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Today was to the be day of the massive protests against prorogation. I was just watching CTV and they were reporting live from the massive protest organized in Ottawa with 2 of Canada's political partY leaders (NDP & lIBERAL) saying they would be attending.
According the CTV the attendance count was only around 600. And of course that would include all of the party faithful ......
Massive Prorogation protests Not!
MultiQuote
#2
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Posted 23 January 2010 - 11:32 AM
I guess that means that we can truly do away with our so-called 'democracy' since no one really seems to care whether they have representation or not...
The Sheeples Republic of Canuckistan, eh.
The Sheeples Republic of Canuckistan, eh.
| QUOTE |
| “When a government starts trying to cancel dissent or avoid dissent ... is when it's rapidly losing its moral authority to govern.” Stephen Harper, Canadian Press, April 18, 2005 Link to quoted story... |
#3
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Posted 23 January 2010 - 11:35 AM
So, just to get it straight... when a LIBERAL PM prorogues it's ok, and not newsworthy, but when a CONSERVATIVE PM does it, it's undemocratic. Ok, thanks, I get it now. This is a tool of a parliamentary system. If you don't like it, change it, or GTFO.
This is a tool of a parliamentary system. If you don't like it, change it, or GTFO.
#4
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Posted 23 January 2010 - 11:44 AM
Nope, just wish that someone in that town would work -- don't really matter who is in "power". Besides, no one can change anything while the damn system is shut down, now can they? So I suppose the people that don't like it can just STFU instead. 
Hey, maybe this is a good way to cut down on the deficit from the other thread. Just do away with the whole Parliamentary institution. No more seal on the menu of the Parliamentary restaurant should save a few Loonies.
Hey, maybe this is a good way to cut down on the deficit from the other thread. Just do away with the whole Parliamentary institution. No more seal on the menu of the Parliamentary restaurant should save a few Loonies.
#6
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Posted 23 January 2010 - 07:32 PM
| QUOTE (malcolm @ Jan 23 2010, 09:57 AM) |
| According the CTV the attendance count was only around 600. And of course that would include all of the party faithful ...... |
#8
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Posted 23 January 2010 - 08:07 PM
| QUOTE (FA@AC @ Jan 23 2010, 08:32 PM) |
| CBC reports a YOW attendance of around 3,500. |
Let me guess, a bunch of civil sevants union-types, Council of Canadian(Maude Barlow's group), greanpeace members and diehard opposition supportes with maybe a few marxists and American-haters for good measure.
Meanwhile Harper was probably still busy on the saving Haitian lives file while others prepare for the budget and its coming cuts.....hopefully to these vocal groups to start.
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Posted 23 January 2010 - 08:15 PM
| QUOTE (woxof @ Jan 23 2010, 08:07 PM) |
| Let me guess, a bunch of civil sevants union-types, Council of Canadian(Maude Barlow's group), greanpeace members and diehard opposition supportes with maybe a few marxists and American-haters for good measure. |
Yes, I'm sure that they're all very nasty, evil people too. Traitors, in fact.
Anyone who takes issue with anything the Dear Leader does should be sent to Guantanamo Bay and locked up.
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Posted 23 January 2010 - 08:18 PM
| QUOTE (FA@AC @ Jan 23 2010, 09:15 PM) |
| Yes, I'm sure that they're all very nasty, evil people too. Traitors, in fact. Anyone who takes issue with anything the Dear Leader does should be sent to Guantanamo Bay and locked up. |
Now you are talking.
As if they were not mostly strong anti-Haroer types.
#11
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Posted 23 January 2010 - 08:27 PM
| QUOTE (woxof @ Jan 23 2010, 08:18 PM) |
| As if they were not mostly strong anti-Haroer types. |
Oh! You mean that the people who attended the protest against the Dear Leader's most recent attempt to quash democracy were mostly not fans of his government???
What a startling revelation, Woxof! Thanks.
#12
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Posted 23 January 2010 - 08:33 PM
| QUOTE (FA@AC @ Jan 23 2010, 08:32 PM) |
| CBC reports a YOW attendance of around 3,500. http://www.cbc.ca/po...e-protests.html |
Strange, what I reported was live from CTV and they were talking to a reporter in the audience, she was relaying numbers also from the RCMP. Go figure.....
Anyway CTV is now carrying the following story, the YOW numbers are now stated as being in the thousands, as are those for Toronto (what ever that means). The Vancouver sun is reporting that just over 1000 people turned out in Vancouver.
| QUOTE |
| Gallery: Nationwide protests against proroguing Parliament Just over 1,000 protesters gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery Saturday afternoon then marched on to Victory Square where they jammed the Cenotaph pavilion to protest Prime Minister Stephen Harper's decision to prorogue Parliament. |
http://www.vancouver...7920/story.html
The interesting part of this, at least to me, is that 13,929,093 votes were cast in the 2008 election, yet only a few thousand turned out all across Canada to protest what has been played up as being a major source of voter displeasure. Oh, well, I guess all of those who didn't come out to show their displeasure are waiting for the next election to do so or is the level of dissatisfaction overstated?
The interesting part of this, at least to me, is that 13,929,093 votes were cast in the 2008 election, yet only a few thousand turned out all across Canada to protest what has been played up as being a major source of voter displeasure. Oh, well, I guess all of those who didn't come out to show their displeasure are waiting for the next election to do so or is the level of dissatisfaction overstated?
| QUOTE |
| CTV.ca News Staff Date: Sat. Jan. 23 2010 9:45 PM ET Thousands of Canadians used their Saturday to demonstrate against the Conservative government's decision to postpone the winter session of Parliament. In Ottawa, a crowd estimated in the thousands gathered in front of Parliament to hear speeches from the NDP's Jack Layton and Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff. "I have heard your message, you have said loud and clear: you do not want Parliament to shut down when a prime minister is facing questions that he must answer," said Ignatieff. Prime Minister Stephen Harper requested that Parliament be prorogued as opposition parties pressed the Conservatives in December on the Afghan prisoner abuse issue. Ignatieff accused Harper of playing to apathy and cynicism -- a gamble which will harm the Conservatives' political fortunes. "He had no idea that you would be here today," Ignatieff said, referring to Harper. Ignatieff stressed that the show of protest was a good sign for Canadian democracy, and that the demonstrations are important, "because you're defending an absolutely fundamental principle of our democracy." The NDP's Layton said that people need their government to work on their behalf, and to push for climate change legislation and positive economic policies "I get the impression that you'd like your representatives to work on your behalf starting tomorrow," said Layton. Harper has said that the pause is needed so his government can revamp its economic policies. Right across the country, rallies were held. In Toronto, thousands people gathered at Yonge-Dundas square for a rally in the city's downtown, police said. Some estimates put the crowd at 3,000 while others put the crowd at as high as 7,000. Many in the crowd clutched placards and chanted slogans, including "the people, united, will never be defeated." In Halifax, hundreds gathered near the province's legislature and shouted slogans against the government. Speakers included Liberal MP Geoff Regan and ex-provincial NDP leader Robert Chisholm. Some of the demonstrators carried signs that read "Stand Up to Harper." Those signs also had the NDP logo on them. In Edmonton, about 250 people braved icy temperatures and mixed political activism with humour. Many of them chanted "Yes to perogies, no to prorogation!" Others in the crowd were more serious about their participation. "I came to Canada to escape dictatorship," said Pakistani immigrant Massoud Hasson, 66. Exceeded expectations Ottawa rally organizer Jesse Root said the demonstrations exceeded estimates in many cities. "I think it's no doubt that it was a success today," he told CTV News Channel Saturday afternoon. "The people who were there were of all ages, all political stripes, all backgrounds," he said. "The turnout was really representative of the power of this movement and the diversity of the movement." Root added that since Parliament was prorogued, more than 30 bills have been left in parliamentary purgatory. He also said that the Tories have been forced to change their talking points in order to deflect criticism over the postponement. "We've seen the Conservatives' excuse change over the last three weeks as we've seen this movement grow." The protests began with a Facebook group that has now attracted upwards of 210,000 members. The pause also coincides with next month's Olympics, with some critics complaining that the government is muting criticism as the world comes to Vancouver. Parliament will resume again in early March. Organizer Jonathan Allen said the protests are a reaction against what many feel is an abuse of power by Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government. The protests are being billed as non-partisan events, Allen added. "We've got Conservative supporters working within the groups as well, because they don't like the precedent that is being set, and they don't like the fact that this is the second prorogation in the course of a year." Parliament was also suspended in December 2008, in response to an opposition plan that aimed to dethrone the Conservatives. "We bestow upon the government the authority to govern, but we do not bestow upon them the authority to abuse their constitutional privileges," said Allen. He said protests will also take place in major cities in other countries. "These are concerned expatriate Canadians that are not happy with the fact that the government has decided to prorogue Parliament for partisan purposes, as opposed to the good of the state." With files from The Canadian Press |
#13
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Posted 23 January 2010 - 08:56 PM
Yep,
Thousands, as in a few thousands.
In reality millions, yeah count'em millions just don't give a damn.
Get back to making Acts and stuff in March. In the meantime, I had the opportunity to meet my MP in person because he was working at his job as my MP.
Good job on Harper for taking a break. We all needed it except for the idiots that think the only thing MP's do is sit in question period.
Thousands, as in a few thousands.
In reality millions, yeah count'em millions just don't give a damn.
Get back to making Acts and stuff in March. In the meantime, I had the opportunity to meet my MP in person because he was working at his job as my MP.
Good job on Harper for taking a break. We all needed it except for the idiots that think the only thing MP's do is sit in question period.
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Posted 23 January 2010 - 09:06 PM
It is fun as well as frustrating reading the headlines across
Canada, a Regina paper is stating that thousands of people rallied across Canada which may be accurate but as an example their count for the turnout in Vancouver states
Canada, a Regina paper is stating that thousands of people rallied across Canada which may be accurate but as an example their count for the turnout in Vancouver states
| QUOTE |
| In Vancouver, several thousand protesters urged Harper to get the government back to work. |
despite the count released by the local Vancouver media stating that the numbers were only just over 1000.
The numbers in YYZ have been stated as being over 7000 by some news agencies yet the Globe and Mail is saying:
The numbers in YYZ have been stated as being over 7000 by some news agencies yet the Globe and Mail is saying:
| QUOTE |
| Thousands protest proroguing of Parliament Saturday, Jan. 23, 2010 09:55PM EST More than 3,000 people, many cradling signs denouncing the Prime Minister's decision to suspend Parliament until early March, gathered in Toronto. The hordes of protesters closed down a busy section of Yonge Street to march. The protest was one of many scheduled across the country. |
If we can not get an accurate picture from our media of an event that happened here in Canada, you have to wonder how accurate their reporting of events outside of Canada are. I would have to sadly say "not very".
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Posted 24 January 2010 - 10:04 AM
And now for a little TIC on the subject: 
http://www.theglobea...spector-vision/
tongue-in-cheek look at how Stephen Harper should respond to thousands of Canadians taking to the streets
http://www.theglobea...spector-vision/
tongue-in-cheek look at how Stephen Harper should respond to thousands of Canadians taking to the streets
| QUOTE |
| Sunday, January 24, 2010 11:42 AM What the PM should say about prorogation rallies Norman Spector The following is a transcript of a pre-recorded interview with the Prime Minister that will air on CBC this evening. (check against delivery) Interviewer: How’s my make-up? Any glare from the lighting? Is the camera rolling? Prime Minister, thank you for agreeing to sit down with us for this interview. Prime Minister Stephen Harper: It’s always a pleasure to be with you and your viewers. Interviewer: Your staff tell me that we’ve only got a few minutes so I’ll get straight to the point. What’s your reaction to the “hordes of protesters” we saw in the streets today — not far from where we are right now, as it happens — demanding that MPs get back to work? PM: It’s always good to see Canadians actively engaged in politics, and I would hope that this level of engagement —particularly among young Canadians — will continue and be enhanced in the future, which — regrettably — appears not to be the case in the United States. Interviewer: Prime Minister, I think we can all agree on that. But what do you say to the men and women of all ages demanding that MPs get back to work? Let me read you what a ten-year veteran of Parliament Hill who now co-owns a progressive media agency had to say about a demonstration that took place not far from where you and your family live: “I’ve had a front-row seat to all kinds of mass gatherings and rarely do you see one this co-ordinated, this large and this unified. It takes a lot to make Canadians take to the streets in numbers worth noting.” PM: Well, I could cite other, more objective reports — including incredibly enough that of CBC, CBC French that is — that only 300 people turned out in Montréal and 100 in Halifax, but I’m not going to get into a numbers game with you. In a democracy, it’s unacceptable in my view to disparage in any way even one citizen exercising his or her fundamental freedoms and democratic rights. As to getting back to work, I can only say to hard-working Canadians that most of our government have worked overtime along with our dedicated public servants during the Christmas holiday — one of several long breaks that MPs voted themselves years ago because of the particular nature of their jobs. Interviewer: Prime Minister, as you can see from the top of my head, I’ve been around federal politics for many years like Mr. Capstick — whom I know but whose politics, I assure you, I do not share — and understand all that. In fact, though I can’t be certain, I believe that we’ve even reported on MPs long holidays once or twice in the twenty years that I sat in the chair that I no longer sit in. But you know as well as I that the protesters are angry about your decision to prorogue Parliament, agreed to by the Governor-General, and are demanding that you get back to work tomorrow. PM: Well, let me say off the bat that the Governor-General had no choice in our system but to accept my advice and I take full responsibility for the decision to prorogue. Moreover, Her Excellency is due the respect of all Canadians — and not only because of her office. In fact, as I travel across the country, I’ve found a profound affection and admiration for the Governor-General, most recently during the Haitian earthquake tragedy, and I can tell you and your viewers this evening — even though as you know I could have made this announcement on a much higher-rated newscast — that I intend to advise Her Majesty that Ms. Jean’s term be extended for another five years. As you can see from my head, I, too have been around Ottawa for many years. And I make this observation not to justify what I have twice done during my tenure as prime minister. But, I don’t recall a similar hullaballoo when a previous prime minister prorogued the House in 2003 so as to avoid having to receive Auditor-General Sheila Fraser’s report on the sponsorship scandal — a request that was granted by a Governor-General whom he himself had appointed. Another former colleague of yours, as it happens. In particular, I don’t recall any front page editorials in The Globe and Mail. Nor can I remember the kind of banner headlines we’ve seen the Toronto Star. As to veterans of the Ottawa press gallery, I seem to recall that most of them were very comfortable with the one-party state that Mr. Chrétien was in the process of creating — a dismal situation for which I and members of my party share the blame but have since corrected. Politics is a tough arena — no one has to explain that to me. I understand why the opposition parties are unhappy with my decision to delay by a few weeks the recall of Parliament; in fact, as leader of the Canadian Alliance, I protested against prorogation in 2003. In many ways I admired Mr. Chrétien. And no one understands better than I do today that a prime minister can sometimes find himself in a crisis situation, such as Mr. Chrétien did in the 1995 referendum. But, having said that, his prorogation was the first step in a long process that in the end did not hold him accountable for the sponsorship scandal. Interviewer: Prime Minister, I’m glad you brought that up, and I hope that you and your always co-operative staff will give us a few more minutes so that I can ask you one more question. Mr. Layton is proposing a law that would require a majority vote in the House of Commons before the Governor-General could grant a request for prorogation. Are you and your MP’s prepared to vote in favour of such a law? PM: Well, let me first say that my legal advisers tell me that any such law would quickly be struck down by the Courts if challenged, as it violates several fundamental aspects of the way we are governed and have always been. That said, I can understand why Mr. Layton and Mr. Duceppe for that matter might favour such a law — thankfully, neither of them will ever be prime minister of this country — though Mr. Duceppe will likely be thinking about the demand for a similar law in Québec, where his true interests lie. But, let me be very frank with you — oops, I promised my wife and kids, whom you were kind enough to mention, to try very hard this time not to preface any of my remarks with a verbal tic I’ve long tried to correct that I’ve been told is quite common and that Laureen swears she’s heard many times in interviews over your long and distinguished career. However, something more sinister is at play here. Had Mr. Layton’s views prevailed in December, 2008, Canada would have been governed through the worst recession in 26 years by a Liberal-NDP coalition supported by the Bloc — a party dedicated to secession and that wants to break up our country. With the possibility of another Depression at that time very real, I make no apology for using every tool in a prime minister’s quiver to thwart such an outcome — excuse me, every legal tool, a limitation that, as you know, did not apply to the sponsorship program. And I challenge Mr. Layton and anyone else who supports his law to explain to Canadians across this land how they and their families would be better off today had he and Gilles Duceppe and prime minister Stéphane Dion — whom voters had just rejected resoundingly in an election — prevailed in 2008. For my part, I intend to raise this issue in the next campaign, whenever that takes place. For let’s be clear on this point: having tried what the The Economist magazine termed a “coup” once, you can be sure that the opposition parties will try it again if they ever have that chance. And anyone who is not prepared to shut the door unequivocally on banning a legal tool that can be used to fight for Canada is not fit to serve in the high office that I, for the moment, fill. Interviewer: Thank you Prime Minister for taking the time to sit down with us. PM: Thank you, and let me take this opportunity to thank your network and its competitors and the cable industry for getting together this once in the interest of Canadians. But most of all I want to thank the people of Canada for their solidarity with the people of Haiti and for the incredible generosity they’ve shown over the past fortnight. (Photo: Pawel Dwulit/The Canadian Press) . |
#19
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Posted 27 January 2010 - 12:49 PM
#20
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Posted 29 January 2010 - 06:54 AM
One positive result from the prorogation, at least for the Conservatives and their bills that will move through the Senate (after house approval). Note the comment re the Crime Legislation C-15 that was stalled.
[QUOTE]Harper names 5 to Senate
Last Updated: Friday, January 29, 2010 | 9:36 AM ET Comments98Recommend21CBC News
Prime Minister Stephen Harper named five new senators on Friday, including former Ontario cabinet minister Bob Runciman, giving the Conservatives effective control in both houses of Parliament as well as greater sway over the legislative agenda.
Appointed to the Senate were Runciman and businessman Vim Kochhar for Ontario, victims' rights activist Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu for Quebec, former provincial auditor general Elizabeth Marshall for Newfoundland and Labrador, and current Conservative MLA Rose-May Poirier for New Brunswick.
In filling the five vacancies, the prime minister gives his Conservative Party 51 members in the Senate, two more than the Liberals. Two Progressive Conservatives and three unaffiliated members hold the remaining seats in the 105-seat Senate.
While the Conservatives won't have an absolute majority, the appointments give them plurality needed to exercise greater control over newly formed Senate committees.
The appointments marked the third time in a little more than a year that Harper has added members to the Senate. In December 2008, Harper named 18 new senators, and in August he appointed another nine members to the upper chamber.
Crime bill to be reintroduced in Senate
Harper said in a statement the new senators have pledged to support reforms to the Senate, including legislation to limit Senate terms to eight years.
"These new senators are committed to community safety and justice for the victims of crime," the prime minister said in a statement.
"I look forward to working with each towards making our communities safer and protecting families from crime."
Conservative Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said in a news conference in Ottawa on Friday the new senators were committed to the government's crime legislation.
Nicholson also said the government planned to reintroduce Bill C-15, which imposed tougher sentences for serious drug offences, to the Senate in its original form, saying the bill before the House of Commons had been "gutted" by the opposition Liberals.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/ca...s#ixzz0e0ruSy0Y
[QUOTE]Harper names 5 to Senate
Last Updated: Friday, January 29, 2010 | 9:36 AM ET Comments98Recommend21CBC News
Prime Minister Stephen Harper named five new senators on Friday, including former Ontario cabinet minister Bob Runciman, giving the Conservatives effective control in both houses of Parliament as well as greater sway over the legislative agenda.
Appointed to the Senate were Runciman and businessman Vim Kochhar for Ontario, victims' rights activist Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu for Quebec, former provincial auditor general Elizabeth Marshall for Newfoundland and Labrador, and current Conservative MLA Rose-May Poirier for New Brunswick.
In filling the five vacancies, the prime minister gives his Conservative Party 51 members in the Senate, two more than the Liberals. Two Progressive Conservatives and three unaffiliated members hold the remaining seats in the 105-seat Senate.
While the Conservatives won't have an absolute majority, the appointments give them plurality needed to exercise greater control over newly formed Senate committees.
The appointments marked the third time in a little more than a year that Harper has added members to the Senate. In December 2008, Harper named 18 new senators, and in August he appointed another nine members to the upper chamber.
Crime bill to be reintroduced in Senate
Harper said in a statement the new senators have pledged to support reforms to the Senate, including legislation to limit Senate terms to eight years.
"These new senators are committed to community safety and justice for the victims of crime," the prime minister said in a statement.
"I look forward to working with each towards making our communities safer and protecting families from crime."
Conservative Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said in a news conference in Ottawa on Friday the new senators were committed to the government's crime legislation.
Nicholson also said the government planned to reintroduce Bill C-15, which imposed tougher sentences for serious drug offences, to the Senate in its original form, saying the bill before the House of Commons had been "gutted" by the opposition Liberals.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/ca...s#ixzz0e0ruSy0Y