So I’m done all my schoolwork for this term, in fact I finished last Friday. But it was a difficult week to get any work done with all the news happening from Ottawa. Coalitions, in-fighting, out-fighting, calling mommy… er the Governal General to make them stop.
I’ll start with the political thing, since it’s the Liberals that have been in great turmoil this past few days.
I think that, at least to me, that a coalition government would have been political suicide for our country. It’s very clear now that the Libs were desperate for new leadership, and the coalition would have imploded quickly as everyone involved jockeyed for power under who ever the new leader was going to be. Dion would have had no chance at getting anything productive done. There are too many forces in play. Look at how well it worked for Martin, and he had better leadership skills than Dion. Dion would have faced pressure from within his party, the NDP and the Bloc to run the country, and each with very different agendas. It seriously couldn’t work. Think about it.
So, the best option is the one that was taken. Everyone needs a cooling off period. Stephen Harper needs time to reflect on his approach to national leadership in the House. I hope he’s learned that he cannot govern as if he has a majority, no matter how messed up the Libs are right now. The NDP won’t allow them carte blanche to do whatever they want. Why? Because the NDP are also looking for power in whatever way they can, even by manipulating the Liberals to do their bidding.
The Liberals need time to sort out their leadership, to somehow get a more unified party and come back to the house so they can be useful, and do what they are supposed to do as the official opposition, a role even more important in a minority.
Let’s let the parties regroup and try this thing again in the new year. Maybe cooler heads will prevail and something productive will happen, or at least maybe we’ll get another election. Whoopee!
I love how everyone is Harper bashing about it cockiness and arrogance, and how he’s this great big bully. Sounds like someone else I’ve seen in leadership before. Anyone remember Jean Cretien? Seems to me he ran his government just the same way, but enjoyed a majority government so no matter how much the opposition screamed, he still got his way! I think Cretien would have done the same thing Harper did if he faced a similar situation.
Let’s face it, everyone of them are power hungry and will do whatever they can to make it big on the playground we call the House of Parliament.
They all need our prayers at all times, maybe now more than ever.
What do you think of Michael Ignatieff?
Harper is no different then other leaders in the past…although how many have tried to cripple the opposition like he did a couple of weeks ago and thereby starting this mess. A period to cool down may help but time will tell. (my twitchiness regarding the conservative party may be contributing to my skepticism)
I don’t know if prayer is even powerful enough to deal with the egos in Ottawa 🙂
Don’t know enough about Iggy yet. Seems pretty stoic for the most part so far. Guess we’ll wait and see. However he does seem to have the respect of many people, so leadership may be a quality of his. Time will tell.
Sounds like you have as much turmoil as we do in the states. I am afraid ours has just begun. Keep us posted on the outcome of your problem up there.