For this Week In Canadian Politics we have the official beginning of the Liberal Leadership Race, the end of the Emerson “Aisle Crossing” Scandal, the showdown of Universal Childcare, and a international mess over seals.
This Week In Canadian Politics is a summary of posting at Maple Leaf Politics
Liberals Set Their Convention
The Liberal Party of Canada has set a date and requirements for the selection of a new leader after Paul Martin officially retired this past weekend. The Convention will be December 2-3 in Montreal. Candidates will have to pay a $50,000 enter fee, which is down from $75,000 from the previous convention. Candidates will be limited to a spending cap of $3.4 million, also down from a previous limit of $4 million.
There will be many people expected to throw there hat into the race, possibly over 15. Among the candidates that are early favorites are Gerard Kennedy(former Liberal Minister of Education), Michael Ignatieff (newly elected MP from Toronto), Stephane Dion (MP from Quebec), and Bob Rae (former NDP Premier of Ontario).
The following weeks will see who is in the race and who is not.
Emerson Cleared
$@#%# @$#%!%@ – okay, I should be able to say it, but David Emerson that &$@^&!$!! (sorry about that) was cleared of any ethical violations this week by Parliamentary Ethics Commissioner Bernard Shapiro.
Shapiro also cleared Prime Minister Steven Harper of any ethical violations in the whole matter.
In his report, Shapiro said the practice of crossing the floor has “fairly or unfairly” led some people — like those petitioning for Emerson’s resignation — to claim their vote has been devalued, and that it’s up to Parliament to adopt a model that “encourages faith, rather than cynicism” in the electoral process.
The opposition immediately insisted those comments constitute a clarion call for a broader debate on party switching.
Shapiro’s report urged the Commons to revisit the question, noting current ethics rules do not always reflect the intentions of those who drafted them.
It is believed that there will be legislation introducted in the House of Commons to put “crossing the aisle” to an end. The NDP has pushed for this in the past and has had some support from the Liberals and the Conservatives. The Bloc’s position on this is sort of a mute issues, but they are more than likely to support any measure introduced.
This is not how many Canadians and especially those in Emerson’s riding wanted this to pan out, but it has opened some eyes and hopefully people will remember it during the next election.
That Pesky Childcare Issue
April 3rd is not even here yet and the threats to bring down the Harper Government are already being made and it seems that Mr. Harper’s talk of scrapping the universal child care plan may be the reason.
Opposition party leaders warned yesterday they are willing to bring down Stephen Harper’s minority government if it does not change its course — particularly on the Tory promise to provide a child-care subsidy to parents — in the next two weeks.
In separate meetings with the Prime Minister, interim Liberal leader Bill Graham and the Bloc Quebecois’ Gilles Duceppe reminded the Conservative leader his party is outnumbered in the House of Commons and urged him to compromise on the government agenda as he drafts his Throne Speech.
Jack Layton seems to be playing a wait and see on the Harper government. After meeting with Harper, it seems that the NDP leader was able to voice his party’s concerns. He listed what he wanted to see in the Throne Speech for April 4th – promises to increase day-care spaces, protect the public health-care system, reduce pollution and reform the electoral system. Layton also stated that he would not oppose the government to just oppose the government.
“I’ve made it very clear to (Harper) what our priorities are, where our concerns lie,” Layton said. “Now it’s time for him to make his judgments and we will then make our judgment on that speech.”
He said he was encouraged that Harper seemed more disposed to consult with opposition parties than former prime minister Paul Martin was during the previous Liberal minority, which lasted a scant 18 months.
“Mr. Harper seems to be willing to at least consider the ideas that we presented,” Layton said. “Let’s see where it goes.”
However, when it came to childcare, that maybe is the NDP’s deal breaker. The NDP does not like Harper’s $1,200 per child plan and prefers the Liberal’s plan from the previous government.
This childcare issue is going to get ugly. Harper does not have the support of the three opposition parties on this. Unless the Bloc breaks on this issue, Harper will not get his plan passed. If he pushes the issue, fireworks will be going off in Ottawa.
Seals and the Crowd They Attract
The debate about the upcoming seal hunts in the Atlantic provinces is starting to get ugly. One Liberal Senator told an American family that wrote letters to all of the Senators to their own business.
In her response, Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette said that what she finds horrible is “the daily massacre of innocent people in Iraq, the execution of prisoners – mainly blacks – in American prisons, the massive sale of handguns to Americans, the destabilization of the entire world by the American government’s aggressive foreign policy, etc.”
She said Americans are not in a position to criticize others. “They must start to look at their own behaviour, the permanent heightening of the planet’s insecurity since the election of Bush,” she told La Presse.
“All senators received the letter from the McLellans and I was the only one to respond,” she said.
The family “did not choose a good cause,” she added.
Then French actress Brigitte Bardot, an activist against the seal hunt, had the new Tory government refuse to meet with her.
Tempers are running high on both sides that carry very passionate feelings over it. This is one issue that will not go away with everyone happy.
Other Articles of Interest
Well that’s all for this week, below are some other topics in Canada this week that were not covered above.
Harper To Cabinet – “Stick To The Talking Points”
Tories End Unity Council Funding
Alberta Legislature Tells United States To Stick It
Canada Citizenship Now Half Price
