Liberals prorogue… themselves

Today, Julian Sher and Gloria Galloway wrote a story published in the Globe and Mail about the absences of MPs in the House of Commons. In the number two spot is Stephen Harper who understandably is often absent due to his Prime Ministerial duties which call him away from Ottawa.

But who tops the list? And who rounds out this group of truant MPs? And what are their opinions on the institution of Parliament and the need for MPs to be present working there?

#1 Michael Ignatieff — 182 votes missed

“Mr. Harper is showing his disregard for the democratic institutions of our country. The decision to prorogue is about one thing and one thing only — avoiding the scrutiny of Parliament…” — Michael Ignatieff

#3 Jim Karygiannis — 140 votes missed

“There are a number of important pieces of legislation before Parliament that died on the Order Paper as a result of Harper’s decision [to prorogue]… some of the Bills to be debated dealt with gun control, pensions and the protection of the environment.” — Jim Karygiannis

#4 Keith Martin — 127 votes missed

“This is an affront to our democratic principles, a gross misuse of the power of his office, wastes the efforts of public servants, MPs and Senators, and is an enormous waste of the taxpayers’ money as all government legislation automatically goes into the garbage can. The total cost to the taxpayer is over $130 million. This act also neutralizes the voices of our citizens…” — Keith Martin

#5 Ruby Dhalla — 124 votes missed

“One of the many consequences of the Prime Minister’s decision to shut down Parliament was ending an ongoing Parliamentary study on Poverty.” — Ruby Dhalla

#6 Gerard Kennedy — 103 votes missed

“I invite Canadians to help put Mr. Harper in his place by paying attention. Prime Minister Harper is counting on Canadians tuning out of parliament and not caring.” — Gerard Kennedy

The Harper Government

When CP’s Bruce Cheadle isn’t determining the hue and photo content of Government of Canada websites carefully determining whether or not the name and image of the office holder is inappropriately um, representing the office, he’s looking at the Prime Minister’s name on press releases and finding people to label Harper an autocrat.

“The effect of this subtle framing just before an election is to equate government with Harper,” said Rose. “It creates a perception of a natural affinity between one party’s leader and the act of governing.”

The Harper-centric messaging prompted Rose to recall French King Louis XIV and his 17th century divine right of kings: “L’État, c’est moi,” quipped the political scientist. “The state is me.”

But Mel Cappe, a former clerk of the Privy Council, finds nothing amusing in the development.

“It is not the Harper Government,” Cappe said in an interview, tersely enunciating each word. “It is the Government of Canada.

First, Canada Day was too blue for some, then the Economic Action Plan website was too blue and too Harper for Cheadle’s liking.  The Parliamentary Press Gallery mocked the wordmark “Canada’s New Government” when the Tories used in after they were elected in 2006, now “Harper Government” is inappropriate personification!

Nevermind that subtle bias is usually shown against government by affixing the person label.  It is easier to attack a person than a more nebulous concept such as party.  To diminish good news of a government, headlines will credit “Ottawa” for its accomplishments.

But what is appropriate? In government, how do we parse concepts such as the executive (the cabinet), the bureaucracy and Parliament? Certainly Parliament isn’t government, and the bureaucracy only executes the political will of ministers.  So, where does that leave the executive? Since Harper is chief executive of his cabinet and his cabinet governs, is it the Harper government?

And why the sudden outrage? I don’t remember such anger when Paul Martin ran a government:

Paul Martin government announces prudent and ambitious budget

Budget 2004, announced today by the Paul Martin government, is a focused plan of responsible financial management and fiscal prudence that gives tangible shape to the goals presented in the Speech from the Throne.

By definition, the head of state is the GG. The head of government? His name is Stephen Harper.

Tories at 43%?

That’s the stunning result of the latest Ipsos poll showing 43% strength for Stephen Harper’s Conservative Party nationally buoyed by a 45% showing in Ontario.  Also surprising is the Conservative dominance in the east which can be as rare as a [insert folksy Atlantic Canadian expression here].

What does this mean? Stephen Harper must really want an election musn’t he? Our Prime Minister is a strategic one to be sure, but this poll (and other recent ones) suggest that stability has a special place in the hearts of Canadians given their number one issue: the economy.  Michael Ignatieff’s Liberal Party has been taking the stubborn line that they are eager for an election, all while claiming to fight for Canada’s values and for issues that affect Canadians.  Meanwhile Canadians look at this positioning as reckless and self-serving.

Indeed, polls seem to shift against those that take a position of arrogance.  With prorogation, Canadians punished the Prime Minister because the narrative held that the Prime Minister’s prorogation of Parliament wasn’t simply procedural, it was a ploy — in effect, too cute by half.  When Ignatieff went bellicose with his infamous stand, “Mr. Harper, your time is up”, Canadians reacted by punishing a party moving against the general political mood and national reality.  Were Canadians looking to replace the government, or looking to it to get down to work?

The Liberal Party is a transactional party and when it comes down to it, they are looked upon to make or deny the deal.  Conversely, the NDP is an ideological party.  And we see too that the NDP suffers in the latest Ipsos poll.  While the leftwing base looks upon the NDP to bear true reflection of their values, they now see a party making the deal with a government toxic to its values.  The roles have been reversed, and voters are looking to these parties as having lost their sincerity.

Today in Ontario, one particular element of the Conservative brand is finding its pace and reflecting what voters and partisans alike expect.  Steady progress with deficit and rate of spending reduction is what voters expect of the Conservative brand.  There are no surprises here.  As the top-of-mind issue, Conservative are the cool heads in the room making progress while everyone else is running around trying to burn it all down while blaming the others for holding the gas can.