THE PEOPLE VERSUS PROROGATION

Opinion piece by Mark Holland on Prime Minister Harper's decision to prorogue Parliament.

Perhaps nothing is as important to the health of democracy as dissenting opinion and accountability. They are inconvenient, uncomfortable and can be outright damning for ruling parties. But they help to ensure that the government’s focus is on serving the people and not its own self-interest.

Since first being elected, Stephen Harper has sought with ever increasing boldness to erase these checks on his power. First he silenced his own MPs and cabinet – baring them from speaking unless reading approved talking points. Next, he created playbooks to scuttle committees looking into uncomfortable subjects. Then he fired or cut short the mandates of independent officers of Parliament, followed by attacking public servants who raised concerns. Today, he has shut the doors on Parliament for the second time in one year.

To end questions on the torture of Afghan detainees, their failed handling of the environment, the largest deficit in Canadian history and poor handling of the economy, Harper prorogued Parliament and hoped everyone would just tune-in to the Olympics. This cynical act has rightly been met with national and even international condemnation. It killed all their so-called critically urgent crime bills, ended all parliamentary committees, bills and work. It also means that Canadians and Opposition MPs are effectively cut out of the budget process at a difficult economic time. They just don’t seem to get it – they are leading a minority government which has an elected obligation to work with other parties.

The Harper government’s half-baked justification for prorogation was neatly summed up by Immigration Minister Jason Kenney: “it's a lot easier for the government to operate without Parliament in session ... they get a lot more done”. Going beyond their initial reasoning for time to “recalibrate”, now they attack the very value and worth of Parliament – the institution that represents the will of the Canadian people and which is responsible for holding the federal government accountable to the people.

Only 2% of all Facebook groups have more than 100,000 members – Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament now has more than 200,000. The group’s call to assemble and speak out against prorogation on January 23 was answered by 25,000 Canadians, of all political stripes, in cities and communities across the country. What they were demonstrating against wasn’t really about an obscure parliamentary procedure but rather against having their voices taken from them. They know that if we turn the other way and shrug at this, we accept a march towards losing so much of what has made our democracy great.

For further information:
Office of Mark Holland, M.P., Ajax-Pickering
(613) 995-8614