The Hook

Not the Quickest

I don`t think that the anti-proroguing Facebook group is the the quickest large-scale grassroots political mobilization in Canadian history. I suggest the grassroots swell against the attempted coalition that included the Quebec separatists in 2008 would the most rapid and largest mobilization. Many MPs of all strips except maybe BQ MPs received emails, phone calls and letters. My MP, a Liberal, was almost accosted on the street over the issue of including separatists as part of the governing coalition. Estimates of numbers are in the hundreds of thousands if not closer to a million. The opposition party was backing down rapidly if Harper had not prorogued Parliament.

Yet in a city the size of

Yet in a city the size of Toronto with millions of people only 50-60 show up to protest.

It is the Canadian way. Were lazy and yeah we will sign a online petition or join a facebook group as that is easy but when it come to the hard work or getting off our butts we just expect someone else to do it.

No wonder this country is in the mess it is in and politicians get away with what they do.

procrastination prorogation

I wonder if they extend this prorogation thing a bit. After all, it's only closing for 5 weeks, or 25 days of ranting in the house. Anyway, I was planning on reading my new copy of "100 Simple Secrets of Happy People, The: What Scientists Have Learned and How You Can Use It" by David Niven.

Dan the Socialist

There is no correlation between protesting in the street and registering a protest on Facebook.

And as for our country being in a mess, its not because of voters not demonstrating in the street its because of non-voters such as yourself.

realisticman

You'll remain a very negative person in my eyes as long as you keep saying no to helping the poor, the disabled and so on.

When you stop cheering the victories of the rich over the poor and instead support spending public money to alleviate the gross injustices in our society you might be on the road to becoming a positive person that actually likes other people.

Until then, you and Wilf are the most negative people I know.

Rally in Victory Park a great success.

One of the better rallies I've been to. Charlie Demers was MCing it, NDP MP's & MLA's, 2 Liberal MP's, Council of Canadians, Sierra Club's George Heyman and many more. Easily 2,000 people attended.

Frank

"...you keep saying no to helping the poor, the disabled and so on."

I don't know whether to laugh or sue you, Frank. Could you define "so on", just for clarity. My continued and consistent support for state assistance for the needy is well documented and bolstered with my personal tax receipts.

Your personal opinion is less interesting except for the unusual venue of your comment above in a thread regarding Federal Politics.

Are you perhaps becoming curmudgeonly and squirm at mention of anything other than gloom?

r'man

Clarify? You support the provincial Liberals, a party that has demonstrated over and over again that its motto should be "Nothing can be done".

It and federal Conservatives are the most negative political parties in Canada.

And the reason you support them is because when it comes to poverty issues, income disparity issues, healthcare issues, etc you agree with their stand against doing anything to help.

rallies

BC girl (I'm really in the older demographic...but just a girl at heart) goes to Ontario.
Yes, I've been here over the Christmas holiday and still here before I return to my home in the Lower Mainland next week.
But I was out on Saturday morning shaking hands with (surprise!surprise) many people in my own age group and youngers(surprise,surprise)Liberals,NDP's and Green people, like myself who are probably the Facebook-instigators. Well God Bless them!
There are many roads to Rome and Ottawa, and for that matter and there are many roads to the understanding of the need for improvements to our voter representation in the House of Commons.
I got to this rally in a smaller centre outside Hamilton after I connected via e-mail with Shilo Davis,a McMaster student and one of the organizers to these amazing rallies.
I was so proud to see such a great turnout in my home province of B.C.
Millions of Canadian tax dollars go into the running of our parliament;Mp's must discuss and resolve the public's business. Get to work!Together!

Frank

Negative?

"BC Liberal Platform - A Proven Plan For A Golden Decade"

http://www.bcliberals.com/news/bc_liberal_party_news/bc_liberal_platform_-_a_proven_plan_for_a_golden_decade

"Four years of Conservative action for Canada
January 22, 2010

This Saturday marks the four year anniversary of the Conservative Party win in the 2006 general election. Since that victory, our Conservative Government has delivered real results that have made a difference in the lives of Canadians and their families."

http://www.conservative.ca/EN/2459/112284

"Make a Contribution
Your donation will help us build a better Canada. One that is generous and open and leads the world by example. Please make a contribution right now and help us realize the Canada we dream of.
Our country awaits — Let’s get started."

https://www.liberal.ca/donate_E.aspx

Please define 'negative' Frank.

Rallies, Now What?

So Facebook and the Toronto media got a lot of people out to protest, but what did they protest? No yelling, screaming and playing to the camera in Question Period for a month? No parliamentary committee members claiming that Canadian soldiers are war criminals? No unelected Senators holding up and modifying legislation passed by the elected MPs? No long debates in the House for photo-ops that would hold up the delivery of aid to Haiti? No public forum for Liberal MPs to blame all of Canada's problems on northern BC, Alberta and Sask?

So what was the protest for? If you hate the present government, get the opposition to vote it down so you can have your say in an election.

realisticman

"Please define 'negative' Frank."

Always saying "NO" to fixing child poverty, to keeping operating rooms open, to not busing kids 3 hours a day, to housing the homeless etc etc.

Your parties always run on the banner that the NDP spends too much money on things and that they will rein in government spending.

Yet the facts show your parties spend more money than anyone else, but not on social problems. Instead its always about diverting public money into the private hands that don't need more money.

Your parties cater to the mindset of individualism which is against "community". A mindset that says when kids are poor its their parent's fault and not only can't we help them, we shouldn't help them.

What has been Campbell's response to 6 years of leading the country in child poverty? He hasn't cared, its not his problem. Same with those of you who defend him on websites like this, you defend his government, you don't advocate for change.

You, realisticman, always say "No".

Sask Resident

Sounds like you don't like parliament. Let's see what proroguing did shall we?

Your prime minister tossed a year of work into the garbage. 35 pieces of legislation that had been introduced are now in the garbage. Legislation that you defended as being necessary until Harper told you to change your opinion.

Your PM cancelled the ability of MP's to hold the government accountable by making it answer questions in the House. You don't like questions about your gov't's actions and prefer dictatorship so of course you'd be happy that Harper is ruling the country right now without having to answer questions about it.

The Senate has every right to hold up legislation while it gives it a thorough going-over. And what is your answer to that? You want to pack the Senate with lots of Conservatives. No wonder you guys hate the NDP idea of abolishing the Senate.

Parliament holds up aid to Haiti? That's a pretty anti-democratic view of the world buddy.

"So what was the protest for?"

It was a protest against dictatorship.

Frank and the Senate

I have three ideas for the Senate, elect them, abolish it or fill it with anybody but Liberals. Except for Alberta, the provinces seem to refuse to elect candidates for Senate. Two Senators-elect in Alberta were appointed to the Senate. Sask plans to pass the required legislation to elect Senator candidates. No constitutional changes are required.

To abolish the Senate, a majority of the Senate would have to agree (little chance of that) as well as a majority of the provinces representing a majority of the population. Canada loves constitutional meeting.

Fill it with non-Liberals who have agree to resign if the provinces begin to elect Senators and give the PM resignation letters post dated for 8 years. With a majority, then Harper can more forward on Senate term limits or Senate abolition.

Otherwise we still have a Liberal dominated Senate that answer to the Toronto Liberals.

Frank & Chretien

Canada had a dictatorship but nobody protested. Chretien had a majority in the House without any MPs in 3 provinces, a Liberal majority in the Senate that seldom held up legislation passed by the elected House. Chretien got away with pepper spraying Canadians to protect his good friend and Indonesian dictator, with choking a Canadian that would have put anyone else in jail, and with having a Vancouver lawyer arrested because the lawyer might have had a pie. But where were the protests against the dictator?

Harper does not have a majority in the House. If the opposition thinks they can do better, in a month they can vote non-confidence and the voters can decide if the Toronto regional Liberals should govern or one of the two national parties, either the NDP or CPC.

Sask Resident

"But where were the protests against the dictator?"

We on the Left did protest many Chretien policies, for one who do you think was getting pepper sprayed at APEC?

But where were you guys on the Right? You guys seem to have an aversion to protesting.

And you didn't address the fact that Parliament didn't take a break, it was shut down and will be restarted when Harper wants it to be. Unlike taking a break for Christmas, things will not resume, all that legislation is dead.

And finally, as for the Senate, the answer is to elect them or abolish them. Your 3rd idea, replacing a Liberal majority with a Conservative majority doesn't fix anything.

Sask Resident

Just how much actual protesting have you ever done?

Or like Steppeup, do you only complain about protesters not protesting what you're against?