Robin's Place

Happy New Year

So its officially 2009. Happy New Year and lets hope that 2009 is a better year than 2008 !

I'll be back soon.

Merry Christmas

To all of you who read my blog a very Merry Christmas ! At this time of year let us not forget those who are less fortunate than ourselves. I'll be back in 2009.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Its snowing in Southern Ontario. First major wallop of the winter. Listening to the news you'd think we lived in the tropics where they may see snow once every 500 years. Snowmaggedon, snownami are some of the words being used to describe the storm. Hey we live in Canada, we have winter and guess what we also get snow and some winters we get lots and lots of it. For all you whiners get a life, slow down, get outside and enjoy it.

A very sad day for Canada

It is indeed a very sad day for Canada. The GG has made herself irrelevant in our democracy. She has failed to uphold the rule of law, and the concept of responsible Government upon which our democracy is founded and Canada is today poorer for it. Harper in his desire to keep himself in power has succeeded in undermining our parliamentary democracy to an extent that no PM before him has ever done. Canada now has it's very own Lord Protector.

If Canada wants to become a Republic then we need to get rid of the GG, she just provided a good reason to scrap the office.

Its a sad day because Harper now has another opportunity to make Canada a one party state.

Harper's Lack of repect for our political institutions shows he lacks respect for the rule of law

I watched last nights televised speeches by Harper and Dion as they were shown - wrinkles and all. What struck me beyond the amateurish videoing and both films being slightly out of focus was the difference between the two speakers.

We live in a Parliamentary democracy where the rule of law is sacrosanct. What I saw last night was one man who has a complete disregard and a complete lack of respect for the rule of law and one who does and believes its important to preserve it. Its a stark contrast. I am not much of a Dion fan but I do respect the man for the respect he shows to our institutions.

Harper claimed last night, and I quote, "And the Opposition does not have the democratic right to impose a coalition.... The Opposition is attempting to impose this deal without your say, without your consent, and without your vote." this is a pure lie and fabrication. What Harper is saying is that he could careless about how parliament works. This is not only an abuse of power it is also an abuse of the position of PM. This is a slippery slope. To deny parliamentary process and the rule of law is to say that the institution is not worthy of respect. Canadians don't seem to get it. If Harper asks the GG to suspend parliament he is effect asking her to be complicit with his lack of respect for the rule of law. In the third world, he would be a Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe or a Papa Doc Duvalier of Haiti.

Harper is intent on weakening the legitamacy of Canada's Parliamentary system for his own partisan ends. The GG has to stand up to Harper so that the rule of law is maintained, other wise this country will be so fractured and its institutions weakened that we will cease to function as a country. If Harper is succesful his historical legacy will have been to destroy our parliamentary system by weakening it and making it irrelevant. This is not the time for a time out, its time for the rule of law to be respected, maintained and enforced.