2010 Canada anti-prorogation protests
Encyclopedia
On 23 January 2010 there were numerous protests opposing the prorogation
of the 40th Canadian Parliament
. The prorogation had occurred a month earlier on 30 December 2009 on the constitutional advice
of Prime Minister of Canada
Stephen Harper
and was officially carried out by Governor General
Michaëlle Jean
. Protests were held in over 60 cities and towns in Canada
, and internationally in New York City
, San Francisco, Dallas, London
, Oman
, Brussels
, Amsterdam
, The Hague
and Costa Rica
. The protests and rallies attracted approximately 21,000 participants, including many who had joined a group on Facebook
, known as the "Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament" (CAPP). At the January 23 rallies in Ottawa
and Toronto
, Liberal Party
leader Michael Ignatieff
, New Democratic Party
(NDP) leader Jack Layton
, Green Party
leader Elizabeth May
, and Member of Parliament
Bob Rae
spoke against the prorogation.
opened on November 18, 2008, after the Conservative Party
, led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, won a strengthened minority
in that year's election
, increasing their seat count by 16. The leaders of the parties in opposition—the Liberal Party, NDP, and the Bloc Québécois
—soon initiated talk of voting non-confidence
in the government and offering themselves as a coalition government
to Governor General Michaëlle Jean. However, Stephen Harper delayed the confidence vote scheduled for December 1 and advised the Governor General to prorogue parliament from December 4, 2008, to January 26, 2009. The opposition coalition dissolved shortly after, with the Conservatives winning a Liberal supported confidence vote on January 29, 2009.
On December 30, 2009, Prime Minister Harper announced that he had counseled the Governor General to prorogue parliament throughout the February 12–28 2010 Winter Olympics
, until March 3, 2010, and Jean signed the proclamation later that day, granting his request, as provided for by constitutional convention. The prorogation eliminated 22 sitting days from the Parliamentary schedule. According to Harper's spokesman, the Prime Minister sought this prorogation to consult with Canadians about the economy. However, the move triggered immediate condemnation from Liberal
House Leader Ralph Goodale, who labelled the Conservative government's move an "almost despotic
" attempt to muzzle parliamentarians amid controversy over the Afghan detainees affair. In an interview with CBC News
, Prince Edward Island
Liberal Member of Parliament Wayne Easter
accused the Prime Minister of "shutting democracy down". During this time, PMO spokesman Dimitri Soudas pointed out to the media that the Prime Minister was at work in Ottawa while the Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff was off at his vacation home in the south of France.
. This letter was the work of Fair Vote Canada
, a non-partisan organization. Among the 132 political scientists signing the statement were 10 professors emeriti
, including Meyer Brownstone
, Peter H. Russell
, and John S. Saul
; the President-elect of the Canadian Political Science Association
(CPSA); six former presidents of CPSA, including John Meisel
and Alan Cairns
; the current Secretary General of the International Political Science Association
(IPSA); and a former Secretary General of IPSA.
On January 5, in an interview on CBC
TV The National, Mr Harper said that prorogation was a “routine” move to allow the government to adjust its budget due on March 4. His spokesman stated that the 63-day gap between sessions was less than the average prorogation of 151 days since 1867. However, in the three decades prior to his 2009 prorogation the average was just 22 days.
On January 7, the British
weekly news publication The Economist
published two articles on the issue, both generally critical of the prorogation. One article stated that "Mr Harper’s move looks like naked self-interest." The other article stated that Harper has, "given the opposition, which is divided and fumbling, an opportunity."
Opposition leaders stated that Mr Harper’s real reason for the prorogation was to end an embarrassing debate on the government’s alleged complicity in the torture of Afghan detainees, and in particular to avoid complying with a parliamentary motion to hand over all documents relevant to those charges. They also stated that the prime minister wanted to name new senators and then reconstitute the Senate’s committees to reflect the Conservatives’ additional representation, something that could not be done if Parliament was merely adjourned. Ned Franks, a historian and veteran political scientist said that no previous prime minister has prorogued the legislature “in order to avoid the kind of things that Harper apparently wants to avoid,"
The initial organization of the January 23 rallies started with a group on the social networking website Facebook
, called "Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament" in early January 2010, led by Christopher White, an anthropology student at the University of Alberta
. The actual coordination of the rallies was organized by a secondary Facebook group, called "Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament-Rally for the Cause!", which was founded by Shilo Davis, who acted as the National Rally Coordinator in collaboration with Chris White and his group. By January 9, eleven days after the prorogation, it had gained 113,000 members. The group gained public support from Michael Ignatieff
.
An EKOS
poll released January 7 found that Canadians were nearly twice as likely to oppose the December 30, 2010 prorogation than support it.
A poll, done by Angus Reid
prior to January 9, found that 38 per cent of Canadians believed that Harper used the prorogation to curtail the Afghan detainee inquiry. On January 11 Ignatieff again stated that the prorogation was to avoid responding to the Afghan detainee issue, and the issue of climate change
in relation to the Copenhagen Conference in December.
Prior to January 20, comedian Rick Mercer
ranted on the Rick Mercer Report
, "...Now polls never tell the full story but this much is certain: whenever the party in power drops 15 points in 15 days, you can be assured of one thing – someone in charge just did something really stupid." By January 21, the Liberal Party and the Conservative party were in a virtual tie.
By the time of the January 23 rallies, the Facebook group had over 210,000 members.
. On that same day NDP leader Jack Layton
called for limits to prorogation saying that his party will call for legislative changes that would require a majority vote of MPs for the prorogation of Parliament.
Three days later the main planned rallies gathered across Canada. The rally in Toronto at Yonge-Dundas Square was the largest in Canada, attracting over 6,000 demonstrators, while the one in Ottawa involved close to 3,000. The largest per capita turnout was found in Victoria, where 1,500 people rallied under sunny skies. Protesters in many riding
s with Conservative
Members of Parliament urged the Party's members back to work. In Regina
, three supporters of Harper counter-protested, and were booed by the main crowd. Protesters determined that Stephen Harper was using voter apathy to his advantage while proroguing parliament. At the Ottawa rally, Michael Ignatieff said that "This is a demonstration that shows that Canadians understand their democracy, care for their democracy, and if necessary will fight for their democracy. This demonstration does not belong to the politicians of any party, it belongs to the Canadian people", while announcing that the Liberal MPs would be back to work on January 25, the original date for the end of prorogation, to hold public meetings. New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton also called for limits to prorogation. During the Toronto rally, Bob Rae
commented that he attended "because it's a chance for me to join others who agree that Mr. Harper made a terrible decision." Rae has subsequently been criticized for his controversial use of the power to prorogue when he was Premier of Ontario.
criticized the NDP proposed reform of prorogation charging that these legislative changes would be unconstitutional. Professor Ned Franks acknowledged that the NDP law would have to be carefully drafted as it would likely be challenged.
On January 25, five days after the NDP's January 20 proposals for prorogation reform, the Liberal Party of Canada
also called for limits to the ability of the Prime Minister to advise the prorogation of parliament. The Liberal Party plan would require consent from the Canadian House of Commons
, along with ten days of written notice and debate in the House of Commons. Mr. Ignatieff brushed off questions about the constitutionality of the proposed changes, saying if new rules are established, governors general "will respect those constitutional conventions" as they always have. He said, "The problem is not with the governor general. The problem is with the Prime Minister of Canada."
is the name of the English Parliament called by Charles I
, on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars
. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War
and at the end of Interregnum in 1660. It sat from 1640 until 1649.
On Feb 4, 2010, top constitutional scholar Errol Mendes and military legal expert Michel Drapeau, urged MPs not to abandon their probe into the Canadian Afghan detainee issue. Mendes referred to the Harper government's refusal to hand over uncensored documents, despite a motion passed in the House of Commons to do so: He stated, "The executive is really placing itself above Parliament. For the first time that I know in Canadian history, the executive is saying we are superior to Parliament....This is nothing more than an open defiance of Parliament
. Nothing more, nothing less," he said. He said the Conservative government has violated the Constitution of Canada
and will be in contempt of Parliament
if it continues to refuse to release uncensored documents regarding the Afghan detainee issue.
New Democratic Party
foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar
sent a letter February 3, 2010 to Rob Nicholson
, the justice minister, demanding the documents be released. "If he says 'No' obviously we have contempt of Parliament. And I want it in writing," said Dewar.
On February 4, 2010, the Toronto Star
reported that Bob Rae will not rule out a formal censure of the government for blocking a parliamentary investigation of detainee abuse in Afghanistan when MPs return to work in March, 2010. Rae said, "I'm not reluctant to go any route."
during a visit by Minister of Industry
Tony Clement
. In response to the protesters, Clement commented that "We have a government that is focused on the economy, focused on safer streets and focused on research and development. If you don’t agree with that, which is your right, then you can vote us out of office. That’s democracy."
On January 28, in response to the protests, Michael L. MacDonald
, a Conservative
member who was appointed to the Canadian Senate
by Stephen Harper
, stated that prorogation is a "common occurrence".
On January 28, results from an EKOS
poll showed that the Liberals were ahead of the Conservatives, despite Harper's focus on relief efforts following the 2010 Haiti earthquake
.
Also on January 28, Michael Bliss
, a historian and member of the Order of Canada, wrote in the Globe and Mail that the opposition's response to prorogation was "to keep the pot boiling, largely by playing on public ignorance of the workings of government" and that the effect of prorogation will be that "Some useful government bills are going to have to be reintroduced. The Afghan hearings, into events of several years ago, will be delayed for a few more weeks. And that's about it."
Since the prorogation is scheduled to last until after the February 12–28 Olympics
, this caused some outrage as some members of CAPP and other Canadians accused Harper of proroguing in order to attend the games. The Conservatives responded to this claim by pointing out that the federal government has relinquished back to the public the majority of tickets it received as a senior Olympic partner, and that Members of Parliament would be required to purchase their own tickets for Olympic events. Organizers have planned further protests, along with a "Torch Relay for Democracy" to coincide with the start of the Olympic Games, concluding in Ottawa by the end of the prorogation.
On February 4, Conservative House whip Gordon O'Connor
announced that the one week Parliamentary break scheduled for March and the two week Parliamentary break scheduled for April would be cancelled. This would add 25 sitting days to the Parliamentary calendar to make up for the 22 sitting days lost due to Parliament being prorogued.
, he was met by hundreds of protesters representing a range of causes including democracy, opposition to the Olympics, opposition to the seal hunt, opposition to oilsand development, support for safe-injection sites, saving Jordan River and support for medical cannabis
. The protest was spearheaded by the Victoria chapter of "Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament" with the aim of showing Harper that Canadians are angry about his decision to suspend democracy, said organizer Melissa Farrance. "We want to show him the way back to Parliament so he can get back to work," she said.
On Feb 12, another poll was done by Environics showing that "the opposition Liberals picked up support from 37 percent of decided voters, compared with 33 percent for the Conservatives." This, according to Reuters
, was "a sign of discontent with the prime minister's decision to suspend Parliament until after the Olympics."
From February 18 to 22, an Ipsos Reid poll was carried out which showed the Conservatives had regained their lead, with the Conservatives picking up support of 37 percent of decided votes, with the Liberals falling to 29%.
A survey conducted Feb. 18-28 by The Canadian Press/Harris-Decima Research
gave the Tories and Liberals 31 per cent each. The NDP had support from 16 per cent of respondents, the Greens 12 and the Bloc Québécois 8.
On March 3, 2010, the prorogation debate was still on fire as MPs returned to work. On March 2, NDP Leader Jack Layton said his party wanted an emergency debate to set out rules governing when and how Parliament can be shut down. Layton said he was discussing with other leaders "how to stop a prime minister from stepping in and putting a stop to the democratic process." On March 2, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said his party supported limits on the power to prorogue.
Leader Jack Layton
and passed by a vote of 139 to 135, but is not considered binding. The motion stated: "That, in the opinion of the House, the prime minister shall not advise the Governor General to prorogue any session of any Parliament for longer than seven calendar days without a specific resolution of this House of Commons to support such a prorogation.”
On March 22, 2010, Liberal, Bloc Québécois and NDP MPs used their majority in the Commons committee in charge of MPs' privilege and rules to approve an official review of the convention of prorogation. This review could require a Prime Minister to seek approval from the House before asking the Governor General to end a Parliamentary session in the future.
Prorogation in Canada
Prorogation is the end of a parliamentary session in the Parliament of Canada and the parliaments of its provinces and territories. It differs from a recess or adjournment, which do not end a session, and from a complete dissolution of parliament, which ends both the session and the entire...
of the 40th Canadian Parliament
40th Canadian Parliament
The 40th Canadian Parliament was in session from November 18, 2008 to March 26, 2011, and was the last Parliament of the longest-running minority government in Canadian history that began with the previous Parliament. The membership of its House of Commons was determined by the results of the 2008...
. The prorogation had occurred a month earlier on 30 December 2009 on the constitutional advice
Advice (constitutional)
Advice, in constitutional law, is formal, usually binding, instruction given by one constitutional officer of state to another. Especially in parliamentary systems of government, Heads of state often act on the basis of advice issued by prime ministers or other government ministers...
of Prime Minister of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
and was officially carried out by Governor General
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
Michaëlle Jean
Michaëlle Jean
Michaëlle Jean is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation, from 2005 to 2010....
. Protests were held in over 60 cities and towns in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and internationally in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, San Francisco, Dallas, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
and Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. The protests and rallies attracted approximately 21,000 participants, including many who had joined a group on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, known as the "Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament" (CAPP). At the January 23 rallies in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
leader Michael Ignatieff
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
, New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
(NDP) leader Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
, Green Party
Green Party of Canada
The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...
leader Elizabeth May
Elizabeth May
Elizabeth Evans May, OC, MP is an American-born Canadian Member of Parliament, environmentalist, writer, activist, lawyer, and the leader of the Green Party of Canada. She was the executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada from 1989 to 2006. She became a Canadian citizen in 1978.May's...
, and Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
spoke against the prorogation.
Background
The first session of the 40th Canadian Parliament40th Canadian Parliament
The 40th Canadian Parliament was in session from November 18, 2008 to March 26, 2011, and was the last Parliament of the longest-running minority government in Canadian history that began with the previous Parliament. The membership of its House of Commons was determined by the results of the 2008...
opened on November 18, 2008, after the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
, led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, won a strengthened minority
Minority governments in Canada
During the history of Canadian politics, eleven minority governments have been elected at the federal level. There have also been two minority governments resulting from governments being replaced between elections, for a total of thirteen federal minority governments in twelve separate minority...
in that year's election
Canadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
, increasing their seat count by 16. The leaders of the parties in opposition—the Liberal Party, NDP, and the Bloc Québécois
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
—soon initiated talk of voting non-confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
in the government and offering themselves as a coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
to Governor General Michaëlle Jean. However, Stephen Harper delayed the confidence vote scheduled for December 1 and advised the Governor General to prorogue parliament from December 4, 2008, to January 26, 2009. The opposition coalition dissolved shortly after, with the Conservatives winning a Liberal supported confidence vote on January 29, 2009.
On December 30, 2009, Prime Minister Harper announced that he had counseled the Governor General to prorogue parliament throughout the February 12–28 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
, until March 3, 2010, and Jean signed the proclamation later that day, granting his request, as provided for by constitutional convention. The prorogation eliminated 22 sitting days from the Parliamentary schedule. According to Harper's spokesman, the Prime Minister sought this prorogation to consult with Canadians about the economy. However, the move triggered immediate condemnation from Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
House Leader Ralph Goodale, who labelled the Conservative government's move an "almost despotic
Despotism
Despotism is a form of government in which a single entity rules with absolute power. That entity may be an individual, as in an autocracy, or it may be a group, as in an oligarchy...
" attempt to muzzle parliamentarians amid controversy over the Afghan detainees affair. In an interview with CBC News
CBC News
CBC News is the department within the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on CBC television, radio and online services...
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
Liberal Member of Parliament Wayne Easter
Wayne Easter
Arnold Wayne Easter, PC, MP is a Canadian politician.-Before politics:Born in North Wiltshire, Prince Edward Island the son of A. Leith Easter and Hope MacLeod, he was educated at the Charlottetown Rural High School and the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. In 1970, he married Helen Arleighn...
accused the Prime Minister of "shutting democracy down". During this time, PMO spokesman Dimitri Soudas pointed out to the media that the Prime Minister was at work in Ottawa while the Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff was off at his vacation home in the south of France.
Events prior to the January protests
On January 5, 132 political scientists signed a letter condemning the prorogation and called for electoral reformElectoral reform
Electoral reform is change in electoral systems to improve how public desires are expressed in election results. That can include reforms of:...
. This letter was the work of Fair Vote Canada
Fair Vote Canada
Fair Vote Canada is a nonprofit, multi-partisan advocacy group for electoral reform in Canada. It is active both federally and in those provinces where there are efforts to reform the first-past-the-post electoral system that is used in Canada...
, a non-partisan organization. Among the 132 political scientists signing the statement were 10 professors emeriti
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
, including Meyer Brownstone
Meyer Brownstone
Meyer Brownstone was the 1986 recipient of the Pearson Medal of Peace for his work in education.Meyer is currently Chair Emeritus for Oxfam Canada.-External links:*...
, Peter H. Russell
Peter H. Russell
Peter H. Russell is a writer and Professor Emeritus of political science at the University of Toronto, Canada, where he taught from 1958-1997. He was a Member of the Toronto Chapter of Alpha Delta Phi. He was the Principal of Innis College, at the University of Toronto, from 1973 to 1978...
, and John S. Saul
John S. Saul
John S. Saul is a Canadian political economist and activist whose work has focused on the liberation struggles of southern Africa, from the 1960s to the present.[1] In 2004, he was elected fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, in 2010 was granted a honorary doctorate by Victoria University within...
; the President-elect of the Canadian Political Science Association
Canadian Political Science Association
The Canadian Political Science Association is an organization of political scientists in Canada. It is a bilingual organization and publishes the bilingual journal Canadian Journal of Political Science ...
(CPSA); six former presidents of CPSA, including John Meisel
John Meisel
John Meisel, CC is a Canadian political scientist, professor, and scholar.-Career:Meisel attended the University of Toronto and the University of London. He has taught at Queen's University since 1949, where he is currently a professor emeritus...
and Alan Cairns
Alan Cairns
Hugh Alan Craig Cairns, is a Canadian political science professor emeritus.Born in Galt , he received his BA in 1953 and his MA degree in 1957 from the University of Toronto. In 1963, he obtained a D.Phil from St Antony's College, Oxford...
; the current Secretary General of the International Political Science Association
International Political Science Association
The International Political Science Association , founded under the auspices of UNESCO in 1949, is an international scholarly association. IPSA is devoted to the advancement of political science in all parts of the world...
(IPSA); and a former Secretary General of IPSA.
On January 5, in an interview on CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
TV The National, Mr Harper said that prorogation was a “routine” move to allow the government to adjust its budget due on March 4. His spokesman stated that the 63-day gap between sessions was less than the average prorogation of 151 days since 1867. However, in the three decades prior to his 2009 prorogation the average was just 22 days.
On January 7, the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
weekly news publication The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
published two articles on the issue, both generally critical of the prorogation. One article stated that "Mr Harper’s move looks like naked self-interest." The other article stated that Harper has, "given the opposition, which is divided and fumbling, an opportunity."
Opposition leaders stated that Mr Harper’s real reason for the prorogation was to end an embarrassing debate on the government’s alleged complicity in the torture of Afghan detainees, and in particular to avoid complying with a parliamentary motion to hand over all documents relevant to those charges. They also stated that the prime minister wanted to name new senators and then reconstitute the Senate’s committees to reflect the Conservatives’ additional representation, something that could not be done if Parliament was merely adjourned. Ned Franks, a historian and veteran political scientist said that no previous prime minister has prorogued the legislature “in order to avoid the kind of things that Harper apparently wants to avoid,"
The initial organization of the January 23 rallies started with a group on the social networking website Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, called "Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament" in early January 2010, led by Christopher White, an anthropology student at the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
. The actual coordination of the rallies was organized by a secondary Facebook group, called "Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament-Rally for the Cause!", which was founded by Shilo Davis, who acted as the National Rally Coordinator in collaboration with Chris White and his group. By January 9, eleven days after the prorogation, it had gained 113,000 members. The group gained public support from Michael Ignatieff
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
.
An EKOS
Ekos
Ekos or EKOS can mean the following:*EKOS Research Associates - a Canadian polling firm*Ekos * A planet in "Patterns of Force ."...
poll released January 7 found that Canadians were nearly twice as likely to oppose the December 30, 2010 prorogation than support it.
A poll, done by Angus Reid
Angus Reid Public Opinion
Angus Reid Public Opinion is an international public affairs practice. It was established in 2006 under the name Angus Reid Strategies by Dr Angus Reid, a Canadian sociologist who founded his first research company in 1979. Reid sold the Angus Reid Group to Paris-based Ipsos SA in 2000...
prior to January 9, found that 38 per cent of Canadians believed that Harper used the prorogation to curtail the Afghan detainee inquiry. On January 11 Ignatieff again stated that the prorogation was to avoid responding to the Afghan detainee issue, and the issue of climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
in relation to the Copenhagen Conference in December.
Prior to January 20, comedian Rick Mercer
Rick Mercer
Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer is a Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and blogger.Mercer first came to national attention in 1990, when he premiered his one man show Show Me the Button, I'll Push It, or Charles Lynch Must Die at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in...
ranted on the Rick Mercer Report
Rick Mercer Report
Rick Mercer Report is a Canadian television comedy series which airs on CBC Television...
, "...Now polls never tell the full story but this much is certain: whenever the party in power drops 15 points in 15 days, you can be assured of one thing – someone in charge just did something really stupid." By January 21, the Liberal Party and the Conservative party were in a virtual tie.
By the time of the January 23 rallies, the Facebook group had over 210,000 members.
January protests
On January 20, 2010, a rally of approximately 60 protesters gathered to greet Prime Minister Harper as he visited the C.D. Howe Institute in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. On that same day NDP leader Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
called for limits to prorogation saying that his party will call for legislative changes that would require a majority vote of MPs for the prorogation of Parliament.
Three days later the main planned rallies gathered across Canada. The rally in Toronto at Yonge-Dundas Square was the largest in Canada, attracting over 6,000 demonstrators, while the one in Ottawa involved close to 3,000. The largest per capita turnout was found in Victoria, where 1,500 people rallied under sunny skies. Protesters in many riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
s with Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
Members of Parliament urged the Party's members back to work. In Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, three supporters of Harper counter-protested, and were booed by the main crowd. Protesters determined that Stephen Harper was using voter apathy to his advantage while proroguing parliament. At the Ottawa rally, Michael Ignatieff said that "This is a demonstration that shows that Canadians understand their democracy, care for their democracy, and if necessary will fight for their democracy. This demonstration does not belong to the politicians of any party, it belongs to the Canadian people", while announcing that the Liberal MPs would be back to work on January 25, the original date for the end of prorogation, to hold public meetings. New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton also called for limits to prorogation. During the Toronto rally, Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
commented that he attended "because it's a chance for me to join others who agree that Mr. Harper made a terrible decision." Rae has subsequently been criticized for his controversial use of the power to prorogue when he was Premier of Ontario.
Calls for reform
On January 23, Norman SpectorNorman Spector
Norman Spector is a Canadian journalist, diplomat, civil servant, and newspaper publisher.- Early life and career :Born in Montreal, Quebec, Spector received a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Political Science, from McGill University in 1970...
criticized the NDP proposed reform of prorogation charging that these legislative changes would be unconstitutional. Professor Ned Franks acknowledged that the NDP law would have to be carefully drafted as it would likely be challenged.
On January 25, five days after the NDP's January 20 proposals for prorogation reform, the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
also called for limits to the ability of the Prime Minister to advise the prorogation of parliament. The Liberal Party plan would require consent from the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
, along with ten days of written notice and debate in the House of Commons. Mr. Ignatieff brushed off questions about the constitutionality of the proposed changes, saying if new rules are established, governors general "will respect those constitutional conventions" as they always have. He said, "The problem is not with the governor general. The problem is with the Prime Minister of Canada."
Historical precedent for a Parliament that could only be dissolved by its Members
The Long ParliamentLong Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
is the name of the English Parliament called by Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars
Bishops' Wars
The Bishops' Wars , were conflicts, both political and military, which occurred in 1639 and 1640 centred around the nature of the governance of the Church of Scotland, and the rights and powers of the Crown...
. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
and at the end of Interregnum in 1660. It sat from 1640 until 1649.
Prorogation informally challenged by the continuation of Parliamentary hearing on Afghan detainee issue
In spite of the prorogation, the parliamentary committee looking into the Afghan detainee issue resumed its hearing informally in early February. The hearing is considered informal because the committees do not have power to compel testimony or grant immunity and Conservative MPs would not be represented.On Feb 4, 2010, top constitutional scholar Errol Mendes and military legal expert Michel Drapeau, urged MPs not to abandon their probe into the Canadian Afghan detainee issue. Mendes referred to the Harper government's refusal to hand over uncensored documents, despite a motion passed in the House of Commons to do so: He stated, "The executive is really placing itself above Parliament. For the first time that I know in Canadian history, the executive is saying we are superior to Parliament....This is nothing more than an open defiance of Parliament
Contempt of Parliament
In some countries, contempt of parliament is the offence of obstructing the legislature in the carrying out of its functions, or of hindering any legislator in the performance of his or her duties. The offence is known by various other names in jurisdictions in which the legislature is not called...
. Nothing more, nothing less," he said. He said the Conservative government has violated the Constitution of Canada
Constitution of Canada
The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada; the country's constitution is an amalgamation of codified acts and uncodified traditions and conventions. It outlines Canada's system of government, as well as the civil rights of all Canadian citizens and those in Canada...
and will be in contempt of Parliament
Contempt of Parliament
In some countries, contempt of parliament is the offence of obstructing the legislature in the carrying out of its functions, or of hindering any legislator in the performance of his or her duties. The offence is known by various other names in jurisdictions in which the legislature is not called...
if it continues to refuse to release uncensored documents regarding the Afghan detainee issue.
New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar
Paul Dewar
Paul W. Dewar is a Canadian politician currently serving as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Ottawa Centre.Dewar is a member of the New Democratic Party and was first elected to the House of Commons in the 2006 federal election...
sent a letter February 3, 2010 to Rob Nicholson
Rob Nicholson
Robert Douglas "Rob" Nicholson, PC, QC, MP , is the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. He is a current member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Niagara Falls for the Conservative Party and the current Minister of Justice after serving for one year as...
, the justice minister, demanding the documents be released. "If he says 'No' obviously we have contempt of Parliament. And I want it in writing," said Dewar.
On February 4, 2010, the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
reported that Bob Rae will not rule out a formal censure of the government for blocking a parliamentary investigation of detainee abuse in Afghanistan when MPs return to work in March, 2010. Rae said, "I'm not reluctant to go any route."
Other issues
On January 24, about five members of Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament gathered at York UniversityYork University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
during a visit by Minister of Industry
Minister of Industry (Canada)
The Minister of Industry is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's economic development and corporate affairs department, Industry Canada. The Minister of Industry is also the minister responsible for Statistics Canada...
Tony Clement
Tony Clement
Tony Peter Clement, PC, MP is a Canadian federal politician, President of the Treasury Board, Minister for the Federal Economic Initiative for Northern Ontario and member of the Conservative Party of Canada....
. In response to the protesters, Clement commented that "We have a government that is focused on the economy, focused on safer streets and focused on research and development. If you don’t agree with that, which is your right, then you can vote us out of office. That’s democracy."
On January 28, in response to the protests, Michael L. MacDonald
Michael L. MacDonald
Michael L. Macdonald is a Canadian politician and a Conservative member of the Canadian Senate. He was appointed on the advice of Stephen Harper to the Senate on January 2, 2009.-References:...
, a Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
member who was appointed to the Canadian Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
by Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
, stated that prorogation is a "common occurrence".
On January 28, results from an EKOS
Ekos
Ekos or EKOS can mean the following:*EKOS Research Associates - a Canadian polling firm*Ekos * A planet in "Patterns of Force ."...
poll showed that the Liberals were ahead of the Conservatives, despite Harper's focus on relief efforts following the 2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
.
Also on January 28, Michael Bliss
Michael Bliss
John William Michael Bliss, CM, FRSC is a Canadian historian and award-winning author. Though his early works focused on business and political history, he has written several important medical biographies, including of Sir William Osler...
, a historian and member of the Order of Canada, wrote in the Globe and Mail that the opposition's response to prorogation was "to keep the pot boiling, largely by playing on public ignorance of the workings of government" and that the effect of prorogation will be that "Some useful government bills are going to have to be reintroduced. The Afghan hearings, into events of several years ago, will be delayed for a few more weeks. And that's about it."
Since the prorogation is scheduled to last until after the February 12–28 Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
, this caused some outrage as some members of CAPP and other Canadians accused Harper of proroguing in order to attend the games. The Conservatives responded to this claim by pointing out that the federal government has relinquished back to the public the majority of tickets it received as a senior Olympic partner, and that Members of Parliament would be required to purchase their own tickets for Olympic events. Organizers have planned further protests, along with a "Torch Relay for Democracy" to coincide with the start of the Olympic Games, concluding in Ottawa by the end of the prorogation.
On February 4, Conservative House whip Gordon O'Connor
Gordon O'Connor
Gordon James O'Connor, is a retired Brigadier-General, businessman, lobbyist, and current Canadian Member of Parliament and the Minister of State and Chief Government Whip....
announced that the one week Parliamentary break scheduled for March and the two week Parliamentary break scheduled for April would be cancelled. This would add 25 sitting days to the Parliamentary calendar to make up for the 22 sitting days lost due to Parliament being prorogued.
February protests
On February 11, 2010 when Stephen Harper visited Victoria, British ColumbiaVictoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, he was met by hundreds of protesters representing a range of causes including democracy, opposition to the Olympics, opposition to the seal hunt, opposition to oilsand development, support for safe-injection sites, saving Jordan River and support for medical cannabis
Medical cannabis
Medical cannabis refers to the use of parts of the herb cannabis as a physician-recommended form of medicine or herbal therapy, or to synthetic forms of specific cannabinoids such as THC as a physician-recommended form of medicine...
. The protest was spearheaded by the Victoria chapter of "Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament" with the aim of showing Harper that Canadians are angry about his decision to suspend democracy, said organizer Melissa Farrance. "We want to show him the way back to Parliament so he can get back to work," she said.
On Feb 12, another poll was done by Environics showing that "the opposition Liberals picked up support from 37 percent of decided voters, compared with 33 percent for the Conservatives." This, according to Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, was "a sign of discontent with the prime minister's decision to suspend Parliament until after the Olympics."
From February 18 to 22, an Ipsos Reid poll was carried out which showed the Conservatives had regained their lead, with the Conservatives picking up support of 37 percent of decided votes, with the Liberals falling to 29%.
A survey conducted Feb. 18-28 by The Canadian Press/Harris-Decima Research
Decima Research
Decima Research is a public opinion and market research company in Canada, founded in 1979 by Progressive Conservative Party of Canada strategist Allan Gregg....
gave the Tories and Liberals 31 per cent each. The NDP had support from 16 per cent of respondents, the Greens 12 and the Bloc Québécois 8.
March activities
On March 2, 2010, the protest movement called "Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament" transformed itself into a non-profit group called "Canadians Advocating Political Participation" to encourage further involvement in the political process.On March 3, 2010, the prorogation debate was still on fire as MPs returned to work. On March 2, NDP Leader Jack Layton said his party wanted an emergency debate to set out rules governing when and how Parliament can be shut down. Layton said he was discussing with other leaders "how to stop a prime minister from stepping in and putting a stop to the democratic process." On March 2, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said his party supported limits on the power to prorogue.
Subsequent related activity in Parliament
On March 17, 2010, opposition members of Parliament joined together to pass a motion that would prevent the prime minister from proroguing Parliament for longer than seven days unless supported by the House of Commons of Canada. The motion was introduced by New Democratic PartyNew Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
Leader Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
and passed by a vote of 139 to 135, but is not considered binding. The motion stated: "That, in the opinion of the House, the prime minister shall not advise the Governor General to prorogue any session of any Parliament for longer than seven calendar days without a specific resolution of this House of Commons to support such a prorogation.”
On March 22, 2010, Liberal, Bloc Québécois and NDP MPs used their majority in the Commons committee in charge of MPs' privilege and rules to approve an official review of the convention of prorogation. This review could require a Prime Minister to seek approval from the House before asking the Governor General to end a Parliamentary session in the future.
See also
- Anything But ConservativeAnything But ConservativeAnything But Conservative , also known as the ABC campaign, was a political campaign in the 2008 Canadian federal election encouraging voters to support any party other than the federal Conservative Party...
- Canadian Afghan detainee issue
- Harper government
- Legislative session procedure in Commonwealth realms
- Long ParliamentLong ParliamentThe Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
- Opinion polling in the 41st Canadian federal electionOpinion polling in the 41st Canadian federal electionThis article provides a list of scientific, nation-wide public opinion polls that were conducted leading up to the 2011 Canadian federal election.-Campaign period:Note 1: Based on a three-day rolling sample...
- Parliament of CanadaParliament of CanadaThe Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
- Prorogation in CanadaProrogation in CanadaProrogation is the end of a parliamentary session in the Parliament of Canada and the parliaments of its provinces and territories. It differs from a recess or adjournment, which do not end a session, and from a complete dissolution of parliament, which ends both the session and the entire...
- Timeline of the Canadian Afghan detainee issueTimeline of the Canadian Afghan detainee issueThe following is a timeline of events in the Canadian Afghan detainee issue. This includes many specific dates and statements.-2005-2006:*On December 18, 2005, in the midst of a general election and while the Liberal government of Paul Martin was still in power, Chief of Defence Staff Rick Hillier...
- 2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary disputeThe 2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute was a political dispute during the 40th Canadian Parliament. It was triggered by the expressed intention of the opposition parties to defeat the Conservative minority government on a motion of non-confidence six weeks after the federal election on...
External links
- Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament – Facebook
- No Prorogue! – Organizer of anti-prorogation protests
- CAPP Forums – The open source anti prorogation project
- Canadians Advocating Political Participation (new CAPP group formed March 2, 2010)
- PM gave Jean pledges in prorogation crisis (CBC, October 2, 2010)
Videos
- Canada's pro-democracy movement Produced by Jesse FreestonJesse FreestonJesse Freeston is a Canadian video journalist and filmmaker. His work focuses primarily on social movements in North and Central America, but he has also done investigative work around topics such as the military-industrial complex, the global economic crisis, and undocumented migration...
, January 29, 2010; Publisher: The Real News (duration: 10:36) - Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament, Toronto Protest, January 23, 2010 Produced by CineAlegria, January 23, 2010; Publisher: YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
(duration: 9:59)