Pen Meets Paper, Dec 1, '08

CAROPEN
Pen Meets Paper
In the midst of an all encompassing financial crisis, affecting all countries around the globe, our politicians in Ottawa are busy creating a constitutional crisis of their own. Instead of working together for the common good, they are now engaged in gamesmanship at our expense: Harper thought he had free reigns in continuing to bully the Liberals with Stephan Dion sulking in the background following his disastrous mistake of proposing a new tax regime prior to the last election. Harper decided to pull federal funding for the various political parties as a “cost saving” measure for the taxpayer, effectively handing political power over to the back room boys with money in their pockets from vested interest groups. Harper was summarily accused of not providing a stimulus package to the Canadian economy in the face of mounting evidence of a severe economic slowdown. So now our government and its opposition are locked in a battle for power fueled by several years of angry bickering in Parliament. The chickens are coming home to roost.
I remember when Australian Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam was dismissed by Governor General Sir John Kerr on November 11, 1975. It was a shocker and a lot of Australians lost faith in Democracy on that day. John Kerr ended up taking refuge in Britain following the event as it was felt that his life would be in danger in Australia. But only after installing a Liberal/Country Party coalition Government under the leadership on the Right Honorable Malcolm Fraser AC CH who, following his political demise in 1983 appeared in his underpants early in the morning at the registration desk of a Dallas Motel, as a hooker had evidently taken off with his pants (in lieu of payment?). After a reporter got hold of the story all of Australia literally shook with laughter over the man whose favorite quote was; “Life wasn't meant to be easy”. All except his wife, that is. And everybody knew he had to face the music when he got home. So, poor old Malcolm did not derive a lot of joy from his political coup d'etat. To top it up, he was alienated from his own party. Gough Whitlam on the other hand, at 91 years old, is to this day revered by the Australian Labor Movement.
So the message to our representatives in Ottawa is: “Cool it you guys, remember who is paying your wages!”