Find transition politics fascinating? Think the Democratic Primary was mesmerizing, did the general election have you on pins and needles... well buddy, you ain't seen nothing! Take a gander at our neighbors to the north...
Conservative Prime Minister, Stephen Harper has just pulled off a tactic right out of management's "best of..." labor history. just when the opposition Liberal Party had built a coalition and was ready to call a strike... Harper locked em out! That's right, an old style lockout.
The quick and dirty backstory is that Harper has been a bit of a Bush-type twit. Despite the fact that his is in fact a minority government, he has been known for constantly wielding his power in a way reminiscent of Dubya's halcyon days of the Republican control of Congress, which is to say without regard for the opposition parties.
After the recent Canadian elections a couple of months ago, Harper's Conservatives again garnered the most Members of Parliament, but still not a majority. However, the opposition although an overall majority, was split between the Liberals (the largest opposition party), The New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Bloc Québécois (separatists who want an independent Quebec). Last week, Harper presented the outlines for a new budget. His presentation had a couple of items that sent the opposition up the wall. First it took the "conservative" "let them eat cake" position on their faltering economy, providing no economic stimulus. And in a "here's a finger in your eye buddy" move, he also proposed eliminating the traditional government financing for the parties (allocated on the basis on the number of votes each party got in the election), basically defunding his opposition. And the whole package was presented without any of the consultation or warning typical in the Canadian Parliamentary system.
The tactic galvanized (read pissed off) the opposition, and the two largest parties, the Liberals and the NDP formed a coalition with the backing (although not formal membership) of the Bloc Québécois. The coalition was set to vote "No Confidence" in the Conservative government this coming Monday. So Harper, after throwing a hissy-fit and labling the opposition treasonous, anti-Canadian no good-niks, pulled out of his hat the old management ploy that use to be so fondly used against unions that wouldn't let management have it's way at the bargaining table - He locked them out! Technically he requested and received from the Queen's Representative, the Governor General, the permission to "prorogue" (recess) Parliament. i.e. shut it down until the end of January. Basically he slapped a lock on the doors of the Parliament and told the Liberal coalition to take a hike - an move unprecedented in Canada in such circumstances!
Now the battle is seriously joined and Canada in the midst of a real political crisis, with the Conservatives and the liberal coalition each trying to sway public opinion and support over the next seven weeks. The question is can the Coalition, which is patched together by parties that normally don't see eye-to-eye, stay steadfast and win the support of the voters... or will the Conservatives sway support to their side. In other words, can management break the will of the strikers before the end of January. If the coalition stays together and remains resolute, it will vote "no confidence" in the Harper government at it's first opportunity in January and the government will fall.
This is as exciting as the last Canadian battle over the Bloc Québécois separation resolution that very nearly broke up the Canadian Confederacy a few years back. It makes Hilary's late run in the primary look like weak tea in comparison. Those Canuks sure know how to do politics!
Stay tuned... and check out the CBC website for the blow-by-blow and in-depth analysis...
CBC