Teaching the Government a Lesson about Parliamentary Democracy

Yesterday, Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe indicated that, in the event that the Liberals were to ignore an affirmative non-confidence vote--as they did this evening--it "would be the duty of the Governor-General to call Paul Martin and to tell him a few things about democracy."

While I'm distressed that the Governor-General hasn't interceded and unilaterally dissolved Parliament (an action more democratic than the perpetuation of the present farce of a government governing-without-the-House's-confidence- because-the-House's-confidence-doesn't-matter), perhaps the words of one of Mr. Martin's predecessors could deliver the consitutional and parliamentary education that the present Prime Minister is so sorely lacking:

"...He wants to know by what right this Government is in office. By the sane right that every government is in office in Canada to-day or has ever been in office in this country -- by the right of the confidence of a majority of the Parliament elected by a majority of the people...

...The fact is both the spirit and the letter of the constitution of this country may be defined thus: The term is five years; the usual practice is four years; the Government is entitled to hold office during that term, provided it maintains the confidence of the representatives of the people as reflected in the parliament elected...

...Consequently, I submit to you, Mr. Speaker, that under the circumstances that obtain now; under the conditions of public policy and the discussion of public principle that to-day obtain by reason of the statements and speeches of public men, the clear duty of this Government, for the present at all events, is to carry on and to carry out its policy so long as a majority of the members of this House repose confidence in the Administration...

-- The Right Honourable Prime Minister Arthur Meighen, Speech to the House of Commons, 15 February 1921, in response to a proposed confidence motion by Opposition Leader W.L. Mackenzie King