Coalition

On Saturday, a group of PSB contributors attended the Coalition Rally in Toronto. We wanted to find out what the crisis was all about by talking to the participants. So we brought along a video camera and conducted over a dozen interview with politicians, rock stars, and everyday people.

What we learned is that the rally and the Coalition represent a deep frustration on the part of progressive Canadians that their values are dominant in Canada, but not in Parliament. The composition of the crowd also revealed a lack of grassroots engagement which must be rectified if the Coalition stands a chance of succeeding. But the real lesson from this weekend, and the political crisis generally, is that Canada’s political system is antiquated.

(We’re in the process of editing our footage and hope to have PSB’s first video up this week. In the meantime, you can check out some photos on Flickr.)

There is no doubt that we are living in history-making times. But people have a habit of over-estimating the importance of the things that go on around them. With a bit of retrospect, events often seem a little less traumatic and leave less of an impression than we might have thought. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. So it will be with the current controversy over prorogation.

Certainly, this will studied for years by constitutional lawyers and historians. But I believe the lasting effects of this have been overstated somewhat — we are not facing the end of parliamentary democracy or responsible government. The current “crisis” is a blip on the radar screen of history.

With that in mind, I have three pieces of advice for progressives across the country. Let’s calm down. Let’s be fair. Let’s be honest.

Today the Prime Minister asked the Governor General to prorogue Parliament in order to save himself from being defeated. If she grants his request, this will mean the end of responsible government in Canada as we know it. The core of our democracy is in peril and only the people can save it.

The principle of responsible government is a constitutional convention — an unwritten rule that has developed over time based on practice. But, just because it’s not in a document, doesn’t mean it’s not important. In fact, many of our political institutions aren’t written down; you won’t find the words “prime minister” in any of Canada’s constitutional documents.

Under responsible government, the executive (the prime minister and Cabinet) is accountable to the legislature. In other words, the government is accountable to the people through their elected representatives in the House of Commons. Therefore, once the executive, currently the Conservatives, loses the support of the majority of the House, it no longer has the authority to govern. It must step aside and allow the Governor General to either call an election or invite another group to take power.

Prime Minister,

Well, that didn’t go as well as planned now did it? I’ll avoid the “What were you thinking?” speech. We’re here now, and despite our differences you are the Prime Minister for at least a few more days. Canadians depend on their Prime Minister to do the right thing, so I hope you’ll take some advice on this issue.

It’s clear now that the opposition parities are going to vote non-confidence in your government. It’s also clear that the Liberals and the NDP have an official coalition and are going to ask the Governor General to invite them to form the government. What should you do?

According to the headlines, Canada is heading towards its first inter-election change of government since the 1926 King-Byng Affair. 

Despite winning only a quarter of the seats and subsequently offering a resignation that was strongly accepted by his party, Stéphane Dion may become Prime Minister by the end of the year. Stranger still, he will head a coalition government that includes the New Democrats, who are the fourth largest party in parliament, and is supported by the separatist Bloc Quebecois. Combined, the Liberals and NDP only have 114 seats, 29 fewer than the Conservatives they are about to topple.

While there is no Canadian precedent for this month’s manoeuvrings, in mid-19th century Britain, governments were formed and dissolved on a regular basis. Until Disraeli and Gladstone created the modern party system, these governments featured even stranger bedfellows than separatists and socialists. Even though suffrage was limited to propertied males (about 10% of the adult population), the electorate was split on foreign and domestic policies, including free trade, Irish rights, Church-state relationships, and relationships with the various French empires and republics.