Have Trudeau and Singh badly hurt democracy in Canada?

[Merry]

The Liberals and the NDP recently voted to put our Parliament "on hold" for another 4 months, allowing 4 hybrid meetings a week to discuss the Government's reaction to the Pandemic, and only 4 meetings over the summer (when they know most Canadians won't be watching) to discuss everything else.

Given that the current Government is a MINORITY Government, which received less votes than the Official Opposition, is it right that they be given virtual 'free reign" to do what they want, with very little accountability?

No other Government in the Western World has limited the powers of its elected body as much as Canada has. Even China still has meetings that include all of it's representatives. So why don't we? What's the justification for shutting down our democratic process in this way?

Government committee meetings could continue using the same technology that businesses are using to allow their operations to still function. And if Parliament can meet, albeit in a limited form, to discuss Pandemic issues, why the hell can't they discuss other issues as well?

The whole situation is just plain WRONG, yet apart from a few newspaper articles, I've heard very little outrage across Canada about what amounts to a virtual "coup d'etat" of our Parliamentary democracy, albeit a non violent one. The effect is the same.

[The Green Barbarian]

Good points Merry. Where are the Bloc-heads and the Greens? Can't they join forces with the Conservatives to end this madness?? Just disgusting. Where is our media holding Jagmeet and Justin accountable for this?

[Merry]

Scary indeed Old Trucker. Scary indeed.

Rex Murphy is one Canadian who has expressed his dismay about this situation several times via his newspaper column. But are his fellow Canadians listening?

It is really far past time that the gutting and sidelining of Canada’s Parliament, the castration of the House of Commons, during what is now a double crisis - Covid 19, and the care of the elderly - be blasted and condemned for the shameless and cowardly abdication of debate and accountability that it is.

The Prime Minister is not acting as a Prime Minister should, or should be allowed to. He has not the right to end the deliberative and accountability functions of Parliament

Canada has not had a real Government during the biggest health and financial crisis in modern times

Why are the individual MPs of every Party, the Liberal MPs especially, not asserting their privilege as MPs, as representatives of the people, calling attention to this deplorable neutering of their responsibilities?

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/rex-mu ... oplay=true

Good for Rex that he's trying to generate debate on this deplorable state of affairs. But where's the rest of our main stream media? Why isn't the neutering of Canada's Parliament headline news?

[Merry]

There was an article in the Globe and Mail on the subject as far back as April, but it doesn't appear to have resonated with many people. Certainly not with those who do the television news, or the political talk shows. I'm stunned at how little main stream media coverage there's been about this.

A minority Government effectively hijacks a democratic Parliament, and the main stream media, with a few notable exceptions, has pretty much allowed them to get away with it.

it should have been a given, from Day One, that Parliament must continue to operate as normally as possible during this crisis.

There are big questions ahead of us: when and how to restart the economy; when to reopen the border; and how to ensure there are adequate supplies of testing kits and contact-tracing tools so we can avoid more outbreaks.

This is no time to reduce our most vital democratic institution to a sideshow to the Prime Minister’s daily press briefings. As welcome as they are, they are not a substitute for responsible government.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion ... idelining/

[Merry]

If you're prepared to dig around the internet a bit, it is possible to find dissenting voices about Trudeau's hijacking of our Parliamentary system. But those dissenting voices rarely come from our main stream media. Why is that?

There's a lot of criticism of Canadians who prefer to source their news from places considered less reliable than main stream media. But is it any surprise that more and more Canadians are seeking those "less reliable" sources out, when our main stream media chooses to completely ignore a story that will have far reaching effects on Canadians' futures following this Pandemic?

We pay our Parliamentarians good money for doing their job. But, if they feel it's too dangerous for them to properly fulfill their function right now, they should step down and allow those who aren't as scared to do the job instead.

Many folks in this country have worked throughout this crisis, in far more vulnerable positions than having to participate in zoom calls from the comfort of their own homes. And many folks are now going back to work, and even more will be returning over the coming months. So what gives our MPs the right to sit at home on their behinds, while still receiving full pay and benefits?

The House of Commons is a very large, high roofed building, designed to accommodate 338 MPs. If only half of those showed up for in person sittings, and the rest worked from home via Zoom, there would be lots of space to allow for safe physical distancing. So there is absolutely NO good reason for MPs not to discuss Canada's business on a regular basis. ALL of Canada's business, not just stuff related to the Pandemic.

It's time for Canadians to DEMAND our MPs get back to work, whether in person or remotely. Instead of hiding in their homes for months on end.

[Smurf]

I cannot believe what Trudeau and the Liberals are being allowed to get away with and literally nothing being said. Singh says jump and Trudeau says how high. It is a total farce.

[Merry]

I found yet another article from the Globe and Mail that discussed the subject back in April, but the fact that I'm having to spend so much time finding these few and far between commentaries on the subject, speaks volumes. WHERE is the rest of our MSM when you need them?

Anyway, for what it's worth, here's a quote from the article I referred to above which, despite when it was written, still has relevance

Question Period can be a terrible advertisement for the good work that gets done in Parliament, but also that its operatic drama and affected outrage are what engage voters in the stakes at play in their federal democracy.

It may be true that there is little appetite for business-as-usual politics at the moment, but that shouldn’t exempt cabinet ministers from feeling the heat of accountability.

The pandemic has allowed the Trudeau government the luxury of insulating itself from the cut and thrust of Question Period. As a result, the Canadian public is in danger of sleepwalking through Ottawa’s handling of the crisis.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion ... arliament/

The author is correct when he says that, despite it's shortcomings, Parliamentary Question Period does help get Canadians to pay attention to what their Government is up to.

[The Green Barbarian]

If you're prepared to dig around the internet a bit, it is possible to find dissenting voices about Trudeau's hijacking of our Parliamentary system. But those dissenting voices rarely come from our main stream media. Why is that?

.

Because Merry, if they dare dissent, Trudeau sends his jack-booted stormtroopers to escort them away...

Dear Green Barbarian,

Trudeau stooped to a new low.

In his latest censorship shock, Trudeau had his personal palace guard physically throw me out of a press conference at Rideau Cottage. Journalists are only welcome if they’re “friendly” to the Prime Minister.

Trudeau has been hosting the "Trudeau Morning Show” love-in from his front steps for months now. Every day, I have been calling in to Trudeau’s morning propaganda sessions, waiting patiently to ask important questions.

Reporters are supposed to be randomly selected. Of course, that's not how things work in Trudeau's Canada, and it was later revealed that a partisan staffer was filtering the questions that were allowed to be asked to Trudeau.

So I booked a flight to Ottawa. I wasn’t going to let a partisan staffer get between me and my job. It's almost unbelievable what happened. You can see the full video here:



Terry Guillon, who keeps the press on a choke collar for Trudeau, was waiting for me. (Yes, that's the same PMO staffer who physically assaulted me at a Trudeau press event last year) Even after security allowed me through the official front entrance, once Guillon got word that a Rebel News journalist was about to ask unapproved questions, he sicced the RCMP on me, and they physically escorted me off the property.

The announcement Trudeau made that morning was that he's shutting down Parliament for the entire summer during the pandemic. So while other world leaders are actually out running their countries, Trudeau is answering a couple of softball questions every day from the comfort of his large, cushy taxpayer funded hideaway.

And get this: He's actually been trying to convince the opposition that his press conferences are somehow an accountability replacement for Question Period. What a joke!

But it is not hard to understand his thought process. The Prime Minister can’t pick and choose the questions he gets asked in the House of Commons, but on his front porch, he runs the show.

So we sued his government and a Federal Court judge issued an order granting us an expedited trial. That’s coming up quickly — you can learn more, including about how you can help us fight, at LetUsReport.com.
Trudeau is not being held to account by the opposition. Parliament is about to be suspended, and if he wants to, he could stop his Morning Show any day, too.

So much for being able to hold politicians to account.
Democracy really is dying in Canada.

Yours truly,
Keean Bexte

P.S. We live in a free, democratic country. Journalists shouldn't be grabbed and frog-marched out of press conferences, just because Trudeau doesn’t like answering tough questions. Even worse: the rest of the media stood by silently. They approve!

Now watch the Liberal apologists immediately turn this into a "Rebel News" thing instead of responding to the disgusting censorship that their handlers are engaging in. Just so disgusting and just so evil. Let's hope both the NDP and the Liberals are made to pay in a BIG way for this hijacking of democracy they are engaging in. Every Liberal and NDP MP should be hanging their heads in shame tonight. You are not Canadians, you are just awful.

[fluffy]

Don’t the Liberals and NDP acting together represent the majority of Canadian voters? They are reinforcing the concept of democracy, not hurting it from where I look.

[The Green Barbarian]

Don’t the Liberals and NDP acting together represent the majority of Canadian voters?

Seriously? A new low. Just wow. The "majority" of Canadians want to have our democracy just completely stolen? Really??? OMG this is just sick.

[The Green Barbarian]

They are reinforcing the concept of democracy, .

how?

[davegourd]

Dear Green Barbarian,

P.S. We live in a free, democratic country. Journalists shouldn't be grabbed and frog-marched out of press conferences, just because Trudeau doesn’t like answering tough questions. Even worse: the rest of the media stood by silently. They approve!

I also approve of nazi reporters being told to shove off.

[The Green Barbarian]

Don’t the Liberals and NDP acting together represent the majority of Canadian voters? They are reinforcing the concept of democracy, not hurting it from where I look.

Fluffy - you can't watch that video and think that this is the democracy that anyone, let alone Canadians, who value freedom, would want. This is a disgrace.

[The Green Barbarian]

I also approve of nazi reporters being told to shove off.

This was the exact opposite, this was a reporter, trying to report on Nazis, being shoved off. Somewhere, deep down, even you must sense this.

[The Green Barbarian]

I also approve of nazi reporters being told to shove off.