Who Gets to be Prime Minister and Why — Philippe Lagassé

Tags

21 October, elections, Parliament, Prime Minister

Philippe Lagassé is an academic and an associate professor and William and Jeanie Barton Chair at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University. His current research focuses on the Crown, the royal prerogative, and legislative-executive relations in Westminster states like Canada.

Currently completing a project on legislative oversight of military affairs and beginning a project prerogative power reform in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Both projects are funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

In addition to his academic work, he is a part-time public office holder with the Government of Canada as a member of the Independent Review Panel for Defence Acquisition.

Professor Lagassé is truly a National treasure in Canada, a very learned fellow for whom I have a great deal of respect. Monday is Election Day in Canada, this is helpful to understand where we are going as Canadians.

 

I recently published an article in Constitutional Forum that analyses the rules of government formation in Canada. You can find the article here (click where it says pdf): https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/constitutional_forum/index.php/constitutional_forum/article/view/29384 To address the current debate about who governs after the 21 October election, I’ve updated my tables:

via Who Gets to be Prime Minister and Why — Philippe Lagassé

Le Jour J , 6 Juin 1944

Tags

Canada., Canadians, juno, normandy

This Month in Canada

Tags

CPC, hate, JWR, Oil, Parliament, pipelines, Prime Minister, Speech, Yellow vests

For the last few weeks we have been bombarded on the news with an alleged scandal based on an unverified account of interference based on anonymous allegations of undue pressure on the Attorney General of Canada by a senior member of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the Globe and Mail published the story and it has been a circus ever since. As of today, 15 days after the story broke the allegations are still un-verified and we have no idea who spoke with the G&M. The newspaper has made no effort to verify the story.

The CBC and other papers owned by Post Media (a right wing media organization akin Fox News) all have repeated the allegations endlessly and with much speculations and innuendoes, we are now analyzing body language and every sentence for hidden meaning, it is very tiresome.

The story surrounds the Minister of Justice and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould who in a recent Cabinet shuffle was moved to the Veterans Affairs Portfolio. The undue pressure allegedly by the PMO was over the trial of the engineering firm SNC-Lavalin which has 9000 employees and operates around the world. It is headquartered in Montreal. Apparently this important company wanted to avoid prosecution over charges of corruption in Libya prior to the overthrow of Muhamar Ghaddafi. After the story broke Jody Wilson-Raybould resigned her Cabinet position. She also claimed that she could not speak about the matter at all, citing Client-Solicitor privilege, in Canada the Attorney General is the lawyer of the Government and there is also the matter of Cabinet Secret. So this gave an opening to all those who wish to see PM Trudeau out of Office to suddenly attack. In the House of Commons the Conservative leader Andrew Scheer spoke of criminal behaviour, of issues that would destroy the country if not cleared, etc.. much theatre. The media loves it and speculate over every pronouncement. However Mr Scheer suddenly realized that what he was saying outside the House of Commons on Twitter could lead to criminal charges of defamation against him, so he stopped speaking outside the House and only made statements in the House where he enjoys immunity.

Then a caravan of 60 trucks appeared on Parliament Hill, the Canadian yellow vest movement which is a largely white supremacist and nativist organization promoting a hate agenda against immigrants and anyone who disagrees with their view point. Senator David Tkachuk Conservative from Saskatchewan, spoke with them and advocated murdering all those Liberals. Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer also spoke to the group surrounded by hate message calling for the Prime Minister to be killed. Today the CBC was comparing Donald Trump to PM Trudeau, it is that gross of a media manipulation of a non-story.

So this is the circus provided by Western Canada. For 3 years now we have had pipeline politics in Alberta, by far the richest province in Canada with a population of 2.5 million producing oil in the dirty Tar Sand variety. The price of oil are not what they use to be, World markets and other economic factors all played a role in keeping prices down for crude. Companies are no longer interested in building pipelines the economic case cannot be made. So Conservative politicians allied to the Alt-Right demand that the Government of Canada build them. This year 2019 is an election year so anything goes.

Very sad but it looks like the Conservatives have taken a page or two from the GOP and people like US Senator Mitch McConnell.

As you can see the truckers from Western Canada were a very small group about 150, not the mass demonstration the media was claiming.

Cannabis is now legal

Tags

cannabis, G7, legal, Pot

Canada today became the first country of the G7 to legalize recreational Cannabis. People have been flocking to government stores to buy their pot. Many well known politicians like former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney are now sitting on Boards of Corporations marketing and selling the stuff. The demands is huge as if it was candy.

Here are the prices per Province in Canada for one gram of the stuff. Notice how progressive Quebec has the cheapest prices.

Some people describe today as Xmas, New Year’s Eve and Canada Day all wrap into one.

Radio shows on CBC have been playing music connected to the topic and on classical radio mentioning composers who like Francis Poulenc use to smoke it. Now you see Trump was right, Bolsheviks live up North in Canada. LOL!!!!

 

 

Happy Birthday!

Today there is two birthdays I consider important, one is the birthday of Rome founded some 2771 years ago on 21 April by Romulus. To this day I think you can say Auguri Roma, bellezza eterna.

The other birthday is that of the Queen of Canada, Her Majesty Elizabeth II who is 92 years old and the oldest reigning Monarch in British history but not Canadian history, Louis XIV has that distinction. Nonetheless we wish her a wonderful Birthday.

New Canadian Stamp

Tags

150, Canada., Gay, LGBT, post, Stamp

Canada Post unveiled today a new stamp to show that in Canada we have marriage equality and this is enshrined in our Constitution.

The stamp is in both of Canada’s Official languages, French and English and is shaped like a Maple Leaf with the Rainbow Flag and the Words Canada 150 to mark the Anniversary of Confederation 1867-2017.

Renovations

Tags

1847, Berlin, Charlottetown, City Palace, Legislature, PEI, Province house

I have blogged about the massive rebuilding project in Berlin of the former Imperial City Palace now renamed the Humboldt Forum the work is almost complete and it is a marvel baroque architecture. The architect is Italian, Franco Stella, the cost is 750 million Euros. http://cam01.berlinerschloss-webcam.de it is the largest building project in Berlin.

Here in Charlottetown, PEI on a smaller scale the Legislative building of 1847 by architect Isaac Smith is undergoing a reconstruction and renovation phase over 5 years at a now estimated cost of $47 million CDN dollars. Parks Canada is responsible for the project.

The project has been under discussion and went through a long tendering phase of about 3 years, makes you wonder what took so long. The Legislature had to move out some years ago because the building had become dangerously unstable and many feared it would collapse on itself. Province House formerly known as Colonial House prior to 1864 has been the seat of the Legislative Assembly of PEI all those years and is the place where some of the main conferences of the Fathers of Confederation took place in 1864. So it is a National Historic Building of great importance, built in the Greek Revival style popular in the Georgian Period.

As I walked to Grafton Street today I went around Province House where workers are preparing the building for phase one which will stabilize the structure before more major work is undertaken. I noticed how badly cracked some of the stones are on the exterior walls, the wooden window frames are rotten and the stone steps are worn away with age. Given the age of the building, 170 yrs, with little to no maintenance it is a miracle that some great catastrophe has not struck.  Many of the original facing sandstone will need a full replacement.

The interior has retained its original rooms and it is quite elegant. It will be interesting to watch the progression of the work in the months and years to come. The idea is to return the building to its original splendor.

if you look at the outside walls you can see the damage on the stone.

Stone is cracked, chipped and discoloured

Here the workers are removing  the ceiling of the balcony on the North side to reveal the old original wood skeleton of the building supporting the roof, the original wood is rotten and the roof in danger of caving in.

The North facade of Province House, soon the windows will be removed and a steel skeleton will envelop the building to give it extra support and prevent any mishaps.

Province House with the Provincial Flag, only a few trees have been cut down for being to close to the walls of the building, all others are protected.

 

Tomorrow 24th Dec.

Tags

Christmas, cuisine, Festivities, Food, Hanukkah, Italy, Rome

Tomorrow is Christmas eve but this year it is also the beginning of Chanukkah which in Hebrew means dedication. The Festival of Lights marks the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 165 BC. Having been desecrated by the Syrians, the 165 BC rededication occurred thanks to the Maccabees. Hanukkah is a holiday I like a lot, Jesus was Jewish after all and so were all of his relatives, so this link with this Christian Holiday is great. We spent quite a few Holiday Season in Rome and partook of all the great Roman Traditions, its food and the fun that comes with it.

Jews in Rome or Italy today can be traced back to 160 BC when the first Jews arrived in Rome. They had fled historic Israel from the Syrian King Antiochus. Having arrived in Rome, this was to be known as the oldest Jewish settlements in the Western Europe.

So Rome has a Jewish community for the last 1,856 years, they have stories to tell.

The centrepiece of the Hanukkah celebrations in Rome happens at Piazza Barberini where a massive Menorah is lighted. The Menorah stands at 6 meters tall, there is another one at Piazza Bologna.

Piazza Barberini, Rome

Roman Jews have their very own cuisine which is very different from what can be found in the Jewish communities in North America, no bagels here.

A common tradition is fried food – fried in its own special way, and created to give a unique but tasty eating experience at Hanukkah time. Pollo Fritto per Chanuka is a hearty meal of chicken fried with a winning combination of ingredients. The chicken is marinated in a mix of olive oil with lemon juice, garlic and nutmeg. After the chicken has been marinated, it is then covered in flour and egg before it’s fried to make a crispy but moist dish. A good accompaniment to the fried chicken is Fritelle di Patate, which is fried mashed potato pancakes. The mash is seasoned to add that extra flavour before receiving a smattering of coated breadcrumbs to add to that fried kick. Rome is known for its Carciofi alla Giudia (artichokes), and also for Melanzane alla Giudia. This dish is fried eggplant – simple to make, and delicious to eat, the eggplant’s seeds and majority of flesh are removed before being fried in a combination of garlic and olive oil.

In keeping with the fried theme, Fritelle de Chanuka is a big hit for Italians to eat at Hanukkah. This dessert is basically fried sweet dough fritters. The dough is mixed in with raisins and anise seeds. It’s then fried and topped off with hot honey. Another favourite dessert is Torta di Ricotta, which is Ricotta Pie filled with either sour cherries and/or chocolate.

To all my Jewish Friends, Chag Sameach!

The bridge

Tags

Bridge, Canada., Confederation, PEI

Here are some photos of this marvellous bridge a wonder of engineering in the XXth Century. The Confederation Bridge built between 1993-1997 for one billion dollars over the Northumberland Strait, connecting the continent to Prince Edward Island. There is also a ferry service but not in Winter due to ice, difficult windy conditions that can reach on some days upwards of 100 Km per hour and high waves. It is truly one of the wonders of Canada.

Jean M. Müller (1925-2005) was the engineer/architect of this marvel. In 1951 he became the chief engineer of the Freyssinet Company and moved to the United States where he began constructing single and multiple span bridges. During this period Muller invented the technique of match-casting. His match-casting innovation was first used with dry joints on the single span Shelton Bridge in upstate New York. The technique was further developed using epoxy on the joints along with pre-cast concrete segmental box-girder technology, which was applied in 1962 on the Choisy-le-Roi Bridge extending over the Seine River in Paris, France. In 1955 he began working for Campenon Bernard in Paris, France, where he worked with large pre-stressed concrete projects. When he returned to Florida, he joined Eugene Figg and formed Figg and Muller Engineers in 1978. He also designed in 1997, one of the greatest engineering project in Canada, known as the Confederation Bridge connecting over the Gulf of St-Lawrence on a distance of 12.5 Km the Province of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Muller ended his career in 2000 after working as technical director for 11 years at J. Muller International.

 

Winter ice in the Gulf 

In the Summer time, thousands of people participate in the Terry Fox Marathon against cancer by running from the continent to the island.

Yes you can swim across if you so wish from Cape Tormentine. There is a Club who promotes it.

http://www.soloswims.com/MOWS.htm

From Cape Jourimain, New-Brunswick to Borden-Carleton in PEI.

For those of you who like to fly there are flights to Charlottetown, the Capital.

You can just see Jessica Fletcher arriving from Cabot Cove.

Charlottetown Airport YYG seen from the air.

42sd Parliament opens

Here is the Proclamation for our Parliament to open on 3rd December at 1pm. The Speech from the Throne will be on the next day.

DAVID JOHNSTON

[L.S.]

Canada

ELIZABETH THE SECOND, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her other Realms and Territories QUEEN, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.
To Our beloved and faithful Senators of Canada and Members elected to serve in the House of Commons of Canada, and to all to whom these presents may in any way concern,

Greeting:

JODY WILSON-RAYBOULD
Attorney General

A PROCLAMATION
Whereas Our Parliament of Canada was dissolved on August 2, 2015;

Now know you that We, by and with the advice of Our Prime Minister of Canada, do command and enjoin each of you and all others interested in this behalf to appear in person, on Thursday, the third day of December, 2015, at one in the afternoon, at Our City of Ottawa, for the DISPATCH OF BUSINESS, to treat, do, act and conclude on those things that Our Parliament of Canada may, by the Grace of God, ordain.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, We have issued and caused this Our Proclamation to be published and the Great Seal of Canada to be affixed to it.

WITNESS: Our Right Trusty and Well-beloved David Johnston, Chancellor and Principal Companion of Our Order of Canada, Chancellor and Commander of Our Order of Military Merit, Chancellor and Commander of Our Order of Merit of the Police Forces, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada.

AT OUR GOVERNMENT HOUSE, in Our City of Ottawa, this thirteenth day of November in the year of Our Lord two thousand and fifteen and in the sixty-fourth year of Our Reign.

By command,
NAVDEEP SINGH BAINS
Registrar General of Canada

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN

The first business of the day will be electing a Speaker for the House of Commons which is usually done in a couple of hours at most. All parties vote and the candidates for the job are often people who are well liked by all Members of Parliament. There will also be routine administrative stuff and then the next day the Governor General will come to Parliament to read the Throne Speech giving the details of the Program of Legislations and other business the Government will introduce during the Session. It will give Canadians a good idea of what Prime Minister Trudeau intends to do.