An ‘anti-democratic’ decision?

St. John’s chapter supports international anti-prorogation campaign

By Chelsea Howard

Canadians from across the country are stepping up to protest Stephen Harper’s recent decision to prorogue parliament for the second time in 18 months.

According to Lindsay Harding, co-ordinator of the St. John’s anti-prorogation rally, the nature of the response from hundreds of thousands of Canadians suits the offense.

“After Stephen Harper prorogued parliament, a national movement sprung up on Facebook. From there, individual chapter groups sprung up all over Canada. The chapter groups became the locus of organizing all the rallies that went on across the country,” said Harding.

This decision to prorogue parliament, made by Canada’s current government, provoked a response of international proportions. Rallies occurred, predominantly on Jan. 23, in over 60 cities and towns, evoking a response from more than 25,000 participants.

Harding asserted, “I think that we decisively proved that Stephen Harper, the prime minister, was wrong when he assumed that Canadians wouldn’t care about yet another suspension of parliament. Obviously, this has been the widespread opinion; the fact that people showed up in the thousands to protest this decision definitely proved the government’s assumption wrong.”

Other politicians in Canada are attaching their names to the anti-prorogation movement. During the protest in Ottawa, Michael Ignatieff (Liberal leader), Elizabeth May (Green Party leader), and Jack Layton (NDP leader), as well as Member of Parliament Bob Rae spoke against Harper’s decision to suspend parliament.

Much speculation has encircled this widely disputed move on the part of Canada’s government. On Dec. 30, the prime minister announced that he had counselled the Governor General Michaelle Jean to sign a declaration proroguing parliament for the duration of the Winter 2010 Olympics, to be held in Vancouver.

Jean condoned the decision, and according to a spokesperson for the prime minister, Harper felt the prorogation was necessary in order to consult with Canadians regarding the economy.

Many feel, however, that Harper’s decision to prorogue was much less than altruistic. In a recent interview with CBC News, the Prince Edward Island Liberal Member of Parliament, Wayne Easter, condemned the prime minister’s decision to suspend sessions of parliament as a slight against the democratic system of Canada.

Local politician Siobhan Coady has been active in the anti-prorogation movement and shares in the profoundly negative speculation as to the prime minister’s motives.

In a release on her website, she stated, “While Stephen Harper continues to disrespect the institutions that put constraints on his power, Liberals want Parliament to get back to work. In the meantime, we will keep holding the Conservatives to account while providing an alternative to the government on the issues that matter to Canadians.”

“We will be meeting with Canadians, holding town hall meetings, and raising matters which Harper would rather not have discussed. The Conservatives have shut down Parliament in a dictatorial fashion but they can’t shut down the democratic spirit of Canadians so easily.”

Lindsay Harding does not necessarily agree with the statement that the actions of the current government have been “dictatorial,” but says that they are “markedly anti-democratic.”

She remarked, “It’s so interesting that Stephen Harper himself was quoted as saying at one point, ‘if a government feels the necessity to cancel the system of descent and decision making, it has lost its moral authority to lead.’ There is no opportunity for anyone to question the Harper government’s decisions without parliament.”

“The legislative agenda of the entire country has been suspended; this affects everybody.” Harding also speculates, as do many, on the possibility that parliament has been prorogued in an effort to avoid recent controversy that has been brought to light through the Canadian-Afghan detainee issue.

This situation has been publicized as an ongoing series of claims that the Canadian government knew about abusive treatment of Afghan detainees by the Afghan National Army (ANA) or the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS), after they were captured by the Canadian Forces and transferred to them.

Harding said, “Harper was facing quite an uncomfortable political situation before he prorogued parliament. For one thing, having no question period limits the opposition’s ability to force an inquiry into the Afghan detainee torture scandal.”

She says it has also allowed Harper to appoint five new senators, a move that enables his government to pass legislation without input from the opposition.

When sessions were prorogued, Harding notes, it meant that all bills that had been before parliament at the time of suspension will be re-considered again when parliament commences. However, they will be under consideration without the amendments made before Harper prorogued parliament.

Harper is on record saying that some of those bills had been “gutted” with unnecessary amendments.

According to Harding, as well as many other suspicious Canadians, the suspension of parliament, along with the new senate appointments, will allow the Harper government to push these bills through in such a way as to meet their needs and specifications.

The Facebook group “Canadians Against the Prorogation of Parliament” now has in excess of 200,000 members.

Michael Ignatieff said, at the Ottawa rally of Jan. 23, “This is a demonstration that shows that Canadians understand their democracy, care for their democracy, and if necessary will fight for their democracy. This demonstration does not belong to the politicians of any party; it belongs to the Canadian people.”

In St. John’s, around 300 people made an appearance at the rally and according to Lindsay Harding, “We are a non-partisan group. We just want the people of Canada and the Harper government to realize that this movement is not something that can be readily dismissed.”

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