"Accountability" à la Harper

I wonder... How many elections were won due solely due to "manipulative timing"?

The only thing fixed election dates will accomplish is to make the parliamentary process more partisan, divisive, inefficient and disconnected from the people than it already is. What impact will that have on confidence motions? Despite all his propaganda about accountability, this is yet another example of stripping Canadians of the power to bring down an unsatisfactory government through a non-confidence vote by the opposition parties.

WRT to the Senate - I agree it needs to be tweaked, but right now nobody's looking out for the long-term benefits to Canadians and represent the cultural needs of (ironically enough) the common people, without fear of losing their job for speaking out or acting against the whim of a particularly charismatic and opportunistic prime minister bent on corporate totalitarianism, regardless of what party he/she may be from.

From: PMO-CPM
Sent: Friday, 26 May, 2006 16:27
To: ALLNEWS_BE@LSERV.PMO-CPM.GC.CA
Subject: News Release / Communiqué
From the Prime Minister's Web Site (http://www.pm.gc.ca/)
Prime Minister Stephen Harper to deliver on democratic reform
May 26, 2006
Victoria, B.C.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today promised Canadians that he intends to move forward on democratic reform and will propose fixed election dates for the House of Commons. The Government has also served notice it intends to propose some reforms to the Senate.
"We will do more than just talk about the need for democratic reform," stated the Prime Minister. "Steps are needed that are practical and that can be achieved without full scale constitutional negotiations."
The Prime Minister announced that the government will introduce a bill calling for fixed election dates every four years. Fixed election dates will put an end to governing parties manipulating the timing of elections for partisan advantage. The Government's bill will propose the next election take place in the fall of 2009. The Prime Minister also reiterated a campaign pledge to make the Senate a more modern and democratic institution to better reflect the voice of Canada's regions. "A 21st century legislature cannot remain dominated by appointees who may sit for decades, without a democratic mandate and with the ability to thwart the elected government."