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Monday Dec. 8,
2008 BACK NEXT
WE NEED A BREAK
by Angelo Persichilli
THE
HILL TIMES
Did we elect responsible politicians or
actors in a cheap comedy on what politics is not all about? I was in
Ottawa last weekend and the environment on the Hill was poisoned,
farcical, and surreal all at the same time.
I'm glad
Governor General Michäelle Jean accepted Prime Minister Stephen
Harper's request to prorogue Parliament until January and hope that
everybody takes the opportunity to cool down, take a deep breath,
and return behaving as grown-ups.
Let's try to squeeze some
serious thoughts from a situation that now makes Canada the
laughingstock of Western democracies and beyond. In fact, while most
world governments are dealing with one of the most serious and
concerning economic crises since the Great Depression, we in Canada
are dealing with cheap political shots against the opposition
parties and a "minestrone alternative." I think it all belongs on an
Air Farce routine, not The National.
I'm
disappointed with Harper's government because I thought it had gone
beyond partisanship to concentrate its efforts on solving this
economic crisis with the help of all Canadians, including members of
the opposition.
The government's decision to cut funding to
the political parties might even have been right in principle
because the economy requires sacrifices from everybody, including
political parties. The Conservatives argue that the Liberal
government changed the rules to collect money and the Conservatives
complied with the new rules and it worked for them. The Liberals
didn't which led some government officials to question why everybody
should tighten their belts and not expect the political parties to
do the same.
"Is it because the Liberals," they argue, "were
not able to comply with their own rules?"
In principle it
makes sense, but in reality it doesn't for three reasons.
First, the Conservatives have a minority government and need
Liberal support. You don't kick the people you need: it is bad
politics.
Second, cutting the funds to the Liberals at this
time would mean destroying the opposition.
Even if it's
their fault, the government should never contribute to the
destruction of one of the most important elements of our democracy:
a free opposition. The fact that the former Liberal government of
Jean Chrétien did just that against the Conservatives when they were
down, doesn't justify the Conservatives' decision to do the same
thing.
Third, you never kick someone already on the carpet.
It's something Canadians don't appreciate. Again, the fact that the
former Liberal government of Chrétien did just that against the
Conservatives is one of the reasons why the Liberals are in
opposition.
The opposition had the right to react to what
can be defined as a senseless provocation. But if the provocation is
damaging Harper, the opposition parties' reaction—which is a
coalition between the Bloc, NDP and Liberals—will damage Canadians.
In an economic crisis Canada needs strong government and
clear direction. Of course, the minority Conservative government is
not strong, but at least, despite the criticism of the opposition,
the direction is clear.
The government has to be much more
effective in finding out Canadians' concerns about the economy and
better communicate what they are doing. Contrary to what the
opposition is saying, the rest of the world is not doing more than
the Canadian government.
The United States, every European
country, Japan, and other industrialized countries have intervened
to sustain the financial sector by injecting some cash, but they
have done nothing for the auto industry; they, like Canada, are
waiting for serious proposals from the automakers, before they act.
Yes, something radical must be done to stimulate the
economy. However, we are in a kind of Apollo 13 situation where the
government has one shot at changing trajectory.
If we are
late in changing course or if our calculations are wrong, we will be
lost in space.
The government doesn't want to be wrong; the
opposition doesn't want to be late. They have at least one month to
find a compromise.
A minestrone coalition with separatists,
federalist Liberals and socialists makes sense only if considered as
a knee-jerk reaction to the Conservative provocation and a tool to
deliver a stern message to Harper: behave, or else.
If you
take this idea beyond that point you're not talking about politics
any longer, but a cockfight of immature politicians more concerned
about their egos and ambitions than Canadian interests.
Yes,
Harper flirted with the Bloc, but it was when they were trying to
bring down a government, not to create one. In fact, at that time
the Governor General sent everybody to the electorate. Any direct or
indirect participation of the Bloc in the government of Canada
should be conditional to the acceptance by the Bloc of the existence
of this country the way it is. A mere platonic support by the Bloc
to a Liberal-led government would kill the separatists in the next
election, hence Duceppe will only accept this if he can take
something economically substantial home. This, of course, would
damage the unity of this country and the economy of the rest of the
confederation, mainly in Ontario.
Furthermore, what are they
going to do with the environment? Bring back the Green Shift? What
kind of economic stimulus package are they going to prepare? The one
proposed by Jack Layton? (Something that, I'm sure, Bob Rae will
oppose trying to prevent him from making the same mistake he made in
Ontario.)
Or something more prudent, as Liberals are famed
for doing when they are in government? And what's going to happen to
our troops in Afghanistan? Are they going to be back for Christmas,
like the NDP and the Bloc want, or up until 2011, as supported by
the Liberals?
In Ottawa, the political debate stopped a long
time ago and has gone beyond the crass political partisanship or
personal ambitions. It's a cockfight amongst leaders who are not
concerned about the future of this country but want to get even with
each other. They don't hate because they fight, they fight because
they hate each other.
I believe Harper has to admit his
mistake and, even if not listening to the opposition parties, at
least has to start respecting them. The opposition parties,
especially the Liberals, should stop boasting about having some
economic miraculous solutions because they don't have them and
should make serious proposals on how to cope with the present
crisis.
In the meantime, they should work hard to give their
party a solid leadership, go through the convention, and judge the
work of the government after that. If the judgment is still
negative, then they vote Harper down and go to the electorate next
fall.
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