Today the Speaker ruled that Ujjal Dosangh gets to read detailed information about our combat operations, and that the Government has breached the confidence of Parliament. Now the house must vote to confirm the Speaker's decision. It sure sounds to me as though declaring the Government in contempt is a matter of confidence, and I think that the Government should make it a confidence motion.
Personally I disagree with the Speaker's decision, but it is still his decision to make. As I said from the time when Lee first filed the motion, if it is granted it should stand as a confidence motion. I suspect that the Government will do that. Swearing in MPs such that they can't discuss the combat operations publicly is all fine and dandy, I just really don't trust that they won't show up on CBC.ca with Kady O'Malley encouraging the whole wide world to read detailed information about how we wage war.
I am growing sick and tired of Canada's 40th Parliament. Bring on 41.
My knowledge of parliamentary procedure may be rusty, but I'm pretty sure that the House *doesn't* have to vote to confirm a Speaker's ruling. They may, in two weeks, vote that the Government is in contempt of Parliament for refusing to release unedited documents, but what he actually *said* was that the request for documents was a legitimate point of privilege. That statement has authority; it doesn't need a confirmation.
ReplyDeleteThey already voted on it Dec 10 2009....
ReplyDeleteI am not an expert in Parliamentary law, but I do recall several media pundits saying that after the Speaker ruled, this would be put to some kind of vote, even if just procedural. The Government can choose to make that vote a confidence motion.
ReplyDeleteI rely on the good folks at the CBC to tell me these things.
Western liberals do not seem serious about confronting and defeating Islamic extremism.
ReplyDelete"Western Liberals", do you mean all 5 of them?
ReplyDeleteOr are you talking about Liberals in all of Western civilization? I'd say it is not fair to make a generalized statement like that. I do have friends who vote Liberal and are also serving in the military. At least they used to vote Liberal.
How many conservatives would pay money to fight an election on the issue of defending our troops? I recall how hard it was to rouse volunteers during the last election. Not this time. Please, oh please let there be an election on this issue.
ReplyDeleteI've noticed some musings about the potential of the OPPS going to the GG and asking to form a government. There are not enough CANADIAN OPPS to do that and if there was ever an issue that the BLOC would be considered a peril, this would be it. The BLOC has no interest in the welfare of Canadians and this is most definately, a "welfare of Canadians" issue if there ever was one.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I can see this whole thing blowing up and becoming a constitutional crisis thanks to these self serving goofs.
Bring on the election indeed and bring our guys and gals home to help us knock on doors!
The PM needs to make a speech explain why the coalition parties are not interested in a negotiations that keep secrets safe and a vote by them will be a confidence matter.
ReplyDeleteLet the coalition take us to the Polls on the Taliban Prisoner Comfort, culture war.
Yes, let's take this to the voters, and let's not be shy about it. I say that the Conservatives should come out swinging hard, fast and unrelenting.
ReplyDeleteI thought the compromise could be a small group of M.P.'s having access. Is Bill Graham still an M.P.? One of the few I would trust...
ReplyDeleteI for one do not trust MP's from the Opposition parties to NOT speak to the CBC about what they find out.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, it would be GREAT if said documents implicated the former Liberal government even more than we already know they were.
In two weeks, all parties are supposed to present a proposal to Milliken, or tell him they can't agree. If there is deadlock, he has said he will rule on the kind of motion he will accept, presumably contempt. If this passes, the government can either declare it a confidence motion, or if they want to labour the point, call their own confidence motion and get defeated on it.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the opposition forming a coalition because of this, the last election was in October 2008, eighteen months ago. If the PM asks the GG for an election, he is entitled to get it.
If the parties cannot come to an agreement in two weeks, Milliken has said he will rule on what sort of motion he will accept, presumably contempt. The government can either call that a confidence motion, or call their own confidence motion immediately afterwards, and if defeated an election will follow.
ReplyDeleteIt is eighteen months since the last election, so the PM is entitled to go again if he wishes. In theory, the GG has the power to deny him, but based on precedent, ie Joe Clark's government lasted 7 months, she will not do so. The idea that is being floated that she wants to get back at Harper because he is going to replace her is ludicrous.
Yes, I am all for a confidence vote! Let's go to an election.Let's build up PM Harper's accomplishments.He is well respected by the majority in this country, and around the world.He is the best Prime Minister we have ever had, so get the good new out! Bring the election on!
ReplyDeleteI hope that a snap eledtion will be called by PM Stephen Harper. Nothing is going to be solved by the way the parliament is now - a diaster, opposition acting as kids. No work is being done by the opposition but slander, slander and slander.
ReplyDeleteWe don't listen to news, don't read most newspapers because it is all about the liberals We get our info from the Conservative blogs, the new Blue news on internet and National Post.
In order for the parliament to work we NEED AN ELECTION.