Canadian Elections Suspended Indefinitely
(youtu.be)
You're viewing a single comment thread. View all comments, or full comment thread.
Comments (46)
sorted by:
Ok for one, it's a just a motion condemning any calling of an election during a pandemic. It is not a law or a ban or a suspension. It's just a statement saying the members of the House think anyone who calls an election during a pandemic is an asshole. That's it. It doesn't restrict anyone's ability to call elections. It's just a pre-emptive condemnation.
More importantly, this motion works against the Liberals. It's directed at them. The Liberals voted in favour of it, but only because they knew it was going to pass no matter what they did, so they pretended to support it just for the optics.
The reality is, Trudeau has been trying to goad the opposition into triggering an election for months now. Because:
a) He wants an election while he's riding this pandemic bump so he can maybe secure a majority meaning another full four year term.
b) An election during the pandemic would necessitate mass mail in voting, which he would probably use to his advantage.
Trudeau could call an election himself if he wanted to, but he won't do that because the party who calls an election in the middle of a pandemic will pay a stiff penalty for that at the ballot box (hence the motion to condemn anyone who calls an election during a pandemic). So instead, he's been trying to get the opposition to do it for him via various confidence votes. So far, the opposition hasn't taken the bait, and haven't given Trudeau his election. This motion is a statement to Trudeau saying "Fuck off Trudeau, we're not giving you your election, so stop trying to goad us into defeating your confidence votes".
It's called politics. Those politicians are not going to "fuck off" just because you don't understand how electoral politics are conducted.
It doesn't matter. The opposition can still call an election whenever they see fit (and can marshal the votes). This motion doesn't suspend or ban anything. It was just a "fuck you" to Trudeau because he's trying to get an election while his polling numbers are high.
That's part of why Trudeau wants an election during the pandemic and therefore why any thinking person should object.
The opposition has no power to do anything for you except oppose with their words in the House of Commons what the government is doing. That's the opposition's job, and it's what they've been doing.