Weighing In

In their considerable collective wisdom through their academic entitlement to weigh in as reliable, veritable experts on parliamentary procedure and democracy in action, 175 Canadian political scientists, legal scholars and university philosophers have signed onto a letter in protest of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's decision to prorogue Parliament until March. The letter, initiated and written by Daniel Weinstock, Canada research chair in ethics and political philosophy at University of Montreal recognized a catalyst in rising public opinion expressed on a Facebook site.

Ugh. Facebook. Well, whatever works. And this evidently appeals to some people who have a wish to belong to something, to express their opinion, to profess their anger and dismay over a situation that is complex, unsettling, and has placed Canada in a spotlight of international interest. International interest of a kind we really don't need. And one could venture also the opinion that the prorogation was the result of parliamentary dysfunction. (And wonder what percentile that 175 signers represent of Canada's constitutional experts?)

When the term "loyal opposition" has become an absurdity. Where Parliament has been struggling because of Members of Parliament preferring to behave like premature adolescents enjoying a continual ruckus rather than elected lawmakers representing constituents who placed trust in them. Parliament has become an unruly chamber of representative disorder. The current Conservative-led government has been spurned and deterred from enacting legislation.

All of Canada's political parties have descended to the level of absurd machinations for the purpose of scrambling to the top of the heap in public opinion. But there is a functioning government and it should be permitted the courtesy of governing, since it has more than adequately demonstrated its capability of so doing, up until the present. The Prime Minister is in the process of re-arranging his cabinet. He will be co-hosting the Winter Olympics.

He has enacted a strategy whereby the Senate may no longer pull its Liberal-led weight to deny passage of worthwhile and necessary legislation. While claiming that Parliament has been disrespected by the Prime Minister's completely parliamentary step to prorogue, the opposition, in coalition, plans to attend regardless. This, in itself, is a more than adequate demonstration of the contempt in which they hold the government.

Which their just-released attack ads complement. The Canadian public expects better from its elected representatives. Who have chosen to represent Canada to the world as a malfunctioning democracy, rather than work together to ensure that the system remains sturdily operational. Rather than support the government at a critical time such as the present, the opposition parties have chosen to search out any opportunity, however spurious, to challenge it.

It is beyond unfortunate, and certainly impractical that all pending legislation so close to fulfilment into law has been placed in abeyance. That all those motions to amend or to create useful new laws and initiatives will have to undergo the ritual of re-introduction and tedious follow-up. This government's post-election legislative agenda has been held ransom to partisan interests far too often.

Perhaps in March, cooler heads may prevail. But one mustn't succumb to dependently on the premise that a cooling-off period will result in sudden maturation of our elected lawmakers; they appear to be wedded to juvenile tactics on a solidly permanent basis. And this is what the international community can observe, and muse upon.