Denounce Harper’s assault on democracy

December 30, 2009

It is a pattern only too familiar after four years of Harper government. Whenever Harper senses that the opposition is weak, divided and disorganized he moves with characteristic ruthlessness against democratic institutions.  He is confident that, with the media effectively silenced through its long complicity with the neo-liberal agenda, and citizens pre-occupied with their individual concerns, that he can get away with it.

The second shut-down of Parliament in a year demonstrates an absolute contempt for democracy.

We need to flood the newspapers of the country with letters denouncing this move.

Harper is counting on Canadians believing that the arcane details of Parliament are not important. Who even knows what “prorogue” means? It is the same with the thick book provided Conservative committee chairs on how to disrupt Parliamentary committees.

After years of attacks on the whole idea of government, most people unfortunately don’t care.

But they should and it is up to us to get that message out there.  Again, as always, it need not be a long letter – just a registering of outrage at Harper the running roughshod over democracy to ensure that he can avoid being accountable to parliament and the people.

WRITE A LETTER TO YOU LOCAL PAPER AND SEND A COPY TO REGIONAL OR NATIONAL PAPERS. [Go here and click on “recipient” for editor email addresses]

There are two aspects to this issue: first, the government’s refusal to be accountable for its dereliction of duty (and possible war crimes) re: torture in Afghanistan and secondly, the brazen attack on and contempt for democracy.

FRAMING:  We need to frame Harper and his actions as dictatorial – the result of his obvious contempt for democracy and its institutions. He believes he can do anything he wants – from stonewalling on the torture issue to shutting down Parliament (don’t use the term “prorogue”) so he won’t have to listen to opposition criticism – with complete impunity.  Beyond the specific issues Harper is doing permanent damage to our institutions, setting dangerous precedents. He is thus a threat to the country.

Some points you could make in addition to your own…

• While it is technically legal to prorogue Parliament, its is clear that PM Harper is not doing so for any legitimate reason. He still has 35 pieces of legislation that need to go to final reading but all these are now dead.
• Harper is unable to govern just as he wants legitimately, because fewer than 20% of eligible voters supported him in the last election and he has a minority government. So he assumes near-dictatorial powers by running roughshod over the intentions of Parliamentary procedures and institutions.
• He shows contempt not only for Parliament and the opposition parties but for Canadian citizens – for refusing to give him a majority.
• Harper is humiliating Canada internationally and amongst our allies by his outrageous behaviour in covering up his government’s complicity in the torture of Afghan detainees. The actions of the government may yet be declared war crimes – a permanent blot on our country – if Canada is seen not to be pursuing the issue aggressively. (see: http://embassymag.ca/page/view/mission-12-16-2009)
• Canadians have a right to know what actually happened in Afghanistan – who knew what and when. Not only will the PM not call a public inquiry into the issue but he now shuts down the only other place where Canadians might get at least partial answers.
• Harper is also demonstrating contempt for the office of the Governor General.  Michaëlle Jean could refuse to allow the move – just as she could have last year when Harper prorogued Parliament to avoid a vote a confidence – but she knows it would cause a constitutional crisis. Harper knows she won’t do this and uses/abuses her and her office for crass political advantage.
• When he ran in the last election Mr. Harper promised a new era of government accountability. The new era is no accountability at all.

This move to sut down parliament demonstrates that Harper is unfit to be Prime Minister – he has abandoned the centuries old principle of “a government of laws, not men.”  If he cannot abide by the rules of democracy he should resign.

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