Canada's Political Crisis

Dec. 4, 2008

The scene in Ottawa today paints a disturbing picture of Canadian democracy. Our legitimately elected government, which secured a mandate to lead this country no less than six-weeks ago, is on course to be defeated and removed from power, overthrown by a coalition of parties that ran on separate platforms (and some on platforms to separate). And on whose whim does the fate of our government's future rest? The Canadian people you might assume? Think again.

The Decision to prorogue (suspend) Parliament and prevent a confidence-vote lies with our Governor General, Michaëlle Jean, appointed by the Queen of England on the advice of the Prime Minister. Should she refuse Stephen Harper's request, the government will go down to almost certain defeat, and the opposition parties will seek royal approval to form a new coalition-government. You may ask, do Canadians have a say in proroguing Parliament? Think again.

Her Excellency has the sole authority by way of the royal reserve powers to determine whether to invite Stéphane Dion and his lot to form a government, or to allow the Canadian people to have some input into the matter of who governs them - and call an election. If I were to recap this whole mess into a single sentence, it would read something like this:

Appointed representative of the British Monarch to decide if coalition of socialists and Quebec separatists can overthrow legitimately elected Canadian government, without an election.

Now, I can't speak for everyone, but when I read that sentence, it sounds to me like the Canada of the late 19th century, certainly not reflective of the progress that the western world has made over the last 300 years.

To put this all into perspective, let's entertain for a moment the scenario whereby the government is defeated in a motion of non-confidence and Her Excellency invites the coalition to form an alternative government. Well, that would certainly bring Canada in line with the political shift in America now wouldn't it?

Ostensibly, in both cases a transfer of power will occur from a right- to a left-leaning government. However, the likeness ends there. While lower North-America enjoyed the longest, most exciting election in a generation, turned the page on eight years of cynicism, elected the first minority candidate to the highest of offices, engaged the hopes and stirred the souls of the nations' youth, renewed a democracy, and captured the imagination of the world; the upper half of the continent drifted from an election with the lowest voter turn-out in history, where the party than holds the most seats is threatened to be ousted from power by a coalition of opposition parties that, though making no mention of forming a coalition, and in some cases speaking out against one, banded together to defeat and replace the people's chosen government all without the casting of a single vote.

Now you tell me, is there a democratic deficit between the two brothers of North America?