The Conservative minority government is not going to have as tough a time as the Liberal-loving media keeps telling us. There are several issues that the Tories can put before Parliament that would gain enough support from the opposition to pass. The Conservatives will likely lead off with an ethics passage that even what's left of the corrupt Liberals will support. Then there's the GST--what are the other parties going to do--yell, "Vote for us and save the GST"? Of course not. and while all of the parties do not exactly agree on how to battle violent crime there is room to maneuver and tougher amendments to the Criminal Code will be easy to pass.
Harper even runs little risk in holding a free vote on same sex marriage. a vote to revert to the traditional definition of marriage as the union of a man and a woman would inevitably fail but Harper never promised changes--just a free vote. By holding a vote he will have kept his promise and set himself and his party apart from Liberals like Dalton McGuinty to whom promises mean absolutely nothing and the federal Liberals who re-promised many of the promises that they made 12 years ago but never kept.
No, the "fragile minority" as the Toronto Star likes to refer to it is not going to be defeated any time soon. The opposition parties are not in any financial position to go into another quick election and any party that initiates the fall of the Harper government in the next few months risks annihilation. The Conservatives' ability to govern Canada is a lot stronger than those not happy with the election results would have us believe.
Last week was quite a week. Not only was Canada's Natural Governing Party banished to the opposition benches while their beloved prime minister was replaced by a man who brings fear to the hearts of big city dwellers from sea to sea to sea, but the Middle East was shaken up as well. Two days after Canadians went to the polls, Hamas rode to victory in the Palestinian elections. at least the week wasn't a total loss for Canada's elites.
Stephen Harper hinted that his government would not recognize Hamas unless they renounce terrorism and agree that Israel has a right to exist; neither of which is likely to happen in the near future. Harper "hinted" and "suggested" rather than "stated", not because he is indecisive but because he is not yet prime minister. The fact that Harper will not become prime minister until February 6 is lost on many of us because Paul Martin, who should be a lame duck prime minister, has become a disappeared duck. after the election results were in, Martin took his marbles and went home, giving the finger to the country that he purports to love one more time by phoning in his resignation rather than visiting Governor General Michaëlle Jean. Enough about Martin--he's history.
It's true that the EU and the US made similar statements about the assumption of power by Hamas. What was refreshing about Harper's decision was the fact that except for his acknowledgement that he is not yet prime minister, he made the decision quickly and decisively. This is such a change from the previous government that would have called New York for instructions and consulted with its Palestinian and Muslim "stakeholders" before taking a poll to see what Canada's position should be. Who can ever forget Bill Graham's days as Minister of Foreign affairs when the main difference between him and Humpty Dumpty was that Bill never quite got off his fence?
Hamas is not going to immediately renounce terrorism or recognize Israel's right to exist. The real test for Stephen Harper will come when the decision to continue funding to the Palestinians will have to be made. Let's hope that Harper can continue to make the type of decisive decisions that we have not seen in this country for the past 12 years. If last week is any indication, we will actually have some leadership in this country.
and to many Canadians, this will be scary.
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