A disappointed Liberal; Surely Harper is better than this? I guess not.

I am surprised by Harper's behavior in setting up a phony crisis to justify calling an election when he said he wouldn't.

First, the fake crisis is so clumsy that Harper is giving away votes. Parliament is working just fine and lots of good legislation is being enacted -- show me anything the Government failed to get that they wanted.

Second, and here is my real surprise, I thought Harper was better than this. While I disagree with many of his policies (and not all -- some legislation was necessary and good) I thought Harper really was a man of principle. I saw him as better than 'politics as usual'.

Well, we see a fake crisis created to justify an election made to avoid investigation into financial irregularities in campaign expenses. Sounds all too familiar. I'm disappointed ... guess I'll vote Liberal!

Snap election all but certain: Harper CAMPBELL CLARK Globe and Mail Update and Canadian Press Tue, 26 Aug 2008

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper portrayed a snap election as a virtual certainty Tuesday morning and hinted it will likely be triggered next week, before three Sept. 8 by-elections.

At an Ottawa press conference Tuesday, Mr. Harper insisted he would not be breaking his word by disregarding his own fixed-election-date law that sets voting day in October, 2009, insisting that opposition parties want to bring down the government before then, so it is up to him to remove doubts about who will govern.

"They're committed to an election well before then. If they're clearly committed to that course of action, and I think they are, then it behooves the government to provide some responsibility," he said.

"The country must have a government that can function during a time of economic uncertainty, and if it's not this government, or not this Parliament, the public will have an opportunity to decide whom."

Mr. Harper had said previously he wants to meet opposition leaders before the Commons resumes Sept. 15 to see if he will be able to advance his fall agenda – although he has not indicated specifically what that entails.

But Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion has proposed a meeting Sept. 9, a day after three by-elections slated in Ontario and Quebec, and Mr. Harper hinted Tuesday he won't wait that long.

"The opening is to talk at any opportunity. Not to wait three weeks to have a meeting. Obviously…that indicates a fundamental difference between the government and the opposition parties"

Mr. Dion said Tuesday he is perfectly prepared to meet with what he calls a "panicking" Prime Minister before Parliament is scheduled to resume, but he stressed that Mr. Harper has no intention of holding serious talks with the opposition parties. He suggested Mr. Harper is fabricating a crisis as a way of masking that he's about to break the Conservatives' legislated promise on fixed election dates.

Mr. Dion said Mr. Harper's officials did not indicate any urgency when he was contacted about a meeting with the Prime Minister eight days ago. The Liberal Leader said Mr. Harper is simply trying to force an election before the slowing economy shows Conservative policy shortcomings, and before parliamentary committees can explore the Tories' "ethical" problems.

Full story here:

http://m.avantgo.com/ui?ag_url=52616e646f6d49567471f31bcc18c61d3d3a47a3755632e3c47ec237a156211070f6efbbd1098124404b587d12455c3d2035e5eacba146f3b96957c6a302b82ca73894e5c29b3a63c78c2b6b6962e661&ag_channel=4179&showNav=0&ms=globeandmail
James Morton
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