CANADIAN LABOUR/CANADIAN POLITICS:

RALLIES FOR A COALITION GOVERNMENT:

As Molly writes this tonight the likelihood is that Sneaky Stevie will ask the Governor General to prorogue Parliament when he comes a calling on her next morning. She has little opportunity to refuse. With this unprecedented move Harper will have bought the six weeks or so time that he can cobble together an economic policy that at least looks vaguely stimulatory. The smart money is betting on him stealing large chucks of the program of the coalition in waiting, making it very politically hazardous for the opposition parties to pursue their intentions when Parliament sits again in January.

Thus the following series of rallies may be something of a lost cause, but Molly presents the schedule from the website of the Canadian Labour Congress anyways as a public service.

This evening Harper went on national television to present his case, but nothing was said in his brief address about any plans he might have. Mostly it was an exercise in wrapping himself in the flag and giving dire warnings about the Liberal/NDP coalition being dependent on the Bloc. You know, those horrid separatists and what this dependence might mean. Who knows what it might mean. Probably about the same as the dependence of a certain Canadian federal party on said Bloc to prop up its minority governments over the last two years. Yes...the Bloc has indeed propped up a certain minority government in recent history, voting with it in over a dozen confidence motions and close to 150 other matters of legislation.

Yes, our present Conservative government has had the tacit support of the Bloc throughout its time in office. The hypocrisy of Harper is astounding. Ah, but it's even deeper than that. Who exactly founded the Bloc Quebecois ? Guess who ? The main founder of the BQ was the Conservative cabinet minister Lucien Bouchard who split with the Mulroney government in 1990 after the failure of the Meech Lake Accords. Gathering other Quebec Conservatives and some dissident Liberals around him he was the first leader of the BQ. Yup ! That's right ! Those dreaded separatists whom Stevie Stevie has relied upon to keep him in power during his term are actually a creation of the very party that Harper now leads. Love that flag waving.

Anyways, the prospect of a Liberal/NDP coalition would hardly have delivered paradise on Earth. It always was very much a lesser of two evils option in the face of stupendous arrogance and ideological blindness on the part of the Conservatives. The fallout from this affair is likely to be that Sneaky Stevie, somewhat chastened, will appropriate much of the coalition program. Insofar as the Canadian government can do anything about the coming hard times Stevie will do it by lifting the opposition's suggestions. Ah well, here's the schedule anyways.

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Ottawa, ON
Thursday, December 4th
12 p.m.
Parliament Hill
St. John’s, NL
Thursday, December 4th
7 p.m.
St. Theresa’s Hall Mundy Pond Road
Halifax, NS
Thursday, December 4th
5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Maritime Hall – Halifax Forum Windsor & Almon Street (enter off Almon Street)
Charlottetown, PEI
Thursday, December 4th
7 p.m.
Murphy’s Community Centre Richmond Street
Moncton, NB
Thursday, December 4th
7 p.m.
Moncton City Hall Front LawnMain Street
Regina, SK
Thursday, December 4th
7 p.m.
Education Auditorium University of Regina(Room for 650)
Edmonton, AB
Thursday, December 4th
6 p.m.
Winston Churchill Square Downtown Edmonton central
Winnipeg, MB
Thursday, December 4th
7 p.m.
Marlborough Hotel 331 Smith Street Ballroom (Room for 600)
Vancouver, BC
Thursday, December 4th
Doors open @ 5 p.m Speakers @ 6 p.m.
Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre Ballroom “A”
London, ON
Thursday, December 4th
4 p.m.
Victoria Park, North East Corner
Yellowknife, NT
Friday, December 5
12 p.m.
Dennis Bevington MP Constituency Office 4908 - 49th Street
Trail, BC
Thursday, December 4th
7 p.m.
Steelworkers Local 480 Hall 910 Portland Street
Nelson, BC
Thursday, December 4th
7 p.m.
Nelson United Church 602 Silica Street
Sudbury, ON
Saturday, December 6th
1 p.m.
Tom Davies Square 200 Brady Street
Thunder Bay, ON
Friday, December 5
1 p.m.
Labour Centre
Toronto, ON
Saturday, December 6th
12 p.m. 1 p.m.
City Hall Nathan Phillips Square
Sudbury, ON
Saturday, December 6th
1 p.m.
Tom Davies Square200 Brady Street
Montreal, QC
Saturday, December 6th
1 p.m.
In front of the Complexe Guy-Favreau 200 René-Lévesque West

CANADIAN POLITICS:

ADD YOUR VOICE FOR A COALITION GOVERNMENT:

As mentioned before on this blog our dearly beloved comrade leader Sneaky Stevie has put off Monday's confidence vote into the week after. Whether this is an indication of panic at having one's bluff called or a more realistic move to try and split the opposition parties is anyone's guess. The sheer unmitigated arrogance of presenting a mini-budget at a time of worldwide finacial crisis that promises to do exactly nothing about it shows that perhaps the Conservatives are almost totally out of touch with reality. It may also, by its inclusion of a populist provision to cut off political funding, demonstrate a complete lack of concern about the issues that Canadians feel most strongly about at this time. An attempt to buy the pissed-off vote while doing nothing about the real crisis.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has initiated an online campaign to ask the leaders of the opposition parties to set their differences aside and form a coalition government to replace the Conservatives. As I have expressed before on this blog I think that this is actually quite a good idea. Not that I think that it will bring a free society one second closer in reality. Not that I think that the opposition parties are anything stupendous either. All that matters is that in the near future our present Conservative rulers have the potental to do great harm either by ideological blindness of pure selfish partisanship. it's best they don't have the opportunity. Here's the proposal from CUPE, along with a link to the letter.

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For a coalition government:

CUPE joins the CLC, other unions and civil society organizations in asking federal opposition parties to form a coalition government Add your voice.

Stephen Harper’s conservative government - in the face of the worst global economic crises in decades - chose to present an “empty” fiscal update and do nothing to prevent unemployment chaos across the country.

“People right across this country have been waiting patiently for their government to act on their behalf. But once more Stephen Harper has let people down,” said Paul Moist.

The Harper government gave themselves a week cancelling opposition day, where the Liberals could have introduced a no-confidence motion to defeat the government.

Harper has scheduled the next opposition day for Dec. 8.“Can we expect another week of conservative tv ads instead of good strong fiscal leadership. Don’t be surprised,” said Moist.

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Here's the text of the letter that CUPE is asking you tos end to the leaders of the opposition parties.

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Français suit
An Urgent Message to Stéphane Dion and Jack Layton:

Only a Coalition Government Can Provide the Leadership Canada Needs

Dear Leaders,

I write to you during this time of economic crisis to urge that you set aside all partisan considerations in favour of decisive action to help Canadians who are suffering and whose livelihoods are in jeopardy.

At this critical moment, a coalition government would be the most capable of delivering the kind of stewardship the economy needs, and the least likely to put partisan interests ahead of responsible government.

Time is of the essence. You have an unprecedented opportunity to deliver to citizens a coalition that is capable of putting aside partisan ploys and to work cooperatively and swiftly in the interests of all.

Thank You
+++
Message urgent à Stéphane Dion et Jack Layton : seul un gouvernement de coalition peut offrir le leadership dont le Canada a besoin
Chers dirigeants,
Je vous écrire en ce temps de crise économique pour vous presser de mettre de côté les considérations partisanes, et d’agir d’une manière décisive pour aider les Canadiens qui en arrachent et dont les moyens de subsistance sont en péril.

En ce moment critique, le mieux placé pour offrir le genre d’intendance dont a besoin l’économie, et pour faire passer la responsabilité gouvernementale avant les intérêts partisans… serait un gouvernement de coalition.

Le temps, ici, est essentiel. Vous avez une occasion sans précédent d’offrir aux citoyens une coalition capable de mettre de côté les ruses partisanes afin d’œuvrer ensemble, et rapidement, dans le sens des intérêts de tous.