The Right Decision For the Country

Governor General grants prorogation of Parliament

Following Prime Minister Stephen Harper's morning meeting with Michaelle Jean, the Governor General has agreed to prorogue Parliament until January, when the Conservatives will table their complete budget for 2008/09.

Natually, supporters of the proposed coalition are outraged. But the Governor General has made the right decision for the country.

Regardless of what supporters of the Coalition will insist, this matter is very, very simple. The Governor General has a responsibility to either ensure that Canada has a stable, workable, credible and legitimate government, or call an election.

The Coalition meets virtually none of these conditions.

While lacking sufficient representation from Alberta or Saskatchewan, the Coalition is workable, but only barely.

However, the Coalition government would not have met any of the other criteria. Relying on the Bloc Quebecois is relying on a party that could choose, at any time, to withdraw support from that government in order to show the House of Commons to be unstable. No government depending for its existence upon the formal support of a separatist party could be expected to fulfill its obligations vis a vis national unity. Nor could any such government possibly be legitimate.

Unstable, illegitimate and lacking credibility -- the Coalition government was simply not an alternative to an election. And Canadians simply don't want an election right now.

Unlike those supporting the coalition, Michaelle Jean has put the country first -- before the demands of partisanship, and before ideology.

Shamefully, those who support the Coalition seemingly cannot do that.