Saturday, March 22, 2014

It Will Take a Revolt



Yesterday, Jeffrey Simpson writes, the Harper government got what it deserved:

The Harper government figured it would teach the Supreme Court justices a lesson by appointing Marc Nadon to their midst. Instead, the justices taught the Harper government a bunch of lessons.

Among the lessons: Don’t play politics with the judiciary. Don’t play fast and loose with the law. Pick the best-qualified, not the average. Understand the Constitution.

The Harperites came to Ottawa with one purpose -- to rig the system in their favour. The Court has sent a clear message. You can't rig the court -- although the government almost did just that:

They almost succeeded, which ought to produce a lot of soul-searching among those who care about the integrity of the courts. The country’s legal profession remained abjectly silent in the face of a less-than-satisfactory process that produced an obviously ideological appointment. The parliamentary committee barely studied the candidate, in fairness perhaps because MPs were given so little time to investigate a nominee about whom so little was known. Law professors, with a few exceptions, clammed up despite their beloved tenure. It took the Supreme Court, by a resounding 6-1 majority, to say “No.”

It was Toronto lawyer Rocco Galati who got the legal community to take notice.

The elites -- who the Harperites used rail against -- are on the government's side. It will take a revolt from ordinary Canadians to send them packing.


16 comments:

the salamander said...

.. like rats probing the granary .. ?

Ulp .. no .. they are already in there..
Shitting in the grain .. pissing too

And cackling n crowing .. 'caw caw' about it..
as if they 'conquered' Everest
or the North Pole
by airdrop from a rented helicopter

Such bravery, courage, sacrifice .. IDEALISM ..
Such Canadian Character ..
As if they are Con-Eccted to Vimy Ridge somehow
by divine transference.. or to the Boer War
or carry some Royal plumage..
are sons n daughters of The British Empire

Goodness gwacious .. our hysterical PM
is historic.. or petrified .. ? .. or Pre-Historic ..

Owen Gray said...

"Petrified" is a good descriptor, salamander. He's rigid. And he's paranoid.

Lorne said...

Yesterday was indeed a gratifying day for those of us who abhor the heavy-handed, anti-democratic nature of the Harper regime, Owen. But it is only a start. As you say, the rest is up to all of us.

ron wilton said...

harper has already 'played politics' with the judiciary on at least two noteworthy cases.

By 'promoting' the sitting judges, on important to the people cases, to higher court positions and removing them from their supposedly 'siezed' cases, important allies of harper have escaped public censure and prosecution.

That neither of these cases received the widespread mainstream media attention they so richly deserved is telling in itself.

One such interference was the BC Rail/Basi Virk show trial here in BC which still burns mightily in the hearts and minds of all BC'rs, especially when the main perpetrator was rewarded so lavishly by harper.

The other more current judicial meddling where the sitting and supposedly 'siezed' judge was 'promoted' to a higher court and replaced with a more government/corpration friendly judge, is the Ernst vs Encana show debacle slowly winding it's way through Alberta courtrooms.

Too bad that harper's forced cessation of meddling judicial isn't retroactive.

Owen Gray said...

And, of course, there is Vic Toews' appointment, Ron.

These people corrupt everything they touch. The longer they stay, the more rotten our institutions become.

Owen Gray said...

In the end, Lorne, we've always had the power to do something about it.

The enemy has always been our own apathy.

Anonymous said...

In some countries they storm their evil dictators. They fight tooth and nail for their rights. Some run their evil dictators, right out of their countries.

Harper is a rotten corrupt fascist dictator, from way back. You must never expect the best from Harper? You must expect the worst from Harper because, worst is all we will ever get from that monster.

Harper is using every dirty tactic in the book, to stay in office. They only way we will ever get rid of Harper is to storm Ottawa and, run him right out of the country.

Owen Gray said...

Or storm the ballot boxes -- and leave him powerless, Anon.

Steve said...

what has not hit hard just yet is the realization that to be charitable Harper gambled with separation. If his judicial appointment had gone through it would have been an overwhelming bit of evidence that Canada regards Quebec as a doormat. So just where does Harper stand on national unity? My way or I will take Alberta and join the US?

Owen Gray said...

Let's not forget, Steve, that he advocated building a firewall around, Alberta.

The truth is that Harper has always been a provincial politician -- posing as the leader of a nation.

Anonymous said...

Firewall? Done and done, brother. Us Eastern Bastards are sick and tired of seeing our brothers and sisters going hungry & FREEZING IN THE DARK. You don't have to wait for your grandkids to be pss'd off- I AM.

Owen Gray said...

The question is, Loving It, are there enough Canadians, who feel as you do, to send Harper back to Alberta. I don't see him returning to Toronto.

Anonymous said...

Oh yes, there are, Owen. We may not be hearing it from them but that's more from the lack of listening than the screams in pain.

Owen Gray said...

If you're right, Loving It, Harper will soon be packing his bags and returning to Calgary as a prodigal son.

Anonymous said...

or as a dirt-bag dil-bit loser,
like the rest of the pillagers.

WE USED TO BUILD STUFF.

Owen Gray said...

Indeed, we did, Loving It.