What Happened, What's Next?

This sure seems to be NaBloPoWe (NationalBlogPostingWeek) for us newfound political junkies. Tonight I'm posting about yesterday, and have ever more questions than answers.... I'm afraid I may have run out of articulate, as well, as most of what I've been able to do about yesterday is babble a little twitchily.

Yesterday, at the request of our somewhat ill-behaved Prime Minister, the Governor General of Canada prorogued, or suspended, the Parliament of Canada, ending its first session only two weeks in. This was one of several possible outcomes of the chaos which began, well, really, a couple years back with Prime Minister Harper's first term, but in the past week or so since the first economic statement of this Parliament.

As many have pointed out, by Constitutional Convention, the Governor General does not share her reasoning on this and the message is relayed by the Prime Minister advising of what decision she made. Thus, Her Excellency Michaelle Jean remains a bit of an enigma to many, in this. I am sure her thoughts were deep and she had the advice of the most educated minds on this topic that our country and possibly others could offer. I, like all our elected Members and the Party Leaders must accept the decision and we really cannot speculate about her reasoning and motivation. I was pleased to see all leaders display the decorum to accept her authority implicitly and offer no criticism of her or her office. But I'm not sure it was the best action for this time.

I had to agree with Jack Layton's statement in reaction, that this is a sad day for Parliamentary Democracy. The Governor General's powers in this matter are the highest power in our Government, and they can alter the very structure of our democratic model itself. Yesterday, they were applied in a way which allowed a Member of Parliament, who is also Prime Minister, who is acting in a very partisan manner, to postpone the democratic and legitimate censure by his peers in the House of Commons, which he knew was coming. It is my understanding from all the reading, watching and listening I have been doing that this use of the power to prorogue Parliament is unprecedented, which means this has never been done in a Parliamentary Democracy before. Thus, this in effect alters the nature of democracy as it is implemented in Canada, and I don't feel it is a good alteration.

What sort of functional Parliament can we have if an embattled Prime Minister who cannot garner the support of the elected representatives (for again, it is the MPs, NOT the PM or Government, who we elected) can just pack up, slam the doors, and not only avoid, but PROHIBIT the continuing operation of the Parliament of Canada just because he faces a challenge he may lose?

It is now a done deal. This is a matter which I feel warrants deep and serious study and reflection. In some ways, the trust of the office of Governor General is diminished in this, for this defends not the entity which is Canada and its democratic structure, but merely one dysfunctional and partisan government, the progress of which should be up to the elected Members. I am disappointed, and should it ever come to light that Her Excellency made this decision to save face (hers or anyone else's) I will be ashamed. It was a no-win situation and no one would have been able to satisfy all with any decision, but better for her to leave office in disfavour (as Governors General have, at times) having made a decision for the good of Canada and democracy than to have decided in Mr. Harper's favour out of any wish for self-preservation or to take the least challenging path. In most ways, the appointment of Governor General is ceremonial, but in these key, critical ways, it is to be a sacrifice to democracy itself, if needed.

Only time will tell if this is going to work out or not for the 40th Parliament of Canada, and only more time will tell what effect this precedent has on the implemenation of democratic Parliaments here and around the world.

One thing I hope is that this is not the end of our interest in the matter, and that the Canadian people use the time between now and January 26th to learn, examine, and reflect and hopefully realize what here is truly democratic and what is not.