Canada's Primeminister dissolves the Canadian Parliament?

[SilentHunter7]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080907/ap_on_re_ca/canada_election

He can do that??

Can someone explain to an American how that works? Because from down here, it seems awfully dictatorial of him.

 

[Aravier]

It's immoral, but perfectly legal. What he means is that he's closing Parliament down for a little while. In that time, no legal business shall proceed. It's not dictatorial, it's just him wanting to go campaigning without having to return parliament every day. Think of it akin to a coffee break. You want to be able to eat the last donut in the canteen without being interrupted for your presentation.

I hope that's right...I could be morbidly wrong, but I think that's the case.

 

[Random Argument Man]

Here are a few things that can start a Canadian election

-The party elected can call an election, any time they want in their 4 years.
-If the party is a minority goverment, if they try to pass a budget and the other parties refuses, election.
-4 year term is over.


I don't remember all of the reasons to start an election.

We have 4 parties here. Conservatives, Liberals, New Democratic Party and the Bloc Québécois. (There's also a green party).

So far, Mr. Harper started the elections, because it's the best time for him. The Liberals have a non-charistmatic leader, who only seems say "Let's make things greener". The NDP have a good leader, but needs to work on what they want. Lastly, we have our Bloc Québécois, who's only interest is separate from Canada. (Which will never work).

 

[Anton P. Nym]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080907/ap_on_re_ca/canada_election

He can do that??

Can someone explain to an American how that works? Because from down here, it seems awfully dictatorial of him.

Not really. Constitutionally he's obliged to hold an election promptly after dissolving Parliament... in this case, on October 14th. (Heh, ahead of the US one; which is ironic considering that PM Harper enacted a "fixed election date" law which he's arguably breaking by calling this election.) So we're not without a democratically-elected government for very long.

Any party or PM getting too eager at calling snap elections for political purposes gets punished, harshly, up here; the most dramatic example I can think of is the upset win for the left-wing New Democratic Party in the '90s when the ruling centrist Liberal Party called an early election.[sup]*[/sup] As a result, though the PM could theoretically call an election any time he wants in practice he (or she) has to take voter backlash into account first.

There's another risk, too; the Governor-General doesn't necessarily have to call an election. He (or she, as is the case now) can go to the opposition parties instead and ask if they can put together a coalition with enough seats to assume power. That's another roll of the dice if you're calling an election for personal gain... the GG might call you on it and hand power to your opponents instead.

In a way I like this system over the fixed-date systems found elsewhere; there's less grandstanding, no "lame duck" problems with the executive branch, legislators have to watch what they do in case they have to go to the polls soon, and it keeps elections short.

-- Steve

edited to add the following footnote:

* note that this was a provincial (think state, for the US) election, for the province of Ontario.

 

[SilentHunter7]

OOOOOOOOooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh......

OK, thanks for clearing that up, I thought your guy was pulling a Palpatine, or something.

 

[Limasol]

The British prime minister dissolves parliament too, then 30 days leter an election is held, happens every 4.5 years or so, its called democracy and just dissolving parliament doesnt give him absolute power

 

[super_smash_jesus]

He is only doing this because at the moment, he doesn't have the majority of the seats in parliament, and he thinks that if he were to call an election sooner than later (when people like him now, and seems popular) he could maybe clinch those few more seats to take the majority of parliament and therefor be able to do things more or less the way he wants to instead of having to vote it in against a room more than half full of people that will most likely turn it down. (sorry for the longest sentence in the world, but I am lazy. Feel free to stop and take a breath at any point.)

BTW i hope harper gets thrown the fuck out, I absolutely can't stand him.

 

[Random Argument Man]

Well, I don't know. If only the liberals had voted Ignatiff. Now we have to stand with Dion, who doesn't seem to be up for the job.
I don't think he will have the majority, but I think he will win another minority goverment.

 

[implodingMan]

This is going to be the first election that I can vote in. Colour me excited.

 

[Ixus Illwrath]

When did Palpatine get elected to the Canadian Prime Minister?

 

[Limos]

Holy shit he can do that?

Does that mean he'll just dissolve the parliment every time it's not conservative? Does that mean the parliment can dissolve him right back? Will canada have to reelect everyone every other week?

 

[fluffylandmine]

The Liberals have a non-charistmatic leader, who only seems say "Let's make things greener". The NDP have a good leader, but needs to work on what they want. Lastly, we have our Bloc Québécois, who's only interest is separate from Canada. (Which will never work).

wow america and canada aren't that different after all

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

If Canada invades, im defecting.

 

[Larenxis]

It's perfectly normal and legal. It's a total dick move though because he promised he wouldn't but I think not being a dick went out the window with David Emerson's perversion.

Basically, the Conservatives are evil. Lying, manipulating bastards who have pissed me off many times in the past and have really clinched it with the SPP and copyright bullshit. The Liberals are also pretty lame (although marginally better), but are out of luck because their leader Dion got framed as 'not a leader' in a Superbowl ad, and it doesn't help that he's got no charisma. Then you've got the Bloc, and I don't want to lose Quebec, so I'm not down with them. And then there's the Green Party, who spend all their airtime complaining about how they don't get enough airtime.
And then there's the NDP, who I've volunteered for in the past. They really want a $10 minimum wage as well as other lovely things, and Jack Layton has so much charisma it has been manifested into an awesome stash. They still suck, but they're the best we've got until the revolution.

I guess I'll be volunteering for municipal and federal politicians all at once. Won't I be busy.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

We have 4 parties here. Conservatives, Liberals, New Democratic Party and the Bloc Québécois. (There's also a green party).

So far, Mr. Harper started the elections, because it's the best time for him. The Liberals have a non-charistmatic leader, who only seems say "Let's make things greener". The NDP have a good leader, but needs to work on what they want. Lastly, we have our Bloc Québécois, who's only interest is separate from Canada. (Which will never work).

actually we only have 3, the bloq is only in quebec and i don't think they should exist at all

as for the ndp, well Jack is a piece of work, when he was here in toronto, him and his wife lived in government subsidized housing, they were fighting to not pay full rent and then fought more cause they weren't going to renew the lease, at the time both Jack and his wife were city councilors or at the very least lawyers and both making 6 figures each

as for Harper, i don't think he's too bad, he's at least not from quebec and giving them everything. for once we have a pm from the west and westerners are still complaining about him

btw i think americans should look into what the president can do, one thing is removing the power of congress and the senate and totally dismissing them

 

[cleverlymadeup]

And then there's the NDP, who I've volunteered for in the past. They really want a $10 minimum wage as well as other lovely things, and Jack Layton has so much charisma it has been manifested into an awesome stash. They still suck, but they're the best we've got until the revolution.

read my post and look up the past of Jack, he makes a used car salesman look like mother Theresa in comparison

ontario will ensure the ndp will NEVER get elected in this country for a very long time, the ndp screwed up ontario even more than it was and made the debt larger and bloat even more. it took us almost 10 years to fix everything and also help reduce some of canada's debt along the way cause other provinces weren't doing that

 

[Larenxis]

I would appreciate a link cleverlymadeup; I'm not sure exactly what I would search for. Also, I don't think the national and provincial parties have the same make-up, so that doesn't really make sense.

I can see how we're coming from two very different view points, and I don't want to start a flame war in this thread, so would you like to have this discussion via PMing? I'd like to hear what you have to say.