Harper & Co. unraveling

Interesting motion brough by Michel Guimond (Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, BQ)

(Hansard, April 29, 2008 - emphasis mine throughout)
That the House express its full and complete confidence in Elections Canada and the Commissioner of Canada Elections.

Slick. The CONs had the choice of either supporting the motion, which meant they would have to drop their line about Elections Canada being unfair, wrong, and partisan, or abstain, indicating they are temporarily at odds with some Elections canada related issues, or vote against it, formally declaring that they do not trust the agency, or the Commissioner they appointed.

They voted against it. Crazy and showing that they are indeed unraveling.

Far and Wide has an EXCELLENT (really, go read it!) commentary on the consequences of the CON vote - not only to Elections Canada and its image abroad, but the damage this is bound to cause the neanders as well.

Bloc MP Pierre Paquette explained the importance of asserting confindence in Elections Canada in light of the current government attempting to undermine its image not only because of what it means relative to that agency, but because it is yet another instance of the disturbing tactics used by the CONs to undermine democracy.

Pierre Paquette(Joliette, BQ): There is nothing new about this though. Over the last two years—because we have already endured two long years of this minority Conservative government—we have come to know the Prime Minister pretty well.

We have learned that he considers the government his private domain. In a number of issues, we have seen his wish or his desire—because it is not just a wish in his case and more a firm resolve—to exercise total control over all possible aspects of the federal government and attempt in various ways to minimize the counterbalances that our democratic system provides, beginning with the media, the courts, all democratic institutions in Canada and Quebec, and the fact we live under the rule of law.

Paquette mentions Harper avoiding journalists, controlling the selection process of judges, controlling information, making it more difficult to gain information from ATIP, censoring what is finally released. He mentions how the CONs have sabotaged committees such as the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development and the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.

Paquette refers also tothe firing of Linda Keen. He could have added the interference with the grain Commission, the firing of the President of the Wheat Board, the Commissioner who produced the environmental report, the Science Advisor...

says Paquette:
So, the Conservative government, the Conservative Prime Minister, and the Conservative Party of Canada are launching a systematic attack against Elections Canada. This is part of an overall strategy. It is extremely important for our democracy that opposition parties shed some light on this for the public.

It's good that some members of the opposition are treating this not as an isolated incident, but a troubling pattern of tactics that given enough time, could severely alter and damage our system of government. This, without vote.

Duceppe summarizes it well -

"It means that they don't have any respect for what they are, a government, and that Mr. Harper doesn't feel at ease with civil servants, with independent organisms – organizations or office, with journalists, with oppositions – in a word with democracy."

It is far easier to attack agencies individually. Each has then to rely on its meager resources to defend itself, and the pulic doesn't always grasp the issue. Show how such attacks are taking place throughout our system, and we can better defend that system by addressing the approach as a whole.