From CTV.ca today.
Anyone here ever heard of an election where you voted in one party to control the legislature, then weeks later you find out that the other party is able to take control instead?
Well, that’s exactly what’s happening north of the border. The three opposition parties, the Liberals, the NDP, and the Bloc Quebecois have signed an agreement today to support a coalition government for 30 months, with cabinet ministers from both Liberals and NDP (the Bloc will support the coalition, but since they are separatists they don’t want government roles). Liberal leader Stephane Dion will become the new Prime Minister since his party has the most seats in Parliament. If all goes according to plan, by next Monday there will be a new Canadian government comprising of all parties but Conservative.
The reason for this historic coup d’etat? Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper introduced an economic fiscal update last week that didn’t have a stimulus package for important sectors of the economy (forestry, manufacturing, auto). But the real icing on the cake (and the thing that united the opposition) was a policy to cut public subsidies for political parties based on results from the last election.
Basically, each vote was worth about $2 to the party the vote went to. If this had been enacted, the Liberals stood to lose about $7 million (and they’re already in the red). All parties would stand to lose significant amounts of funding, except the Conservatives (who are more adept at fundraising with small donations, a la Obama campaign).
So therefore, because of Harper’s obsession with partisanship and need to destroy the opposition, he was blinded by such and used the fiscal update as a guise for partisan political purposes instead of trying to fix the economy. And for the good of the country, three other parties with vast differences in policy formally united to bring down this government and replace it with a new one. Little know historical fact; the last time Canada had an actual coalition government? In 1917, during World War I!
The downside? The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) dropped 800 points after the news broke.
The irony of all this? Stephen Harper, the master political strategist, got outdone by (I’m exaggerating here) a nerd, a tree hugger, and a separatist. Kinda sad really for this guy who for years managed to politically outdo all of them.
Not exactly relevant to any Americans, but I thought I share that because it’s such a ridculous political soap opera. If it needed a title, I think it’d be “Days of Our Parliamentary Lives”
UPDATE: For a more detailed explanation of how these guys can possibly pull this bloodless coup off, click here.
to Celine Dion? Hahaha.
That the United States now has the only left-wing government in North America. Good to see Canada may as well. Now if only Mexico can put a stop to the election-rigging for right-wing governments.
No but seriously I thought the Bloc Quebecois despised the Liberals? Welcome news either way. Woohoo!
I heard about this late Sunday, but I have to wonder if this arrangement will really hold. It strikes me as inherently unstable and really fragile. After all, Libs support troops in Afghanistan whereas NDPers oppose same.
No, the NDP isn’t seeking the econ ministry, but I’m sure they’re unlikely to be happy with a watered-down Lib effort at econ stimulation.
Also the leadership of the anti-Harper forces is neither united nor steller. In fact it’s pretty non-existent.
Finally Bloc members are likely to withdraw at the first perceived slight.
While I’m glad any time a conservative government is thrown out, is there any chance at a popular backlash that will be worse than the gain — especially in now having a Prime Minister most Canadians didn’t seem to like very much.
My guess is the best way to get over any backlash is to govern well.