Neither the Moral, Financial nor Constitutional Authority to Govern

May 11, 2005

This is no longer an issue of politics. It is now about upholding the very principle of democracy. This is about a federal Liberal government that has proven it no longer has the moral, financial and constitutional authority to govern.

In Canada’s democratic system of Parliament, MPs, who have been elected by their constituents, represent the will of Canadians. Simply put, when the majority of those Members of Parliament make an unequivocal statement that they do not have confidence in the government, then that government no longer has the constitutional authority to govern our nation.

This week, the federal Liberal government of Paul Martin was told by the majority of MPs that it should resign. By every definition and democratic law in this country, this Parliament was effectively finished on Tuesday evening. By refusing to ask the Governor General to call an election, Paul Martin is undermining the very foundation of Canadian democracy.

For argument’s sake, let’s say Mr. Martin isn’t sure he’s lost the confidence of Parliament. Constitutional, legislative and political experts from across the country are almost unanimous in stating that he should immediately table his own confidence motion and find out for certain. Instead, the self-proclaimed Mr. Democratic Deficit, is desperately clinging to the power to which he has been deemed unworthy in a democratic vote.

Meanwhile, the sworn testimony at the Gomery Inquiry has clearly and consistently demonstrated the federal Liberals no longer have the moral authority to govern. That testimony points to corruption at the highest possible levels in the Liberal Party of Canada, allegations that include staff currently working in minister’s offices and even the Prime Minister’s office.

Plus, Mr. Martin’s out-of-control spending spree demonstrates that his government no longer has the financial authority to govern. In the past 20 days, he has announced $22-billion in new spending as he’s traveled around the country in his taxpayer-funded Challenger jet, like Santa on his sleigh, trying to buy his way out of a vote-buying scam with your money. The country will be bankrupt if we let him continue on this destructive path for another 10 months.

This nation deserves better. Canadians deserve better. They deserve principled leadership. They deserve a Prime Minister willing to be judged by Canadians on his record and his policies. Now. Not sometime in the distant future. Not hinging upon a report that, due to federal court action by Liberal Party members, may not ever be published.

There have been politicians in my lifetime whose policies I have opposed vehemently in my belief that their misguided actions would inflict irreparable harm to Canada. Yet no matter how much I, and many other Canadians, disagreed with them politically, I have never witnessed the sad spectacle of them begging and clinging to power that Paul Martin is currently subjecting our nation to.

For the sake of this country’s democratic foundations, opposition MPs have no choice but to do everything we can to remove this federal Liberal government from power.

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