Written by Dan Howse
All the seats in the auditorium were taken and the walls were lined with people two and three deep. Representatives from the conservative party were nowhere to be found. Instead, Knox Presbyterian Church was packed with opposition members, academics and most importantly, community members that care.
“We are concerned about the quality of our democracy,” said Byron Sheldrick, a University of Guelph political science professor.
The rally against Prime Minister Harper’s proroguing of parliament began at 1pm at St. George’s Square, then found its way to the Knox Presbyterian Church down the street. According to rally organizers Angela Allt, and Council of Canadians member, Norah Chaloner, the event should be considered a tremendous achievement for concerned Guelph citizens. As the name of the event would indicate, perogies were served and generously so.
At the heart of the event were the strong messages delivered by the numerous speakers and the questions raised by the attending citizens. Just as the perogies were plentiful, there was no shortage of opinion, indignation or discussion.
While the event began with a few chants and announcements, things really got going when local CUPE 3913 president Trudi Lorenz addressed the crowd. Lorenz began by indicting Prime Minister Harper the most effective way she knew how—by quoting him directly.
“The government will prorogue the house so that it will not be held accountable for its shameful record,” said Lorenz, borrowing the words of the Canadian Prime Minister. Stephen Harper delivered this quotation during Prime Minister Chrétien’s prorogation of the house during the sponsorship scandal when he was opposition leader. Lorenz then further emphasized the Prime Minister’s hypocrisy with some words of her own.
“What I find even more shameful,” Lorenz said, “is in how many times governments do not hesitate, when workers are on a legal strike, to legislate them back to work.”
The outrage with the Prime Minister’s actions was not limited to labour board advocates. Representatives from the Liberal, NDP and even Green Party representatives took turns condemning the federal government’s actions. Although Green Party representative Bob Bell acknowledged the similarities between his party’s platform and the Conservatives’, he remained staunchly opposed to what he saw as the abuse of democracy.
“The Prime Minister has found this little loophole through which he continues to jump out of democracy and into his own realm,” said Bell. “It’s imperative that the loophole close.”
Bell wasn’t the only opposition member to take exception to the Prime Minister’s prorogation of parliament. Liberal MP Frank Valeriote was especially active in the rally, both addressing the crowd at St. George’s Square and serving as a panelists at Knox Church.
Valeriote made it clear that while he was a Liberal, he did not endorse previous abuses of power by liberal governments in the past.
“I am not an apologist for former Liberal governments,” said Valeriote. “I want reform as much as anyone.”
He also responded to charges made by Campus Conservative President, Michael Sona, that all dropped bills could be resumed after the prorogation.
“Harper’s going to bring a motion to reinstitute all of the pieces of legislation that died,” Valeriote explained, “but conveniently he will leave off that list [a number of controversial bills] and claim the opposition is holding them back.”
He further responded to Sona’s charge that the opposition’s early return to work would cost taxpayers more, by pointing out that despite some additional cost, much of the staff would already be in parliament, being paid and simply unused.
“Canadians would rather us be at work and doing the work that Canada needs done to address the issues, than not be there,” said Valeriote.