I'll Take "Numbers Beginning And Ending With Zero" For $500, Alex

The less they sit the better, this is a good start.

I'd be even happier if they could suspend each Member's pay while parliament is prorogued. Still, I'll take what I can get.

Loved visiting Prorogue; the beer was fantastic.

Should save us some money, no? I'm all for that.

Meanwhile, I'm waiting for the soon to be announced appointments to the Senate, which will give the Cons a majority there. Then the CPC can start doing some of the stuff it was elected to do. If the GLib/Dip/Blockhead coalition in spirit decides to skuttle parliament in the spring, the government can fall and we can have a full country-wide election to give the Cons a majority.

It's too bad they have to sit to pass a new budget, otherwise it would be best if they didn't sit at all.

I hope the new budget has nothing new in it.
No new funding increases and no new Crown Corporations.
Stasis, it's the same thing as stability from where I sit, and stability is a good thing.

Well, I googled a news search "prorogue Canadian parliament" and got a whopping 50-hit increase over your "prorogue"!

Then I thought - how about the web as a whole? Interesting results:

Just over 230k hits for "prorogue" but less than 100k hits for "prorogue Canadian parliament". Huh.

Just to give you some perspective on the awesome importance of this prorogue issue, a "control googling" of "root canals" rendered nearly a million hits.

I then had more fun googling "Stephen Harper" (3,360,000 hits) as well as Michael Ignatieff and Jack Layton (543k and 511k respectively - being Liberal leader doesn't seem to get you any more Internet attention than the NDP).

For a control googling of newsworthy Canadians I tried "Shania Twain": 4,270,000 hits. In other words, Michael Ignatieff - who he?

Not scientific at all of course. But great fun!

Most people can't even tell you where Parliament sits, let alone when.

I think John Ivison at the NP has a reason. It appears as though the Liberals would still dominate the Senate Committees; apparently the proroguement of Parliament somehow changes that.

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/12/30/john-ivison-stephen-harper-renegade-in-power.aspx

Firstly, fury at the unelected Liberal Senate was not faux outrage. Mr. Harper was particularly upset when the Senate amended the government’s consumer protection legislation, which had received unanimous consent in the House of Commons. The Conservatives are set to become the largest party in the Senate with the appointment of five new senators early in the new year, yet the Liberals would still have dominated the committee structure. This would have allowed Grit senators to continue to bog down government legislation for months on end. Instead, prorogation will mean that those committees are reconstituted to more closely reflect the make-up of the Senate. For the first time since he came to power, Mr. Harper will have a plurality in both chambers of Parliament and in the committee rooms.

Contrary to Oz's opinion, I don't think the budget will be passed - it will be the election issue. With any luck, the measure to cut funding to political parties will be front and centre. The budget as an election issue will feature the very valid claim that the opposition parties caused the election to save their own party's bank accounts and that the second half of the recovery plan has been delayed because of their self interest. Let the opposition squirm on the horns of that little dilemma.

Its amazing the lengths to which liberals have to go, to find something to complain about the CPC. Like the Libs never prorogued Parliament.

Please let there be an election where they don't win a single seat outside the GTA. And while I'm asking, let none of the seats belong to Count Iggula.

Anybody see Johnny [Dr. Dawg] Baglow's drivel about this in the National Post? Talk about a slow news day.

Incidentally, y'all will be interested to know that I found John Cross of global warming fame, conspicuous by his absence here since actual proof of academic malfeasance arrived on a silver platter. He's posting at Big City Lib. I'd taunt him, but I make it a point never to leave my IP Address in enemy territory.

Interesting that the CPC has paid Revenue Canada close to $1M at this point, could be that Harper is back playing chess while the "Radical Four" are playing checkers. Could be a very interesting spring and the MSM haven't even bit on this yet.

I have been following Stephen Taylor's blog on this topic. For the most part I think it is a smart move on PMSH's part for a number of reasons. It would seem not all that much additional time is directly attributed to the "prorogue" portion in light of the normal recess and time of for the Olympics. It will allow some key senate appointments to take place but in my opinion the best reason is that it keeps the "rats" from creating kaos while the grown ups are attending to Olympics as host nation representatives.

It still burns my butt how much we pay in taxes for our MPs and gov't to waste time and money playing obvious power games. And that goes for all parties.

I agree chutz. Tax cut now.

On the bright side, when they aren't sitting they aren't passing new laws to make your life harder. I mean, it isn't as if they were going to sit and repeal a bunch that were there already, right?

Another burning msm issue that Canadians are turning thier collective backs on - except the ones with a vested interest - is the sale of indulgences..errr.. carbon molicules or hot air. Even the left does not want to pay for a 'joke-hoax'. The word is getting out, even to the blood red bleeding leftos who pay taxes - SDA gets results.

PMSH did the right thing by letting the HOC out to pasture for a few weeks. The radicals just cause trouble for citizens when they are gathered in the same room.

True, Phantom. The "tax cut now" I can handle:)
I'm just hoping that the Harper gov't isn't *squandering* this opportunity to remain in the driver's seat. (I'm in BC, where politics is a blood sport and power can be fleeting...)

Among the many things that the budget should contain would be a 50% reduction in the money that the parties get for each vote. 50% would be good. It drives me up the wall that the Bloc gets the same for a vote as the CPC gets for a vote and they only campaign in Quebec. Maybe a 50% reduction for all of the parties except the Bloc and a 75-80% reduction for them. Sounds fair to me. I guess it is fair unless you're one of the welfare parties that refuse to get out there and work for support like the CPC does.

By prorogueing will the gun registry pmb not be passed?

Yes, bverwey, it's been bothering me to read "two months" when the difference between the usual Christmas-New Year recess and the prorogue time is actually 15 days. "Two Weeks That Shook The World!"

Still, I can see why Iggy hates prorogues--those Russians really hate the Ukrainians, after all. (Those Crimea-stealing bastards! /sarc)

Kate ... these guys work less than teachers for crip sakes so don't encourage them to take more time off!!

I wonder how many more of these feckless wonders qualify for fat pensions now.

Posturing takes time. Yearly proroguing forces parliament to either work sensibly, or accomplish nothing. Either works for me.

"Results 1 - 10 of about 1,055 for prorogue."

Apparently Canadians aren't really outraged at the prospect of being denied, for *15 days*, the chance to see the opposition's rote displays of fake outrage.

The lack of outrage is understandable. Here's the Cole's Notes version of the parliamentary proceedings in the last few years:

(Majority) Opposition: "That's an outrage! You can't do that!"
The PM: "Oh yeah? What are you gonna do about it?"
(Majority) Opposition: (crickets chirping)

The opposition should just use their off-time productively. Andrew Coyne has the seed of a great idea:

"The question is: what will Parliament do now? If historical precedent is any guide, it should meet anyway."

I agree. That way the opposition wouldn't have to deal with Conservatives' responses in the House, or with calls for order from the Chair, and could just nod gravely and shout "You tell 'em, Iggy!" and "You got that right, Jack!" and "You go, girl!"

By doing that, of course, they would completely usurp the role of the CBC.

prorogues - don't forget the sour cream and bacon bits!!!

I'm with Tenebris on this one. Its amusing to watch Stephen Harper play this lot of scoundrels. As I remember it, he wasn't going to last more than a year as a minority government. I presume this government will eventually fall, but perhaps Harper has already seen a way to turn it to Conservative advantage.

I got invited to join a Facebook Group to protest the prorogueing of Pariliament (Canadians Against Suspending Parliament).

Um, no thanks.

Harper should just keep flying low and smoothly - hopefully even idiotic Canadians will realize he's a great PM.

methinks Iggy is preping to skid.

he is hearing the Iggian Love Call from Harvard

"When Im Calling youooooo hooo hoooo"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndChcyOAEcs

when you refuse me Ill be blue.

this is strangely well done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_47Xl4A98OU&feature=related

I had to post it after spotting it around the iggian love call.

I think that Parliament should only be allowed to sit for 60 days per year. The less time most of these clowns have to screw around with whats not broken the better off we are.

Big bad: "With any luck, the measure to cut funding to political parties will be front and centre. The budget as an election issue will feature the very valid claim that the opposition parties caused the election to save their own party's bank accounts"

I hope this is not the case. The election funding issue is too volatile -- and I think the presence of this in the budget would backfire BIG TIME on the Conservatives. Regardless of the merits of the issue, this one is too much of a hot potato in a context where Conservatives have worked very hard to build public trust. I think they would loose much public good will by including the issue.

Librano$ Diaryea: $500?

"It was heavy lifting," he said."

She said: "The pool of people inclined to donate to a leadership campaign, you can imagine, has been pretty much mined."

He said: "'Next steps' include legal counsel."
...-

"Would-be Liberal leaders miss 2006 debt deadline

Campaign loan extensions for six MPs expired New Year's Eve"

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Would+Liberal+leaders+miss+2006+debt+deadline/2406322/story.html

Because it fulfills their anti-conservative mandate, the CBC of course continued to stretch this "outrage" last evening. After breezing through some light poll analysis showing that people care even less this time than last (a prerequisite for CBC coverage?), they alternated between outraged Libs and Dippers (thus providing "balance"), and tried to make a point about the increasing prominence of social media with the Facebook website.
Of course, that would be social or alternative media that coincide with their ideology.

What is it with people thinking that prorogation is so unusual?

Every time there is a Speech from the Throne, Parliament was either Dissolved (election) or Prorogued before said speech. Generally, the prorogation occurred the day before the SftT, but it still occurred.

Phantom, email if you like and I think I could help you get around that ip address problem.

Kate, sorry if off topic. I couldn't find any contact info for Phantom.

TULK - apparently not.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2010/01/04/12346001-cp.html

The MSM are really pushing importance of Facebook outrage. Facebook...where you can express your outrage with no more effort than a click of a button. The 25,000 number is surprising. The taxpayer funded CBC staff is huge and yet only a fraction of their Facebook friends bothered to join.

Grassroots? I doubt it. Astroturfing is more likely.

I guess if the polls aren't working for you, you gotta come up with something. A strong B+ for MSM creativity.

Big bad: "With any luck, the measure to cut funding to political parties will be front and centre. The budget as an election issue will feature the very valid claim that the opposition parties caused the election to save their own party's bank accounts"

"I hope this is not the case. The election funding issue is too volatile -- and I think the presence of this in the budget would backfire BIG TIME on the Conservatives. Regardless of the merits of the issue, this one is too much of a hot potato in a context where Conservatives have worked very hard to build public trust. I think they would loose much public good will by including the issue."
LindaL

Based on the fact that the current proroging is an non issue for most Canucks right now, triggering an election over taxpayer per diem cuts to political parties specifically during an economic downturn would have more of a negative effect on any screaming opposition party than it would have on the governing party.

I can see the CPC TV ads now: "The CPC is the party who gets the most support directly from grassroots and is the party that relies the least on taxpayers...The CPC now wants to stop all direct tax dollar funding to their own party coffer and rely solely on grassroot donations...Why do the other political parties feel they are entitled to taxpayer funds?"

My political instinct tells me you are wrong Linda.

I truly believe this would be a huge asset and help us gain a strong majority...Harper has gained enough trust within the Canadian public and the timing is perfect for such a maneouver.

Prorogues? That quaint Irish group?

It's time for more fun with figures.

If 20,000 Facebook inputs represents "grassroots fury", what about the fact that there are over 100,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada? That's 0.32% of Canadians, friends.

The next time they show up at your door offering a copy of Watchtower, better take one and invite them in for coffee and a chat.

After all, they must be a significant "grassroots" demographic - five times more significant than that Facebook mob in the Toronto Star.

Jim I'd rather have a chat with the holy rollers than a Liberal running for office. The holy rollers are usually really nice people. Without the Watch Tower how would I know when the world is going to end?

MSM professional urnalism at it's finest, can't find a story contrive one to make the libs look good.

Facebook, the ultimate mob multiplier.

Context we don't get from the MSM:
"When I'm Super Bored, I Go On Facebook and Join Tons of Pointless Groups"
Members: 158,094

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2205069305&ref=search&sid=882995654.4156636230..1#

The Globe & Mail mocking TorStar - priceless.

Just for fun, I googled "Chretien prorogues Parliament" and guess what?

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2003/11/12/liberals031112.html

And bonus, it's a CBC story to boot!

I'm sure The Red Star went ballistic then too!

Anybody notice the "Comments are disabled" notice on the bottom. Hmmmmmm. Now why would that be? /sarc

Given the skill that this site has displayed to mobilize those of conservative values, those of you who use facebook might be interested in fighting fire with fire by joining Ezra on the site "Canadians FOR Proroguing Parliament" at the following link:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=235026573269&ref=search&sid=712680225.3596033353..1

LindaL makes an interesting point. I've said before that going to the polls on the political welfare(Pogy) issue would be close to a sexual experience for me, but I doubt it will happen. If it ain't broke don't fix it! With this issue not even on the radar, the Conservatives appear to be in good shape letting the opposition alienate any Canadian with a fiscal conservative bone in their body.

That said, I disagree with LindaL that this is a "hot button" topic. If that was the case the coalition of artards would have said so last year. Instead, they claimed the lack of stimulus was a betrayal, not even mentioning the Pogy. I believe admitting you need the Pogy payments is conceding that you cannot run you party effectively; therefore, if Harper did eliminate the Pogy payments in the next budget the government would definitely fall, but I suspect the opposition would declare it is for every reason but the free money.

The Conservatives have foreshadowed their intent to “tighten the belt straps” already. The opposition is going to have a very difficult time demonizing the Conservatives for past deficit spending while at the same time complaining about budget cuts. The Pogy issue is sexy, but the MSM and the opposition will NEVER concede that they’ve brought down the government to preserve Liberal party coffers.

The left is finished in Canada. If they were wise and actually ideologically attached to the cause, they would take it on the chin and regroup as a single entity. Then they would begin the huge task of convincing Canadians on proportional representation. That is the only path to power for the left, and the Liberals will NEVER go along with that. The Liberals are a drowning person who have grasped an unwitting left and are pulling them down to the abyss.

How many of those who have joined this Facebook group voted conservative in the past? How many would’ve considered voting for them in the next election without prorogation? And how many undecided voters (and I don’t mean those who have yet to decide between the Liberals, NDP, Greens etc.) comprise this group‘s members? Virtually none. I’d be surprised if it’s even 5%, or 1,000 of its members when the Star chose to incorporate hyperbole into its headline.

This is quite clearly another case of objective analysis by MSM having been supplanted by their wishful thinking. In other words, it’s not an issue that will actually damage the gov’t in the long run as the Star’s headline clearly intends to imply, but one that they hope and want to see damage the gov’t.

Looking at the polls where they are and where they will be no doubt in March (probably even better for PMSH with an ever-improving economy, a budget, and a Liberal leader circling the toilet bowl… wasn‘t he the second coming of Trudeau? Oh yeah - wishful thinking again), it must suck to be in MSM. How many times can they jump the shark?

Can I start a Facebook group to protest people who start meaningless Facebook groups?