Be Careful What You Wish For in Canada: A Greener Coalition Government May Happen
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 11.30.08
Just after the Canadian election last month we imagined the Liberal leader going to the Governor General and saying:
"Climate change is too important for petty politics. The four parties with strong pro-environment, pro-Kyoto platforms got 61% of the vote and control 163 seats to the conservatives' 143. We are forming a Coalition against Climate Change and intend to ask the Governor-General to let us form the government."
Now, because of some real political stupidity on the part of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, it just might happen; his minority government may fall next week.
Stephen Harper on Friday, telling opposition to drop dead. He has changed his tune since.
But it isn't about climate; it is about the economy, and some silly and mean ideas that Harper floated in his "economic statement", including cutting off subsidies to the other political parties, tromping on the right to strike by civil servants, and other pandering to the conservative base. Just dumb politics. Today he backed down on the subsidies; his Transport Minister was quoted as saying "I don't think it's worth going into an election over this political subsidy."
I doubt we will get the cabinet I suggested:
Imagine. Stephane Dion as Prime Minister. Jack Layton with dual portfolios of Minister of Finance and Health. And if the Americans can have an Alaskan Separatist sympathizer as a Vice Presidential candidate, we can have Quebec separatist Gilles Duceppe waving the Canadian flag as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Stick Elizabeth May into the Senate and make her Minister of the Environment. Imagine.
But we will get a government that will be more green, more interested in investing in infrastructure that does not involve tar sands and cars. Right now everybody is spending the weekend hammering out deals and it may be too late for Harper to stop it, even if he does back down from his previous statements.
More on Canadian Politics in TreeHugger
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Let's Have a Coalition Against Climate Change in Canada
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As a Canadian there is nothing I would love more then seeing the environmental issues take center stage in this political playhouse.
Unfortunately our politicians have a tendency to get into deal making and being completely out of touch with Canadians.
Who says the environmental agenda has nothing to do (or conflicts) with the economy.
If the conservatives could stop pushing their old ideology and look around themselves long enough to see what Canadians really want, we could actually make some progress in both fronts; economically and environmentally.
Too bad this green coalition is probably going to bankrupt the country. The NDP and Liberals accuse Harper and the conservatives of doing nothing during this economic crisis. What they fail to understand is that the government can't do anything to help, and anything they try to do will only make things worse. Just look what's happening in the US...
Harper sitting on his hands and doing nothing is the only reason why we're not in worse shape. If Layton or the Liberals gained power they would spend and tax our way into oblivion.
Also, isn't it interesting that the opposition only starts to speak up after Harper puts forth his "no more public subsidies for political parties" proposal. Oh no! We can't fleece the taxpayer into paying for our campaigns anymore! Gimme a break.
Not gonna happen. Would like to see it, but the NDP and Libs would have to sacrifice too much of their core platform to make a deal: eg, (to oversimplify a bit) staying or leaving Afghanistan, support for unions vs. support for corporations...
But, the Libs and NDP do have very different and complementary views on the environment. Would be nice to have the input of both in the government.
I really enjoyed Mr. Alter's rather ludicrous fantasies -- especially the part where he'd not only install the leader of a political party which didn't win a single seat, as a senator, but incredibly, simultaneously give her a cabinet position!
His ignorance for the workings of our democratic system is matched only by his disdain for it.
The one thing he seems to be missing in all of this, is that this situation was not precipitated by any environmental policy. It is a matter of public record that Stephane Dion, and the rest, could have raised a non-confidence vote in parliament quite a few times over the past few years on any number of environmental issues.
But they didn't.
No, this current temper-tantrum by the opposition parites has nothing to do with the environment. It has everything to do with the possibility of these increasingly unpopular political parties losing their tax-payer funded subsidies -- NOT the environment.
The fact that Mr. Alter would have an unpopular leader of an unpopular party (and, gosh, I'm only going by the most recent election results) as the Prime Minister, gives one pause. Is this typical of the utter disregard self-styled "environmentalists" have for the will of the people?
It's a scary thought.
nothing wrong with fantasy, bashing someone for it on the other hand....
The Green Party didn't get any seats because of our outdated and unrepresentative voting system, not because Canadian's don't want them in office.
Harper won 5,374,071 votes in 2006.
Harper won 5,208,796 votes in 2008 - and claims he has "a bigger mandate".
When will Canada learn - our voting system does not represent what Canadians want.
Re: the "bigger mandate" comment...
The overall voter turnout in Canada in 2006 was 47.2%. In 2008 it was 41.9% or 5.3% less. See: http://www.sfu.ca/~aheard/elections/historical-turnout.html
In fact, all parties had less votes (esp. the Liberals), except the Greens, see:
http://www.sfu.ca/~aheard/elections/results.html
Re: the "bigger mandate" comment...
The overall voter turnout in Canada in 2006 was 47.2%. In 2008 it was 41.9% or 5.3% less. See: http://www.sfu.ca/~aheard/elections/historical-turnout.html
In fact, all parties had less votes (esp. the Liberals), except the Greens, see:
http://www.sfu.ca/~aheard/elections/results.html
According to the latest polls today, the Conservative Party of Canada is now more popular than ever. So much for Lloyd Alter's "political stupidity" theory.
Shaun Merrit wrote:
"When will Canada learn - our voting system does not represent what Canadians want."
If nothing else, it represents what Canadians DON'T want. 74% of voters specifically did NOT vote for Stephane Dion, but you're still okay with him being Prime Minister via an attempted coup?
Very nice.