59 Comments

I hope a successful challenge is able to stop the prorogation.. but not optimistic. We are a country without rule at present

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Perhaps the convergence of multiple, serious crises will finally awaken Canadians to the reality of deep structural, institutional and constitutional flaws. Our weaknesses and risk exposure are the inevitable consequence of parochial thinking by successive governments, federal and provincial. Impoverishing a rich country while shamelessly violating democratic principles can only be tolerated by an unserious population.

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The governor general had to the perfect time and the perfect right to decline to prorogue as it was pretty apparent to me that he was just trying to prolong the pain of his self-removal from office. He didn't really want to go. There was no slow inner contemplation as displayed by his continued act of Prime Ministerial Ness. Ironic isn't it. When he was the head of the government, he was on holiday or out of the country...but never really did anything other than give our money away. Now I read that because of the threat of tariffs from Trump, the NDP may renege on it's claim that it would vote at first chance for a non-confidence in the government. Perhaps this was the plan all along. Nothing would surprise me except I think they aren't smart enough to think it up.

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Some daft people were fooled by the 'sunny ways' pretense of a sociopath. Now we are in his power.

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In actuality, by convention, the governor general has no rights at all except to do what the current PM tells her to do. There are, from what I've been able to find, very few real rules about the GG role and responsibilities other than the head of state ceremonial stuff. And the few that there are don't seem to cover situations like this.

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That's actually not correct, as MacKinnon's essay and the British finding he cites makes plain. There are rules governing a GG's consideration of a request to prorogue. It's not just "ceremonial stuff." Whether the federal court ultimately decides that the GG's decision conforms with custom remains to be seen, but the GG is not simply obliged to do whatever the head of government instructs.

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My understanding is the the pleading doesn’t want to give legal force to the G-G’s convention around proroguing as that would strengthen the power of the King. All the pleading hopes to do is tell the PM that he prorogued unlawfully and must now recall Parliament. Keep the G-G out of it.

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I guess that's the question that the court(s) will have to decide. Does the citing of the UK court decision as precedent have the same weight as it did before Canada adopted it's own constitution? I though that was done to sever some/many of the ties we had back to the motherland.

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UK jurisprudence is often used as precedence in Canadian lawsuits. Not sure if it applies in this case though.

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I honestly believe we have a 3 ring circus in the federal government. Smoke and mirrors let's keep distracting the minion's from the real problems, jobs economy and accountability to the Canadian people. So sick and tired of the BS from government.

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Will it, can it be possible? We shall see. Should it be declared null and void, would anyone like to join me for a drink?

Single Malt anyone?

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glass of Okanagan red for me.

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Yes. Always Single Malt.

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A couple of points about the McKinnon piece, from my standpoint...

The indigeneity/colour of Brazeau and/or Wilson-Raybould had/has nothing to do with Trudeau's attitude for toward them. They just weren't him. And not being him, their feelings and/or treatment weren't worth thinking about overly much.

Also, your comment about whether prorogation was in the interests of the government or the Liberal party? How about neither? It was in the interests of Trudeau. If he had the interests of either in mind, he would have arranged for his succession some time ago.

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Possibly a Sociopath?

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Am I the only one who was stunned at the sight of Trudeau at the Auschwitz commemoration last week. It was the most appalling hypocrisy I could imagine. After 15 months of unprecedented anti-Semitic intimidation in Canada, with barely a whimper of support from the Liberals, his virtue signalling at Auschwitz is beyond disgusting.

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Some constituents are more important than others, clearly. 4.9% of the residents of Canada are Muslim. 0.9% are Jewish. I’m not saying that all Muslims hate Jews by any means. But there is a very significant vocal majority since the Hamas-Israeli war began who brought a lot of Canadian citizens to their “side”. And of course, people, especially the young, love to be on the side of the perceived underdog, regardless of facts.

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Annie are you familiar with the Quran and Taquiya? Verses 3:28. And 16:106

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I was disgusted with his hypocrisy too. He really is a smug. , arrogant narcissist who beyond reason, has managed to be PM for nine long years.

He should have had the decency to stay away.

It was all about appearances, nothing more.

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Our PM and the Irish PM who looks like some character out of Star Wars.

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Trudeau and the Irish pm are perfect together

Maybe Justin was getting pointers on upping his antisemitism

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High functioning psychopath.

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The prorogation was to allow the Liberal Party of Canada run a leadership campaign, shut down all business r related to the slush fund inquiry and give Trudeau a few months of being unaccountable while he rides out the string.

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Your assumption seems reasonable; thanks for making it.

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The distinction between acting as prime minister or acting as liberal party leader is an interesting approach, no doubt. Framed that way, the absurdly and invalidity of his "advice" is quite obvious. I hope the court agrees with you, but I won't be holding my breath.

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He's purchased both the press and the GG. I hope our legal system has the iron needed to swat the bastard.

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The entire process is pointless. Even if the prorogation is found to be unconstitutional and then reversed, which is highly doubtful given the judiciary's complete acquiescence to Trudeau, Jagmeet Singh will again vote to prevent the government from falling. His hatred for the Conservatives trumps all other issues. This country is broken.

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I think it is more his loyalty to disrupting a previously peaceful county. He represents a large religious group with hostile relationships with their former nation. He is NOT a representative of Canadian values.

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On behalf of multitudes of concerned Canadians, a big thank you to David and Aris for their initiative and work on our behalf. This extends to other groups (Democracy Watch) and individuals (Terry, Sam Cooper, Bob Fife) as well.

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The utter incompetence and lack of concern for the country is staggering.

Who knows what Trump will do? You’re correct that his complaint about illegals is ridiculous. Remember how many illegals entered Canada using Roxham Road? The mayor of NYC was busing illegals to the border.

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Anyone expecting any “justice” in any of this is bound to be disappointed. Me, I’m hoping that the Liberals will have time enough to put themselves into shape to become the Official Opposition. A separatist OO is almost too depressing to contemplate

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That has already happened - from 1993 to 1997.

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Yes it has. And for four years we spent our time trying to keep ourselves together. My point is that we have huge problems to deal with. Trying to convince Quebec and Alberta at the same time that we should not divorce is not how we should be spending our time

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You mean, like the time Jean Chretien passed over the Conservatives and made the Bloc official opposition? This could quite possibly happen again under Justin or Mark or any of the "party above all else" Liberals.

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Nick

There is a Great Canadian Singer that goes by the name of Gowan, one of this songs, your a strange animal, that could describe Quebec.

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Brian

They the BQ? Have previously been in parliment as the official opposition.Has Canada split up? Here in Quebec the majority of people are worrying about the same things as the rest of Canadians. Cost of living, Housing, Rent, Price of food....... The Essentials

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Yes, but with the financial support of the other provinces which Quebec seems to distane. All provinces need to tap into the resources we have. Quebec is really the immature indulged kid of our confederation.

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Quebec just tore up the old Churchill Falls contract. Should have been done decades ago. And the new contracts will be more " fair" if I can use that term.

Then lets standardize the regulations concerning the trucking industry. The Auto Industry, I want more BC WINES in Quebec. FETA from Nova Scotia ever heard of it? Its great! I think that is just scratching the surface. We have so much to do.

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Oh I love the sound of that! Siblings eh?! 7 in my family... it can get interesting. Here in BC we reside in Confederation's original spoilt child, our provincial leadership, historically, is a true testament to one thing: It's very very difficult for spoilt children to grow up.

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Just a small correction, while Eugene Forsey would have likely agreed with the contention that Parliament was being railroaded, the current comment was from Eugene Lang.

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Already fixed in web and app version.

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Yes, I was also scratching my head over the reference to the late constitutional expert, Eugene Forsey, who died in 1991.

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Aw, wish I could be there, Terry! Have a look out for Consulate "minders" - it'll be interesting to see if there will be any present. By the way, I'm using this nom de plume thanks to some vaguely threatening remarks made twds me by an obviously UFWD commentator on Sam's substack.

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And who ever that was they can go ........ooops caught myself again Terry

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😘

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"No traitors in Parliament."

Terry, the criminal code limits treason to times of war, regicide, and doing something "without lawful authorization." So of course there are "no traitors in Parliament" - we aren't at war, nobody's committed regicide, and the Liberals can always claim their party rules allow whatever they've done.

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We can only hope.

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The Maritimes can’t be doing that badly under Trudeau. They keep voting Liberal. Ganong’s and other firms have to bring in foreign workers because none of the native-born want to work on the books.

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