Yesterday I told you how Rona Ambrose, her shellshocked Harper party, and their friends in the Con media, were in a disturbing state of zombie agitation.
After it finally dawned on them that electoral reform will either change their brutish party beyond recognition. Or destroy it.
And how they are all calling it an assault on democracy, and screaming for a referendum, or a popular uprising.
Well now they've gone full turkey.
Now they're threatening to use their gobbling stooges in the Con Senate to block electoral reform.
The Conservative Party is vowing to use any means necessary, including a Senate blockade, to keep the Liberal government from forcing through electoral-reform legislation without first holding a referendum.
Rona Ambrose is trying to make us believe that she's the only one in possession of her senses.
“We would look at all avenues” to stop such a bill, interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose said. “My hope is that the Liberals will come to their senses.”
When as we all know, her grip on reality is tenuous at best...
She's both dumb and dangerous.
And Don Plett is sounding like he's the real leader of the opposition.
“The entire Conservative caucus, both in the House and the Senate, will be opposing any radical changes to the electoral system without a referendum” Don Plett, the Conservative Whip in the Senate, said in an interview Wednesday.
Yes, this Don Plett...
The ghastly ReformCon from rural Manitoba, who was appointed for his faithful service to the Harper Party. The one who describes himself as THE Con base.
The hideous bigot whose appalling record includes sabotaging a bill to protect the human rights of transgender Canadians.
In the most cowardly and disgusting manner.
That Don Plett and this scandalous Con Senate...
The unelected gang who would dare thwart the democratically expressed will of the Canadian people.
It's an outrageous situation, but I do see two ways to stop those monstrous Cons from stealing the election, after they lost it, hijacking our democracy. And triggering what could be the worst constitutional crisis this country has ever seen.
(1) From what I can determine the Cons now hold 47 of the Senate's 83 seats. But as we know that count might shrink depending on the outcome of some criminal cases. And there are 22 vacancies.
Justin Trudeau has promised to make the appointment process less partisan. But nothing is stopping him from insisting that all new appointees support electoral reform.
Even if they have to swear a blood oath.
What can be done, must be done, to pass that bill, render the Con zombies powerless forever...
And rescue our democracy from the rule of the mob that the Cons would use to destroy it.
(2) The existing Senators can be pressured to support the bill after it is passed by the House of Commons. By pointing out to them that while more Canadians at the present time want to reform the Senate rather than abolish it.
If they are seen to be blocking the will of parliament, and the wishes of the people of this country, that could change quickly. The movement to scrap that reactionary relic could grow, even if it means opening up the constitution.
Which I for one would consider yet another reason for celebration.
But I mustn't be greedy. We already have so many reasons to party like crazy.
In a few hours I'll write my last post of this momentous year, and try to sum up how I feel about all that happened, and my dreams for the New Year...
Which as you know couldn't be more hopeful and optimistic.
But for now I leave you with this clear sign that Mother Canada herself is also getting ready to celebrate the downfall of the Con regime.
As wildly as I am...
In this spectacular manner.
Which I take to be a good omen of a greener, better, more Canadian Canada.
How beautiful is our country. How bright is our future.
The Cons will be defeated and destroyed.
Happy New Year everybody !!!!.
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Just imagine if Donald Trump was running for the Conservative party. All he would need is 40% of the vote to become prime minister with absolute corrupt power. Would he be afraid to use it?
ReplyDeleteSo it's very possible that someone actually worse than Harper is biding his time plotting to get a hold of a minority-party dictatorship.
This First-Past-the-Post voting process makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
It's time to stop these radical conservatives from getting their hands on power Canadians did not elect to give them. Not only for ourselves, but for future generations. If we don't act now, the corporate media will say we rejected electoral reform and the matter is settled.
People opposed to voting reform are really saying Canadians can't be trusted to choose their own government. I think it's pretty clear these are the people who can't be trusted.
Hi Ron...I agree with everything you say. I know that you have long pushed the case for electoral reform, and it is the best way we can keep those Con extremists from ever forming a majority government again. So you're also right, if we let the Cons and their media create the impression that a referendum is the only way to go, and that electoral reform is something exotic that we can do without, the battle could be lost before it even begins. People like you are going to have to educate the Canadian public like they have never been educated before. For it is a complex subject, and ignorance will be our worst enemy....
DeleteHappy New Year Simon. Keep up your postings. I love them. Have a great 2016
ReplyDeleteIrene
hi Irene...Thank you, and Happy New Year to you and yours. To tell you the truth I had thought of retiring after the election, and spend more time playing my guitar, and writing other stuff, rather than blogging. But the way the Cons are behaving, and this latest anti-democratic assault, means I'll be sticking around to fight them until the day we can bury them....
DeleteAll the best to you and Seb my friend
ReplyDeletehi Kev....thanks a lot and all the best to you and your loved ones. We're both having a very quiet New Year, because we're both beat for different reasons. But it couldn't be a happier one....
DeleteHappy new year Simon, -- so far as our senate putting a permanent block on house of commons bills,I haven't seen this under our Westminster parliament system. The senate is there to rehash bills to make sure their legal, or it's what the people want, stuff like that, not to block bills because of ideology ( although harper's yes men and women did lots of that )but to get back to my point, I'd like to hear from anyone who can submit concrete evidence that the senate can permanently block parliament from passing a new voting act, -- otherwise the senate thing is a non-issue....
ReplyDeletehi Jolly Roger...thank you and Happy New Year to you and yours. As I understand it the Senate does have the right to block bills, unlike the House of Lords in Britain that can only delay them for a year. The understanding used to be that the Senate would not do that because its members are not elected. But the Cons threw that tradition out of the window long ago. So it will be up to all of us to remind the Senators of their proper place, or they could cause havoc...
DeleteThere's no doubt that Trudeau is in a dilly of a pickle, but hopefully there are enough intelligent people in the Liberal caucus and the balance of the media that isn't owned by Con stooges to spread the word about the NEED for electoral reform.
ReplyDeletehi anon....the progressive parties, the progressive-friendly media , and all of us are going to have to launch a massive campaign to both explain electoral reform, and why we need it. Because it's new and different the Cons will try to sow confusion as only they can. So our campaign will have to be really smart and good...
DeleteHi Simon, may I be the first to wish you a truly "Happy Harper-Free New Year"! For all the years I have made this wish,and finally it is true, Harper is gone!All the Best to you and yours Simon, for a wonderful 2016! PS Rona's turkey hat really made me giggle,as I got one for Xmas.But I will wear it for good fun, and not con evil! Thanks, Wendy.
ReplyDeletehi Wendy....thank you, you certainly may, and the same to you. In fact I just finished a video with that same title. I realize we live in a truly troubled world, and face many dangers. But not having to worry about the dangerous Cons is a huge relief. And I feel more relaxed now than I have in years.
DeleteP.S. you've got a turkey hat? I'm jealous !!#@!!!! ;)
This is just another example of the kind of behaviour that got stevie's ass kicked a few weeks ago. Little Rona hasn't learned a thing : she still wants to get her own way by bullying everybody.
ReplyDelete70% of Canadians proved they are not stupid Oct 19 and this intelligence will see this reformatory silliness for the desperate anti democratic plot it is. Nor will they forget this tory attack on Canada in four years.
hi rumleyfips....exactly, that the best part. The Cons are so desperate that they risk looking like the same old Cons, and torpedoing any chances they had of appealing to anyone but their rabid base. With the Senate in such a mess, it makes no sense to try to use it to bludgeon the rule of law and the supremacy of the constitution. But as I said, they are fighting for their political lives....
DeleteHow disgusting that the Cons want an appointed bunch of corrupt and backwards appointed Con crooks and schemers to "block" democratic reform in Canada. Canadians are so sick of the corruption of the Cons and some of the Lieberals in the senate that they would like nothing more than to send them all to the unemployment line or to some remote outpost where they can do no more harm and to separate them from their rich pensions that they did virtually nothing to get. Next thing Ambrose will be calling on the second coming of Christ to strike Trudeau down and reinstate her hero Stephen Harper to be our Prime Minister. And of course while he is here to smite all the progressives to send all the pot users to hell.
ReplyDeletehi John....I find the move as outrageous as you do, and consider it just another Con assault on our democracy. But the good news is, as you point out, that brazen power play will not impress many Canadians. They will understand that a corrupt institution like the present Senate, cannot tell the duly elected in the House of Commons
Deletewhat to do. It will look as if the Cons are just playing cheep politics again, and that will hurt them...
Happy New Year Simon! And All! When Postmedia fails next year this unpleasant horde will be right behind them.
ReplyDeletehi anon...Thank you and a very Happy New Year to you too !!! You know, I don't really want to see the big media organizations fail. All of them do occasionally produce good Canadian stories, and I don't want to see thousands more Canadians lose their jobs. But when their editorial boards show so much contempt for the views of so many of their readers, one really has to wonder whether they are worth saving....
Delete"they've gone full turkey", Simon, have you been into the Christmas left overs?
ReplyDeletePoor Rona, she'll do whatever it takes? resign and retire? Not likely. it is doubtful the Con senators will do much to try to block any legislation sent their way. They know it could be the end of how they operate. They want to keep their perks and seats. They'll get with the new agenda fairly quickly. Not all of them were harpercons.
Rona is just mouthing lines being fed to her by what's left of the Con spin machine, no doubt some of the boys in short pants who have been re-employed by the Con Party.
Deletehi e.a.f....I rather liked that expression, and I didn't have any turkey this Christmas ;) I suppose it's possible that cooler heads might prevail in the Senate, but I doubt it. The partisanship is now so extreme, that I can't see Cons like Don Plett listening to reason. However, if ordinary Canadians can portray it as a shabby power grab, which it is, it's possible that enough senators can be mustered to block the Con plan. But just don't count on it, because they have never been so desperate...
DeleteThank you for all your hard work, Simon - all the best in the new year.
ReplyDeleteCheers.
hi RJ...well thank you for your kind words, and a Happy New Year to you.Although I should say I don't really see what I did as any kind of sacrifice. What else could I have done when faced with such a brutish and un-Canadian government? All I ever asked for was a REAL Canadian government, I never specified whether it should be red, orange or green. Just that it should reflect our basic Canadian values. And no government in modern Canadian history ever violated them so outrageously or behaved so disgracefully. There is a tendency to gloss over the Con record, or pretend that it never happened. But until the day I die I will never forget or forgive what they did..
Delete"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
Delete-- George Santayana
The Stephen Harper Non-Answer Generator (Part 1 to 9)
http://operationmaple.ca/harper-non-answer-generator