Lillith:
I hope you are right, but fear you are wrong. This is a huge constitutional challenge and the outcome, shockingly to Americans (and probably most Canadians), lies in the hands of the Governor General, one Michaele Jean, a former CBC television presenter! Can you say “yikes!” She is a political appointee of former (Liberal) Prime Minister Chrétien and couldn’t have been a more politically correct choice: black, female, immigrant to Québec.
She has, basically, three choices should a non-confidence vote happen (as seems likely): (1) accept Harper’s resignation and call for a new election (after just two months!); (2) accept Harper’s resignation and call on the Liberal-NDP-Bloc monstrosity of a coalition to form a new government; or (3) decline to accept his resignation and make the existing Parliament try to work together. (For those unfamiliar with the Bloc (proper name is the Bloc Québecois), it is a political party that runs candidates in one province only, namely Québec, whose sole aim is to establish the “Québec nation”. Their interest is solely to undermine federalism i.e.: to pull Quebec out of Canada—to destroy Canada.)
In Toronto, which for the most part elected Liberal and NDP Members of Parliament, the reaction has been, shockingly, mostly negative to the news of this attempted coup. Even from those who say they voted either NDP or Lib. People are mostly shocked and appalled. Lots of disgust, too. Except from the rabid left who are tickled even pinker than they already are.
So, let’s all hope Lillith is right. Afterall, in politics a week can be an eternity.
