Oh Canada!

[mrv3000]

Okay, I'm trying to understand this Canadian thing. Trying.

So you've got Canada. Good-sized country with lots of snow. This snow-filled country has a Prime Minister named Stephen Harper. Let's call him Harper since I always wind up pondering Stephen vs. Steven for a good half hour. Harper is very pale, which you would expect living in a country covered in snow. He's also a Conservative which party is in the minority at the moment. They have a non-elephant logo.

Things would be simple if Canada had a two-party system. They would then bitch at each other and get nothing done. You know, like normal governments. However, there are three other parties represented in the House of Commons (which does not have a logo.)

• Bloc (which goes for another letter logo) - they'd like the French Canadians to have their own country, please.
  
  
• The Liberal Party (sporting the maple leaf hiding behind a hill, I believe) - you know, liberal-types.
  
  
• New Democratic Party (blinding neon color logo) - a different kind of liberal.

And since there are more than 2 players, it's now turned into Canadian Survivor where everyone's trying to create a coalition to vote the Conservatives off the island. I'm not quite sure what set this off, but it most likely involved curling.

So quite possibly the Queen of Canada is sending her BFF Michaëlle Jean to get all Jeff Probst on their ass and shut down the government. Because you have to swallow the slugs whole before you can take over the government, goddamnit.

At least, this is my understanding of the situation.

Comments

[goldy-dollar.livejournal.com]

Um.

[goldy-dollar.livejournal.com]

I just don't think I can be as eloquent about the situation as referring to it as "Canadian Survivor."

Also, it's long been speculated that Stephen Harper is actually a robot.

[millylicious.livejournal.com]

So quite possibly the Queen of Canada is sending her BFF Michaëlle Jean to get all Jeff Probst on their ass and shut down the government.

Queen of England, please ;) Michaëlle Jean's the queen's representative in Canada (her title is governor, or more precisely, governor-general). She, like the actual Queen, has no real power per se. She can dissolve the current government if they lose a vote of confidence and a) say they want elections b) refuse to ask elections, in which case, it's never happened but she could force them to do so. If a or b happens, she has the option of asking the other parties to form a coalition and form a new government, which has happened once, and it lasted 3 days, or announce elections like the party asked.

This time is different, however, because the coalition has been formed BEFORE the vote of confidence (on the budget? I think?), with the goal of forming a government by voting against the vote of confidence and forming a government.

Also, Liberal Party are liberal economists, I'd say. NDP is liberal in the broader sense of the word.

But that was entirely too hilarious.

[brightbeak.livejournal.com]

Reading updates at Bourque newswatch may assist the situation. It is a nasty mess. There is another party that received more than 5% of the popular vote in the last election, though they did not win a seat: the Green Party of Canada.
This is a bizarre situation for sure.

If you go to CBC and scroll down a bit, there are a few articles that will shed more light on it. There's also a sidebar with info on the last time this happened in Canadian history, the King-Byng Affair.

At least we Canadians can't say our politics is boring right now!! ;)

[crimsonkitty88.livejournal.com]

IDEK

[egeanin.livejournal.com]

*blink, blink*

That...makes a lot more sense now. As much as I hate to admit it - Canadians confuse me. I don't understand the government, the Yukon, the snow, the hockey. But I do try and now - Canadian Survivor. Everything is so clear. :D

[goldy-dollar.livejournal.com]

*reads other comments*

Was I supposed to be serious?

Well, I seriously hope someone cries before this is all over. That'd be really hilarious.

Also, they totally quoted my public law professor in the newspaper today! He said something. About the Governor General, I think. You know, the Queen of Canada's BFF. It was... weird. Like even my breakfast was no longer a safe place.

[alexiscartwheel.livejournal.com]

I just had a long discussion with one of my friends about this whole situation! The animosity towards Harper isn't anything new. I visited Parliament during question period last year, and the opposition was extremely... shouty. The Conservatives had a minority government for awhile, and they tried to win a majority by having early elections back in October, but it didn't work.

The Queen's not exactly sending Michaelle Jean-she's Canadian and lives in Ottawa, she's just been away on a trip. But it's up to her whether the coalition gets a chance to try to govern or not. It's all pretty crazy and exciting. CBC.ca has lots of good articles.

[nandamai]

I like your explanation a lot better than The Globe and Mail's.

[goldy-dollar.livejournal.com]

There is another party that received more than 5% of the popular vote in the last election, though they did not win a seat: the Green Party of Canada.

I think they won 7.5 percent!!! Which is exciting since they are led by Elizabeth May and I want to be just like her when I grow up. (Only hopefully leading a party that's actually capable of winning seats in government.)

AND APPARENTLY DION IS TALKING ABOUT APPOINTING HER TO THE SENATE:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081202.wPOLcoalition1202/BNStory/politics/home

My whole world has just gone so crazy.

[janetmaca.livejournal.com]

Bwahaha. This post is made of win. Hell my mom (sorry, I had to show her this) said you nailed it. :D

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

HI!

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Judging from the picture, I'd think it'd be beyond speculation.

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Queen of England, please ;)

My bad!

Queen of England. And Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. Duke of Lancaster and Duke of Normandy, Commander-in-Chief, Lord Admiral and Defender of the Faith.

(Ever think that Wiki's too much of a good thing?)

She, like the actual Queen, has no real power per se.

Sorta like Jeff Probst!

This time is different, however, because the coalition has been formed BEFORE the vote of confidence (on the budget? I think?), with the goal of forming a government by voting against the vote of confidence and forming a government.

So they could run off with the government this time!

Also, Liberal Party are liberal economists, I'd say. NDP is liberal in the broader sense of the word.

Okay, that's the difference. I was trying to figure it out but wandered off.

But that was entirely too hilarious.

:D

[millylicious.livejournal.com]

Well, they don't advertise the whole 'Liberal economists YAY' thing, you just kind of figure it out after poking at their plans (and having a Liberal government) for a while.

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Reading updates at Bourque newswatch may assist the situation.

OH MY GOD, THERE'S A CRACK IN THE COALITION!

the Green Party of Canada.

Oooh, they have a swirly logo.

At least we Canadians can't say our politics is boring right now!! ;)

No, definitely not!

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

It's a brain-strain, that's for sure.

[millylicious.livejournal.com]

Aww *pets*. It's okay, we still love you.

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

I don't quite understand the whole Parliamentary system in general. Probably because I didn't grow up with it and...haven't really focused on it as an adult. However, I do like watching the British Parliament on CSPAN sometimes. They boo each other! It's adorable.

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Was I supposed to be serious?

I don't know, were you? :D

Well, I seriously hope someone cries before this is all over. That'd be really hilarious.

That would be hilarious!!

Also, they totally quoted my public law professor in the newspaper today! He said something. About the Governor General, I think. You know, the Queen of Canada's BFF. It was... weird. Like even my breakfast was no longer a safe place.

Oooooh! That's very cool!

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

I visited Parliament during question period last year, and the opposition was extremely... shouty.

HEH! That's entertaining. I don't think Congress ever really shouts at each other. Much less entertaining.

The Queen's not exactly sending Michaelle Jean-she's Canadian and lives in Ottawa, she's just been away on a trip.

Ohhh. Gotcha.

But it's up to her whether the coalition gets a chance to try to govern or not. It's all pretty crazy and exciting. CBC.ca has lots of good articles.

It is all pretty wild!

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

You know, I took an embarrassing amount of time googling and wiki-ing to try and sort things out. But the logos were especially helpful.

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

WOO HOO! :D

I think I might have a new sport - Canadian Watching.

[goldy-dollar.livejournal.com]

Was I supposed to be serious?

I don't know, were you? :D

Well, obviously I was serious about Stephen Harper being a robot. Not sure about the rest.

That would be hilarious!!

Dion looked close to it in today's Question Period. SO CLOSE.

[janetmaca.livejournal.com]

Well, we are entertaining. I mean where else do you get a threat of a takeover, and have people call it democratic? Where else does it make sense to eat French fries, cheese curd, and gravy? Where else is hockey as awesome, so awesome in fact that a team is celebrating its centennial (actually it turns 100 next year, we just like to party), even though the NHL is 91?