Globe and Mail: (Stephen) Harper bulldozes his way to the brink

[marmar]

JEFFREY SIMPSON

From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
December 2, 2008 at 2:30 AM EST


What an unpalatable choice now beckons Canadians: a government led by a Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, whose approach has disappointed so many; or a government led by Stéphane Dion, the Liberal Leader Canadians resoundingly rejected six weeks ago.

That the winner should become the loser, and the loser the winner is a script no one would have imagined possible last week. The author of this improbable scenario was Mr. Harper, whose miscalculations produced a coalition deal yesterday signed by Mr. Dion and NDP Leader Jack Layton, backed by the separatist leader Gilles Duceppe, to govern for 21/2 years.

Mr. Dion would become prime minister under this coalition deal until May, when the Liberal Party will select his successor.

If this coalition takes power, therefore, Canada would be led by a temporary prime minister who almost every Liberal MP wishes were not the leader. Not having been successful in leading his own party, it would be fascinating to watch him run a coalition government.

If Michael Ignatieff had been willing to challenge Mr. Dion, a challenge that depended on Bob Rae agreeing to abandon his own leadership hopes, Mr. Dion would have been forced from his job. As it is, the Liberals would be governing, in a manner of speaking, while their minds are distracted, even focused in some cases, on their own leadership rather than governing Canada. For a party that is broke, that just won the lowest share of the popular vote in history, that desperately needs to rethink its future, Liberals must be pinching themselves to imagine a return to power. .......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081202.wsimpson02/BNStory/Front

[depakid]

1. Parliarmentary systems are fascinating to watch in action

Very different (and often much more functional) than the droning on and Congressional Record business that Americans see on CSPAN (if we get a glipse at all).