Kady O'Malley has posted a press release from the Monarchist League of Canada. The release is well worth a full read but this is solution that I could get behind.
...Her Excellency could invite the putative coaltition to form a government, but - as Malcolm Fraser was told by the Governor General of Australia after the dismissal of the Whitlam government (1975) - in doing so she could say to Mr Dion that she would only give him a Commission on the basis that he would quickly pass a budget and other urgent financial measures through the House by a date certain and then immediately ask her for a dissolution so that the people could choose their government.
As I have stated before the opposition is fully within their rights to bring down the government and replace it with their governing coalition. If the Governor-General decides that this is the best course of action then it is legitimate. My problem with the deal (ok I have more than one problem with it) is the length of the agreement. The Liberal-NDP deal lasts for 30 months and the Bloc Quebecois have agreed to support them for 18 months with the option to sign on for the remaining 12 months (which, as the Monarchist League pints out, has no force in law and this coalition could and probably will fall much sooner than that). For the six months the coalition will be led by Stephane Dion who was forced to resign his Liberal leadership by his own party and then he will be replaced. This new Liberal leader and therefore new Prime Minister would then stay on, if the coalition holds, for another two years before facing the electorate. This, in my opinion, is unacceptable.
If the Governor-General forces the coalition to bring in an immediate budget (one that would have to be before the Conservatives were planning in January) and then force an election after the budget has fully passed then Parliaments will can be done by removing the Conservatives and bringing in their own stimulus program and then the citizens will can be done by passing judgment on the coalition. It is brilliant.
Comments (3)
What’s the point? What your describing could be better accomplished by simply calling an election. Then the CPC and the coalition (or separate parties if they want) can pitch their ‘budgets’ and Canadians will decide. Why force the coalition to rush through a budget that will never be implemented and THEN have an election? Just have the election first, I say.
Posted by Attila | December 3, 2008 5:27 PM
Posted on December 3, 2008 17:27
Attila:
A budget needs to be passed by Parliament by 31 March 2009 in order to authorize government spending for the 2009/10 taxation year.
Posted by PhantomObserver | December 3, 2008 6:14 PM
Posted on December 3, 2008 18:14
The problem is that logistically, it is not possible for a new party, particularly a coalition, to bring down a budget from scratch before the end of January, so this would mean a delay till at least end of February, early March. Then if they called an election and got defeated, by which time we would be in April at least, we’re back to square one and the Conservatives have to start all over again with a budget.
Posted by jad | December 3, 2008 6:40 PM
Posted on December 3, 2008 18:40