Paul S. Graham

http://video.google.ca/googleplayer.swf?docid=-8983474497946059326&hl=en&fs=true

No, he still hasn’t met them, but it’s not for want of trying by the Majority Agenda Coalition, which on Nov. 15 demonstrated outside of the Conservative Party of Canada Convention in Winnipeg.

The coalition drew eloquent and boisterous attention to the vast range of issues deemed important by Canadians across the country. If you missed it, set aside an hour, get a bucket of popcorn and enjoy the video.

More importantly, circulate the video link widely.

You can email the Majority Agenda Coalition at block.harper.winnipeg@gmail.com.

Warrant Officer Robert John Wilson, Pte. Demetrios Diplaros, Cpl. Mark Robert McLaren, all from 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, were killed by an IED on Dec. 5, 2008. Photo: National Post

Every time we lose another soldier, it feels like I’ve lost my son one more time . . . I really feel we shouldn’t be there to begin with, so if there’s a hundred or two or three its all the same to me – they shouldn’t be there. . . . I don’t see the reason we should be losing all our young soldiers to a war. I think they should be doing peace keeping and helping more people. What’s the point of having them killed in a foreign country — for what reason – we’re not even sure what we’re doing there.
– Claire Léger, mother of Sgt. Marc Léger, one of the first Canadians to die in Afghanistan, interviewed on Global TV News, Dec. 5, 2008

These are very special people who have put their lives on the line in the service of their fellow human beings and in their devotion to our country. It is because of them now and throughout our history that we are able to celebrate our Christmas in such peace and prosperity,” Harper said. “It is because of them that we have this wonderful country. It is their gift to us.
– Prime Minister Stephen Harper, at CFB Petawawa for a previously scheduled event to launch a “Trees for the Troops” Christmas campaign, National Post, Dec. 5, 2008

I guess Madame Léger has her answer; her son and 99 other Canadian soldiers died in Afghanistan so that we could celebrate Christmas in peace and prosperity.

Bah, humbug!

Winnipeggers opposed The Rogue, Dec. 4, 2008, at a spirited rally at the Marlborough Hotel. Photo: Boris Minkevich, Winnipeg Free Press

Media reports put attendance at the Winnipeg rally at about 500. I was there; it seemed larger. It was (as were all of the rallies across the country yesterday, I imagine)  part public relations exercise and part group therapy. We publicly demonstrated our support for a coalition government to replace Harper and we got a chance to vent our collective outrage at Harper’s antics.

This is all well and good. But it left me wondering, where do we go from here? Will the leadership of this movement continue to mobilize and if so, to what end?

I’m beginning to think that the Parliamentary battle to replace Harper was lost as soon as Michaelle Jean gave Harper permission to suspend Parliament. When he comes back at the end of January, having held power for three months, the option of a transition to coalition government may be theoretically possible. However, I think Jean will play safe, and if the government falls at the end of January, she will dissolve Parliament and we will be into an election.

Which brings we back to my earlier question: to what end should this coalition be mobilizing? An election favours Harper, not so much because he is popular with Canadians, but rather because the anti-right wing forces in Canada are fragmented and our electoral system allows MPs to win their seats with the smallest of pluralities.

None of Canada’s Opposition parties, by themselves, can take enough seats to win even a minority government. If the Coalition is serious about replacing Harper it has to be prepared to contest the next election as a Coalition.

This would involve, among other things, an agreement between the Liberals, NDP and Bloc to support each other’s currently elected MPs in this election.

Scary stuff, yes. But absolutely necessary if we are to rid the country of Harper and the dangerous brand of politics he represents.

Below is the latest Winnipeg Free Press Readers’ Poll. It’s a snapshot taken at 9:30 Central Time today.

Should Parliament have been suspended?

Yes 42%
No 57%

Total Votes: 1841