Saturday, May 19, 2007

Out Of Apathy

Parliament Building by Steven W. Dengler
I don't normally post anything on political matters. It's not that I'm not a political animal it's just that after all of these years I've become disillusioned with politics or more particularly politicians. However one more week like this past one on Parliament Hill and I may be dragged out of my apathy and turned into a raving political activist.

Though I won't go as far as to say the current Conservative minority government is a swindling bunch of crooks any more than their predecessors where or that Prime Minister Stephen Harper is a cold calculating bastard with a hidden agenda, those thoughts have been popping into my head unbidden.

This week alone we have seen some interesting example of our "New Government" at work :

  • A conservative member of Parliament [MP] strode across the floor, a parliamentary no-no, and shoved a liberal MP - a real big parliamentary no-no. And where the hell were the Sargeant-at-Arms and Speaker during all this?

  • Non government organizations who depend on federal funding to employ summer students have found that funding cut or refused. The minister in charge says he has a list of worthy organizations that will receive funding but refuses to release it.

  • The Executive Assistant of the Conservative leader in the Senate leaked false information accusing opposition Senators of cheating on travel expenses. Both the Senator and the EA have refused to apologize and the EA has been given a promotion.

  • A 200 page handbook detailing how to stall parliamentary committees and filibuster during debate has been distributed to select Conservative MPs. Its instructions have been followed on at least three occasions this past week causing parliamentary gridlock. All the while the "New Government" - and they insist on being called that even though they've been in power for over a year - has been blaming the opposition for the situation.

  • The Prime Minister is using parliamentary privilege to indefinitely delay giving a deposition in a defamation suit launched by a longtime Conservative party member.

So much for "Canada's New Government" and its commitment to openness, transparency and high ethical and moral behavior. O Canada - who stands on guard for thee? Damn if this keeps up it may have to be me.

Some of this may sound familiar to my American friends - Mr Harper has expressed his undying admiration for George W. Enough said.

3 comments:

BigAssBelle said...

oh my word, it sounds hauntingly familiar . . . rather like britain and now, possibly, france, though who could imagine such a thing? there is no end to the reach of the thug we have held in office these six years. i believe his destructiveness will be felt worldwide for years and years to come. what a legacy, what a disaster. so sorry to hear that you are experiencing something of the same. i guess asshats are of all nationalities, though i believe our sociopathic SOB exceeds all others.

BigAssBelle said...

i meant to say familiar, like the US, of course, and britain, france, canada . . . who else?

more cowbell said...

Could it be our Jester in Chief's influence is leaking across the border? There's just no containing it. Like an STD.