Canada, oh Canada on the Daily Show!

[3113]

Hey, hey, Canadian Dudes and Dudettes! What the heck is going on? Apparently your politics have been so controversial of late that you earned a spot on "The Daily Show." And a very funny one at that! Take a look at the two "Provinces in Peril" segments.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

The clip after that was pretty funny as well. "Who are you going to put on your money? Brian Adams?" Heehee

 

[fieryjen]

Loved it! I haven't watched nearly enough Daily Show lately, and this was a great one. Thanks for the link.

Wait... the Queen has actual influence in Canada?

And later: Dear Santa... give us our bike already!

 

[rgraham666]

Sigh. I wish I found it funny. We're in a major political crisis. And at the worst possible time.

Here's the deal. A few years ago corporate and union political donations to political parties was made illegal. To offset that each party receives $1.95 per vote that it received in the last election from the federal government.

Personally I like that. It levels the playing field quite a bit.

Our current chief psychopath, I mean Prime Minister, announced last week "That's the end of that! The individuals that support my party are rich. Those that support other parties are not. So I'm cutting off their funds. The next election they'll be too broke to fight me and I'll be in power forever!" Actually it was announced as a 'cost cutting move' but it fooled nobody.

The major opposition parties; the Liberals and the New Democratic Party; formed a coalition. They decided they were going to go to the Governor General, who is the Queen's representative, to tell her they no longer had confidence in the government and ask her to say that the Conservatives are no longer the government and the coalition is.

This is one of the few powers the Governor General has; to decide who forms the government. Usually it is the party with the largest number of seats in Parliament. When the party forming the government reaches its term limit or it loses a vote, either a non-confidence vote or on a piece of legislation, the Governor General calls for an election.

We just had an election a couple of months ago. In a case like this, the opposing parties can form a coalition as they have, go to the Governor General and ask her to announce they form the government. They can't tell her, they can only ask.

Well, Fat Boy Harper, knowing that she'd probably grant that and scared shitless of losing his power, went to the Governor General and asked her to prorogue Parliament. That is to shut down the government. She granted that until January 26th.

Supposedly that is to give everybody breathing room. And I suppose there is some truth to it.

But basically democracy has been suspended here and all because that slimy asshole Stephen Harper refuses to stop playing politics at a time when everyone has to work together to help Canada through the current economic crisis.

Not funny. Not funny at all.

 

[rgraham666]

Watched the video. I got a few grins out of it. The end was silly and not a little insulting.

 

[oggbashan]

Queen's Role

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of Canada.

That is a totally different role from being Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. She is Queen of Canada because that, so far, is the way the Canadian people want their constitution to be.

The Governor General, a Canadian, is the Queen's representative in Canada. The Queen, in theory acting through the Governor General, can decide who should be the government of Canada after an election, and can dissolve the Canadian Parliament BUT generally only acts if requested to act. The Governor General might consult the Queen but actually would be expected to act in the best interests of Canada as a whole.

IF the Canadian government had lost a significant vote of confidence then the Governor General could ask the opposition to form a Government, or call yet another General Election.

Who decides what is "a significant vote of confidence"?

The current Government!

Og

 

[Lady_Guenivere]

That was funny! Thanks for sharing.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of Canada.

That is a totally different role from being Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. She is Queen of Canada because that, so far, is the way the Canadian people want their constitution to be.

The Governor General, a Canadian, is the Queen's representative in Canada. The Queen, in theory acting through the Governor General, can decide who should be the government of Canada after an election, and can dissolve the Canadian Parliament BUT generally only acts if requested to act. The Governor General might consult the Queen but actually would be expected to act in the best interests of Canada as a whole.

IF the Canadian government had lost a significant vote of confidence then the Governor General could ask the opposition to form a Government, or call yet another General Election.

Who decides what is "a significant vote of confidence"?

The current Government!

Og

Og, from vague recollections of constitutional law, isn't the Queen of England in EXACTLY the same position in UK as Canada? The UK Parliament - just as the Canadian parliament - have the power to end the Queen's consitutional role. What about the furore in Australia a while back with Gough Whitlam?

Isn't it the case that in countries where there is no separation between executive and legislative powers there is a necessity for a non-partisan monarch or president. Apart from glaring sores like Zimbabwe, surely France and Europe fail the democracy deficit test.

Not a thread hijack, just wanting to explore the Canadian crisis in more context.

 

[epiphany65]

It's sad some that people have to get their news from comedians.

Ironically, the linked video isn't available in Canada. Here's another link to it:
http://www.thecomedynetwork.ca/shows/showdetails.aspx?sid=3350

 

[3113]

It's sad some that people have to get their news from comedians.

Sad in what it says about legitimate news stations--that most of them no longer offer us news as if we were intelligent adults rather than children with short attention spans. One thing about comedians offering us news is that they're usually very smart and they assume their audience is as well. And they're willing to report on a lot of things legitimate news stations avoid because they're too cowardly.

On the other hand, the comedians certainly help me swallow and laugh at a lot of news that would otherwise choke me to death or have me putting a gun to my head. So in that regard, it isn't sad at all. I seriously doubt I'd have survived the last 4 years of Bush without the Daily Show.