Occhidiangela,Jan 24 2006, 01:12 PM Wrote:Harper Edges Into PM Slot
For our Canadian friends: will Mr. Harper's taking over for Martin make that much of a difference? The trading of one minority government for another strikes me as the checks and balances working vis a vis potential runaway policy changes.
I think the biggest impact will be that nobody will talk to Canada at international conferences. Prime Minister Harper lacks a certain affability.
They can't pass any legislation, unless it is either a) harmless or b ) passing power to the provinces (in unholy alliance with Le Bloc). We'll see if he makes any strong moves on "b", but I'm pretty sure he'll keep himself to "a" in hopes of a majority next time.
Or, he'll face a back-bench revolt from the crazies, and we'll end up with idiotic resolutions on everything from shopping on sundays to gay marriage to the right to mount artillery on your truck. If that happens, he's sunk, and the liberals will pick up again next election. We shall see, but the crazies on the Albertan far right have been waiting for decades to get into power.
Quote:I noted, in other articles, Mr. Martin's attempts to dispose of the "notwithstanding clause."Â How big a factor was that in the recent election?Â
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As far as I could tell, it wasn't. It was just another (somewhat meaningless) salvo in the fight over gay marriage. It is the aspect of the notwithstanding clause that the *provinces* can inovke (and that Martin couldn't change, without amending the charter) that is really the most relevant issue. Martin's attack on the *federal* version is almost irrelevant. If the parliament really wants to change legislation, well, they'd be the people to do it. There is little need for a clause that lets them override the courts. Plus, Harper has already said he won't invoke the notwitstanding clause on gay marriage, although we'll see if he sticks to it.
-Jester
Oh, and PS: Stick to your own country and stop meddling!
J/K, ;)