Modeling Journey

So Harper wants to eliminate public financing of federal elections, and apparently plans to do so by making this part of a money bill, which is a confidence measure, defeat of which leads to yet another election.

Harper is being too smart by half.

His government is dithering, unwilling to take significant steps to reduce the impact of the recession in Canada, and hoping to buy time by waiting for the new president’s stimulus package to be passed early in 2009 by the Congress. In the meantime, the European Union has stepped to the fore and announced a package of stimulus measures designed to make their economies land in the softest possible way, and then to prime them so as to resume growth.

But Harper’s defeat lies in his linking of the public funding termination to his reluctant stimulus package.

Why?

Consider this: Harper’s Tories are the only major beneficiaries of the cut to public financing. The other three parties will be hurt, with the Bloc and Liberals worst off. But even the NDP will be hurt.

So what will Harper have achieved by his mean-spirited, anti-democratic measure?
He will have united the opposition.

So now the opposition should get together and do three things:

1. Prepare a stimulus package for Canada, based on what the EU and others are doing, and making sure that it is a significant one.

2. Increase the public financing rather than ending it, as part of the opposition stimulus package, and make the increases available if the political parties increase participation in parliament of those not properly represented there (women).

3. Table the combined package as a total amendment and replacement of the Tory money bill, and then vote the government down and take to the hustings.

Maybe this time the opposition will have a good platform to take to the country, and we can end up with a minority government (other than the Tories) which will be committed to doing something to help Canadians, rather than simply standing on the sidelines like the Tories are, wringing their hands and muttering Oh Dears.