime.
It would probably be much more useful for the MPs to stay home and do constituency work in the meantime.
Yes like attend church picnics and other campaigning while collecting a salalry and pension benefits, etc. while stats can just announced another 25 000 well-paying jobs have disappeared despite the "recovery" of the economy.
ETA: I think that it's time for minimum wage, 40 hrs/week, no pensions or benefits for MPs, MMPs and MLAs. (And senators should probably start volunteering)
I'm just back from a funeral and am trying to catch up with all these posts.
The idea that I was thinking of was along these lines that someone posted on Facebook: Maybe someone should find a nice large, comfortable venue in Ottawa where all the opposition parties can meet and discuss the government's policies and performance. Without the Torys there to heckle and obstruct.....it would probably be quite constructive. And, with no other game in town......you'd probably even get quite a bit of positive press coverage !!
I don't agree with that, Le T. MPs work WAY more than 40 hours per week. They go to a million events in their constituencies, yes, partially to campaign, but also to keep on top of what's happening in their communities as the representative of their constituents. They hold office hours so that constituents can meet with them with their concerns, they answer e-mail, they help constituents resolve problems they're having with the government...
I think it's too easy to claim they do nothing, but it's just not true. I only know one MP, and she is constantly busting her ass, whether she's in Ottawa or in her constituency. It's a constant and relentless job. They earn every penny.
On Canada AM this morning they stated all MPs, other than Conservative, would be going to work on the 25th.
And agree, that if they do not conduct the business of the day while there , and on a ongoing basis, they might as well stay at home, and save us tax payers our money to fly them back and forth.
At the start of each session of the Ontario legislature, prior to the Throne Speech, the government introduces Bill 1. Titled "An Act to perpetuate an ancient parliamentary right", the bill's purpose is "to perpetuate the established right of Parliament, through the representatives elected by the people, to sit and act without leave from the Crown."
Perhaps it could be the first bill introduced by the Rump Parliament on the 25th.
From the CBC.
Harper has 'crazy way' of running democracy: Ignatieff
Instead Ignatieff said all of his party's MPs and senators plan to return to work in Ottawa on Jan. 25, the date Parliament was set to resume before Harper shut it down until March.Not clear what work they'll actually be doing. Iggy goes on to say that he will continue to support the minority government and their crazy ways to avoid a spring election.Ignatieff, speaking from Ottawa in his first public appearance since Harper prorogued Parliament on Dec. 30 until after the Vancouver Olympics, said his party plans to return to work because that's what Canadians have told him they want. "We're going to be working right until the Olympics...
