Cross-posted from my blog – Prorogued.

On less than one day’s notice, about 60 people showed up at 2:00 this afternoon to greet PM Stephen Harper on his way into a meeting at the CD Howe Institute on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto. The spirited group of democrats made their their point loud and clear. A small contingent of media were on hand for the action.

Let’s try and imagine the conversation at Harper’s meeting with the CD Howe Institute today.

Backround din – “Get back to work. Pro-democracy – not pro-ro-gation etc.”
PM: Do you think I screwed up with this prorogation thing?
CD: You’re late. Here’s our draft of your upcoming budget.
PM: It would be worse, wouldn’t it, if I had reconvened Parliament next week?
CD: Parlia-what? Look Steve, are we going to talk about the budget or not? There are some huge opportunities for some game changers here.
PM: Look guys, I’m under some pressure here.
CD: (sneers) Pressure! Did you look over our list of your new Senators? Did you email them over to Rideau Hall yet?
PM: Not yet. (pause) I think I’m going to need a lawyer for this Afghanistan detainee mess. I should have never listened to Cheney. He told me no one would ever find out, and if they did, they wouldn’t care.
CD: It’s not Dick’s fault that Colvin’s got a big mouth. Anyway, Canadian values are changing. Torture has lost a lot of its stigma. Relax and stay focused.
PM: What about the protests on Saturday?
CD: What protests?
PM: You know, that facebook email thingy. The 200,000 pissed off people?
CD: What the fuck are you talking about? What the hell is a bookface thingy? Can you prorogue it?
PM: I’m afraid not. They’ve already got 50 rallies planned although I doubt all 200,000 will show up since some of them are ours. But it’s just too big. Our people keep getting called gnomes.

CD: Gnomes?

PM: Gnomes. Or maybe it was trolls? All kinds of nasty names. We’re just trying to tell these people how wrong they are and how bad Chretien was. Half the time we can’t understand what they’re talking about.
CD: What do they want?
PM: They want me to recall Parliament?
CD: (Laughing) That’s a good one. You’re not considering it are you?
PM: CD. I’ve got to keep my options open. (snickers) Of course not.
CD: So when are we going to finalize the budget?
PM: Well, I should show it to Jim first.
CD: Don’t get bogged down in process. There’s some very important initiatives that are going to change the game in ways we never thought possible just 2 years ago.
PM: Like what?
CD: You’ll see.
PM: You know I don’t like surprises CD.
CD: They’re game changers Steve.
PM: What about the opposition?
CD: Nobody wants an election. Nooooobody (a la Mel Lastman) Least of all, the opposition. You’ll want to pass this budget Steve. Just stay focused.
PM: What about these rallies?
CD: Just say that everyone, even radical nutjob dupes of the liberal party, the socialists and the separatists, has a right to protest.
PM: And that I’ve got a right to ignore them? Right?
CD: We’ve been waiting a long time for this kind of a budget. Don’t fuck it up.
PM: No big surprises?
CD: You’re going to like it. Canada’s economy will have the SH monogram on it for generations to come. Now get back to work.

Gary Shaul

Gary Shaul is a life-long Torontonian and retired Ontario civil servant. He's been involved with a number of issues over the past 45 years including trade unionism, proportional representation, Indigenous...