Thursday, December 4, 2008
Canadian Parliament Suspended
The Canadian Prime Minister called for a suspension of Parliament from the Queen, which her representative granted today. PM Harper suspended the Parliament to prevent a no-confidence vote that could oust him from his position. Is this a common happening in other countries? Could the U.S. President do anything similar?
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Under our system of separated powers, there is no analogue to the dissolution of Parliament. Under Article II, section 3 of the Constitution, the president may adjourn Congress only if the two houses disagree about the time of adjournment. No president has ever done so.
"The Opposition is attempting to impose this deal without your say, without your consent, and without your vote. This is no time for backroom deals with the separatists; it is the time for Canada’s government to focus on the economy and specifically on measures for the upcoming budget. This is a pivotal moment in our history."
-Stephen Harper (Canadian P.M.)
Funny...by most means of reasoning you would suspect that the individual suspending Parliament is the one ignoring the will of the people! (I looked it up, Parliament has been suspended until Jan. 26)
Nevertheless, Harper does have a point. I don't really understand the nuances of Canadian government, but it seems as if the majority coalation of Liberals and New Democrats (as opposed to Harper's minority Conservative Party) could overthrow Harper's government and establish a new Prime Minister from one of their parties (either with or without a popular vote).
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