On November 27 Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty made it clear that they are not interested in helping Canadians during this time of economic crisis and uncertainty. They are more interested in restricting workers’ collective bargaining rights, and are committed to creating an uneven political playing field.

This misguided and tactically disastrous economic update has resulted in opposition parties entering into talks to explore the possibility of defeating the government. The Liberals and NDP would then ask the Governor General to allow them to form a coalition government that would maintain the confidence of the House of Commons. This course of action would prevent the Governor General from dissolving Parliament and calling new elections.

This group is dedicated to supporting the creation of this coalition.

There are claims from opponents that this would be undemocratic. This argument does not appreciate how the written and unwritten constitution works. The central role of the Governor General is to ensure that Her Majesty has a government that maintains the confidence of the House of Commons. Canadians did not elect Stephen Harper Prime Minister. Canadians elected 308 Members of Parliament, and the Governor General invited Mr Harper to form a government that would maintain the confidence of the people’s elected representatives. That’s what happened on October 14, 2008.

The Governor General selects the Prime Minister, not Canadians.

Further, a coalition of the NDP and Liberals represents a combined vote share of 44.44% of the Canadian electorate. In contrast, Stephen Harper and his Conservative party only garnered 37.63% of Canadian’s votes. By purely vote basis, this coalition represents the will and desire of more Canadians than a Conservative government, making the claim that a coalition is undemocratic - completely bogus.

There are claims from opponents that this is an example of opposition parties mad about losing their subsidies. This claim does not take into account the reality that the economic update does not help one worker in the manufacturing, auto or forestry sectors to protect their job. Prior to the economic update all opposition parties were emphatically clear that the government’s plan must include a stimulus package for the Canadian economy. This update does not provide one penny of government support for an economy that Prime Minister Harper said needs government support. The removal of the subsidies from the economic update package still does not resolve the concerns of the House of Commons about the package as a whole.

The Minister of Finance’s numbers have been publicly and roundly criticized for their inaccuracy. The House’s and Canadians’ confidence in the Minister and his department has been undermined. It appears, as Don Newman and Keith Boag have stated, that the Conservatives have returned to the Mulroney era practice of “cooking the books” (See CBC’s “Politics” Broadcast dated Friday, November 28, 2008).

The removal of public financing of political parties is an egregious attack on the principle of a level democratic playing field for political parties. It only further displays the Prime Minister’s contempt for the democratic process and for the House of Commons. However even with the proposed removal of this measure from the economic update the failure of the government to provide any stimulus to an economy that all major world leaders have said needs stimulus (including Stephen Harper as mentioned above) is not rectified.

A Liberal-NDP coalition is a good move for Canada during these difficult times, is 100% constitutional, and is totally democratic.
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On November 27 Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty made it clear that they are not interested in helping Canadians during this time of economic crisis and uncertainty. They are more interested in restricting workers’ collective bargaining rights, and are committed to creating an uneven political playing field.

This misguided and tactically disastrous economic update has resulted in opposition parties entering into talks to explore the possibility of defeating... (read more)