I found Wolf Depner’s front page report on the election outcome incendiary. The Greens will not base their decisions on being offered cabinet posts. They will base their decision on the final outcome, and what is best for their party and supporters.
Depner states: “… they would form what some have called a coalition of losers.” My question is, who are these “some” to who Depner refers?The only people I’ve ever heard talk that way were spin doctors acting like schoolyard bullies engaged in juvenile name calling. The only “loser” in this election was the one party that lost seats and vote count.
Then Depner claims there was a constitutional crisis in 2008, when opposition leaders in the federal house banded together to force Stephen Harper to address the recession. There was no constitutional crisis. The only event that came close to triggering one, was Harper being granted a prorogue so he could avoid a confidence motion.
Ultimately, Harper was forced to address the recession, which helped Canadians through the financial crisis, and he later congratulated himself even though the opposition was correct to force Harper’s hand.
Depner goes on to use the term “coalition of losers” again, with his description of the minority government that governed Ontario in the late ‘80s. Again, the only “losers” in that scenario was the party that could not get its act together enough to work with others, the Conservatives.
Depner doesn’t seem to grasp we live in a Westminster Parliamentary Democracy, a system that is designed specifically to accommodate multiple parties, minority coalitions and co-operation. He refers to the current scenario as being common to “continental democracies of Europe” while ignoring the fact that Canada itself was created and governed by just such a Coalition between Tories and Whigs. He also is ignoring the fact the BC Liberals are actually a coalition of former Social Credit, social Conservatives and disparate right wing groups.
Clearly Depner seems incapable of reporting on an election outcome without lacing his script with put downs and slanted language designed to disparage the efforts of our political parties to co-operate. He seems intent on encouraging his readers to think there is something wrong with our democratic process. Basically, Depner is attempting to undermine due process in the minds of his readers.
Finally, Depner references the King-Byng affair without explaining it. In that situation, King, whose Liberals had a minority government, went to Governor General Byng seeking a prorogue to avoid a confidence motion in the House. Byng denied the request and sent King back to face Parliament. King’s government fell, and the opposition Conservatives, under Arthur Meighen, who held the most seats in the House, formed government.
A few months later, Meighen dissolved Parliament and went to an election. He was subsequently defeated, and King returned to power with a large majority. If anything, that example should send a strong message to Christy Clark and the BC Liberals not to attempt to cling to power.
My suggestion is when it comes to politics in B.C., Depner makes a better opinion writer than a news reporter.
Will Webster
Saanich