Great Idea
Andrew Coyne observes in response to the Liberal threat to stay in power after potentially suffering a vote from parliament that calls on them to resign:
So not only will the government decide when or if it will face the judgment of Parliament, it will also reserve to itself the right to interpret what that judgment means. And yet another parliamentary convention crumbles into dust. I cannot think of another Westminster system in which this would be permitted: a government that has clearly lost the confidence of the House refusing to leave office, or even to face Parliament......
After all, it's "only a convention" that governments resign if they lose a budget vote. It's "only a convention" that the Governor General decides who to call upon to form a ministry. And so on. Ultimately, the system depends upon people behaving decently, with due deference to convention and precedent.What's it going to take: Thousands of people descending on Parliament Hill wearing orange scarves?
Instead, if the Liberals lose a clear non-confidence motion and continue to govern, how about the Conservative and Bloc MPs simply boycott parliament? Wouldn't that be something? If they just refused to come into the House of Commons. It would seem like a complete and total national crisis. Unless Paul Martin is really that shameless, an election would HAVE to be called. I think it'd be absolutely great, simply from an entertainment perspective. It would automatically engage MILLIONS of apathetic Canadians and bring them to educate themselves at least a little bit about Canadian politics, and most of them would have to bring themselves to be shocked and outraged at a government unwilling to call an election even when convention and constitutional principles call upon them to do so.
I think it'd be great. What an awesome way to usher in a new government. Boycotting the initial government in a fit of righteous outrage because of how they ignored common sense democratic principles and THEN forcing an election to happen, and then (in order for this story to end how it's supposed to end) sweep to power!
So not only will the government decide when or if it will face the judgment of Parliament, it will also reserve to itself the right to interpret what that judgment means. And yet another parliamentary convention crumbles into dust. I cannot think of another Westminster system in which this would be permitted: a government that has clearly lost the confidence of the House refusing to leave office, or even to face Parliament......
After all, it's "only a convention" that governments resign if they lose a budget vote. It's "only a convention" that the Governor General decides who to call upon to form a ministry. And so on. Ultimately, the system depends upon people behaving decently, with due deference to convention and precedent.What's it going to take: Thousands of people descending on Parliament Hill wearing orange scarves?
Instead, if the Liberals lose a clear non-confidence motion and continue to govern, how about the Conservative and Bloc MPs simply boycott parliament? Wouldn't that be something? If they just refused to come into the House of Commons. It would seem like a complete and total national crisis. Unless Paul Martin is really that shameless, an election would HAVE to be called. I think it'd be absolutely great, simply from an entertainment perspective. It would automatically engage MILLIONS of apathetic Canadians and bring them to educate themselves at least a little bit about Canadian politics, and most of them would have to bring themselves to be shocked and outraged at a government unwilling to call an election even when convention and constitutional principles call upon them to do so.
I think it'd be great. What an awesome way to usher in a new government. Boycotting the initial government in a fit of righteous outrage because of how they ignored common sense democratic principles and THEN forcing an election to happen, and then (in order for this story to end how it's supposed to end) sweep to power!
posted by Japnaam Singh at
10:24 PM
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