Prorogue: Harper's conservatives in state of emergency

Citing "national party security" and national pride, PM Stephen ("I'll be back") Harper is seeking emergency measures from Canada's Governor-General to protect and enhance his power, his perks and his reputation. It's Prorogue 2: 2010 Edition.

With the winter Olympics around the corner and all eyes on Canada, Harper is conducting a pre-emptive war against transparency and accountability (two of the early promises that helped squeak him into power in 2006) to minimize the potential embarrassment of those pesky little issues. Like living conditions in 1st Nations communities. Like Afghan prisoner treatment. Like carbon emissions. Like silencing whistle-blowers.

After all, why spoil a good party and a chance to whip Canadians into a feel-good nationalist fervor that may score votes in the next election. Perhaps even squeak him into a phony majority government. In part, he's relying on a complacent and compliant media to keep the opposition out of the news.

There's also the meme of new Senate appointments to give control to the conservatives.

Having completely blown their "coalition" maneuver last year, the opposition parties left a poison pill that has repercussions on future politics in Canada - including the present. Harper could only win the coalition debate if the elephant in the room - proportional representation - stayed invisible. And it did. Without talking about serious reform, the opposition were unable to defend the coalition. And the charges of a coup d'etat. The G-G bought it. Dion was shoved aside. Iggy was anointed. And voila, everyone just wants to forget it never happened.

So the opposition had nothing to fall back on except more of Stephen Harper. None of them were interested in another election, especially not as a coalition of any kind. Ironically, they feared the punishment that first past the post could mete out were Harper's populist "democracy" themes to actually resonate as an election issue.

So here we are again. Another prorogue meant for Harper's partisan benefit. Will the G-G go along with it?

Whither PR? The liberals know that "their time" will come again and that they have little to gain. The Bloc have even less to gain. The NDP have no one in the parliamentary sand box to play with. And the public is not clamoring for something which remains invisible.