Canadian Parliament Risks Crises of Legitimacy

I blasted the Liberals for their highly undemocratic actions in my previous articles. Indeed, their plans for a Liberal-NDP-Bloc coalition are a slap in the face to the Canadian electorate who just gave the Conservatives another mandate to govern. Coalitions are perfectly legal within Canada though that does not make them right, especially at a time of great economic turmoil. Aside from the potential catastrophic problems I mentioned about such a coalition, there is another issue at steak that could have far greater repercussions on Canada's political system. The October 2008 election saw the lowest voter turnout in Canadian history. Most politicians like to pat themselves on the back by saying that the public likes what they're doing so they see no need to vote. The voting public accuses non-voters of being lazy and apathetic. However, one reason is often overlooked. Many Canadians feel that none of the three major national parties support their needs and concerns. This opens the door up to a crisis of legitimacy.

What if a majority of Canadians suddenly felt that the Federal Parliament was no longer legitimate. A lot already do, which low voting numbers, radio and TV talk shows, and various opinion polls clearly show. The current song and dance being played in parliament has thoroughly disgusted many Canadians. We are in a time of economic crisis and Canadians are asking why politicians are wasting their time on this sort of politicking. Canadians view it as highly inappropriate and irresponsible, which it is. All four parties in the house are equally guilty of this action, though the three left wing parties have taken it to an extreme, and crossed the line over what Canadians will tolerate. The particular sticking point amoung Liberal supporters is the alliance with the Bloc Quebecois, since the Liberals and NDP do not have enough seats to form a coalition on their own. The Bloc, being a separatist party, obviously will not sit well with the federalist public in the rest of the country. The Liberals after all have always been a staunchly federalist party. One commentor in the National Post asked what Pierre Trudeau would think about his Liberals (indeed he molded the contemporary Liberal Party) joining with the separatists that he fought with tooth and nail. He would most likely condemn such action, even if it meant letting the Conservatives rule. Ironically, his son is now one of the party's rising stars, yet Justin has been quite mum on the subject. To Canadians, such a deal is a deal with the devil. The problem with the Canadian left is that they continue bury them further and further into the hole they've dug for themselves. Ironically, coalition talks will only serve to strengthen Harper's position with the Canadian public, since he was given the democratic mandate to rule. Canadians already see the coalition as illitigimate even before the deals have been finalized.

Canadians need to have faith in their government. In a time of crisis, all this political posturing needs to stop and they need to start working together to get things done. All the arguing and back room deals are not sitting well with Canadians. If this sort of bad behaviour continues, Canada will have a crisis of government legitimacy on its hands the likes of which we've never experienced.