Given this set of fun and games in Question Period, the question is begged, what now?
I say that this is what the Prime Minister should do:
1. Meet Parliament on Monday.
2. Take his defeat like a man.
3. Go see the Governor-General.
4. Ask for an election.
5. If she agrees, fight said election. If she does not agree, resign & advise her to ask Mr. Dion to form a government.
I still don’t understand what you think Harper’s resigning would accomplish. Are you assuming he would be forced out, and this would help him “take his defeat like a man?”
I agree he should let the chips fall, but we all know the lady is not for turning. He will fight this to the bitter end and beyond. The man has all the grace of a street thug. If I could find it I would quote Pauls Wells’ prediction of how Harper would meet his eventual downfall, from about a year or two ago. It is playing out exactly as he said.
Greg: The Wells quote is in Right Side Up.
Greg, I remembered that Paul Well’s quote as well. It is here
“And understand this: if anyone ever manages to beat Stephen Harper fair and square in a general election, we will see a display of gracelessness in defeat without precedent in the history of Confederation. This is simply guaranteed. It is what he does.”
Though to be fair to Harper, this obviously isn’t an election loss.
Maybe you were thinking of another quote.
Graceless days up on the Hill though, to be for sure.
1. Meet Parliament on Monday.
2. Take his defeat like a man.
3. Go see the Governor-General.
4. Ask for an election.
5. If she agrees, fight said election. If she does not agree, resign & advise her to ask Mr. Dion to form a government.
I agree with everything, but the last part. Once he resigns, it’s her problem.
Greg/BC — I didn’t say it’s what he would do, I said it’s what he should do.
IP — When a government is defeated in Parliament or loses an election, the PM goes to the GG and resigns.
Brandon –
It’d be the graceful thing to do.
I know we don’t hold that quality in high esteem nowadays, but I’ve seen Harper express it before — like in his concession speech in 2004, when he insisted that the (bitterly disappointed) crowd give Paul Martin a round of applause.
The PM has it in him.
You stole my blog post for tomorrow!
Fat chance, though, that Harper resigns or takes it with any grace. Remember, he is a believer. He believes in his own destiny.
Alan –
I agree, he’s mobilized for war.
Anyway, there’s one other point Harper made in that ‘04 concession speech — there’s no final victory or final defeat until someone, sometime, wins a majority.
So he’s in till then, in his mind.
You ever get the sense that he’s just a bit weirdo?
They all are.
Not Chuck Angus. I was buying Grievous Angels albums when you were in elementary school.
Link please. (YouTube preferred.)
You will find what you need here.
When a government is defeated in Parliament or loses an election, the PM goes to the GG and resigns.
Oh, oh, you mean as PM! I thought you meant as Conservative leader. Sorry, that makes much more sense.
What, this wasn’t clear?
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