Does Anyone Know Jack About Parliamentary Procedure?
I will give Jack Layton this: his proposal for a vote today (well, in about 2 weeks) for a dissolution tomorrow (well, in early January) is very clever. I suspect - without a shred of evidence, of course - that Broadbent and/or Blakie were the ones to come up with this.
My main concern is, will the Libs either ignore it, much as they ignored the fact that Parliament voted last spring to send a bill back to committee because the House had lost confidence in the government, or they'll say fine, you just said you have no confidence in us ... we're calling an election now, for Boxing Day.
When I can, I like to look at what non-conservative bloggers think of all this. You'll find 2 interesting and contradictory observations via Calgary Grit and Cherniak on Politics. (I know there's interesting debate going on amongst Blogging Tories and other centre-right folk, but since many visitors to this site already appear to come here via the BT website, I figured I'd give us all a link to what the other side's thinking.)
Personally, while I fear that Jason Cherniak is right, I suspect (and hope) that Calgary Grit will be proven right, and that Martin won't be able to ignore and/or screw around with the vote on the NDP's motion.
Actually, to be more precise, my main preference is that somebody says "enough's enough" and moves a straightforward confidence motion, while making sure everyone knows that even if the vote is held next week, there's no reason the election can't be held in January. But if that's not in the offing, something along the lines of what the NDP has suggested may do the trick.
More later.
posted by Jason Hickman @ 4:33 p.m.
4 comments
4 Comments:
It seems to be a non-confidence motion with a stay of execution.
I can't believe that this would work. Either the government has the confidence of the House and it continues or it doesn't and the government resigns.
He wants his cake (First Ministers Meeting, etc) and to eat it too (topple the government).
Naw, he's grasping.
If I was Martin I would bring a confidence motion immdiately after Jack's. Then what. If the opposition expresses confidence then the election will be in Febuary and the opposition parties look like clowns. If the opposition expresses no confidence (the likely scenario) then Martin will call the election right away. And the elction will be finished before the 2nd Gomery report is relased. He'll have no choice.
The opposition is bungling this big time.
Harper appears to be a man with no backbone the way he has scampered away.
Anon, maybe they abstain on any confidence motion, on the grounds that the issue has already been decided via the NDP motion.
Larry, I agree that he's grasping, but that doesn't mean his idea won't work. The reason they throw Hail Mary passes is because once in a blue moon, they're completed for touchdowns.
From a constitutional standpoint, I don't think Layton's motion holds water. But from a political standpoint, he may have something there.
A motion is just a motion. It'll say something like, "This house is resolved that we have no confidence in the government and an election should be called on January XX." It is of no effect in itself, EXCEPT that all of the opposition will have supported it.
PMPM would have to have just the right combination of balls and stupidity to ignore that. Let's give him credit: He's not stupid.
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