Harper Wants to Quit His Job

Posted September 17, 2008

In 2006 Stephen Harper demanded the implementation in Canada of a fixed date for the federal vote. This bill, C-16, passed on November 6, 2006, and received Royal Assent on May 3, 2007. Except in the event of a non-confidence motion in the House of Commons, the bill required that the next election occur on Monday October 19, 2009.

This is what Stephen Harper said at the time:

"Fixed election dates prevent governments from calling snap elections for short-term political advantage."

And, "Fixed election dates stop leaders from trying to manipulate the calendar simply for partisan political advantage."

And in the words of Government House leader, Peter Van Loan, "Never again will the government of the day be able to play around with the date of an election for its own crass political motives."

For the last year the Liberals have practically given the Conservatives free reign to govern as they wished. Yet now the Conservative Party wants to ignore the law that they promised and passed, so that they may call an early election instead of working for the people of Canada.

In other words, Harper believes himself to be above the law and has decided to demand a snap election for his own crass, partisan advantage.

It remains unclear how a general attitude of hypocrisy and a disregard for the law works out to be an advantage.