Protesting Harper

SAULT STE. MARIE - Saultites will have the opportunity to voice their opposition to the Stephen Harper's prorogation of Parliament on Saturday, January 23rd at 2 p.m. in front of Sault MP Tony Martin's office at 369 Queen St. East in downtown Sault Ste. Marie.

In a move decried as cynical and opportunistic, in the face of ongoing questioning surrounding the Afghan detainee scandal and tumbling poll numbers, Stephen Harper prorogued Parliament on December 30th, 2009 until March 3rd, 2010.

Harper expressed his government needed time to “re-calibrate its agenda” and that the prorogation would provide Canadians the opportunity to enjoy the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. When asked in an interview with the CBC's Peter Mansbridge about the role of the Afghan detainee scandal in his decision to prorogue Parliament, Harper's only comment was that the issue “didn't resonate” with Canadians.

“While Harper's actions show complete contempt for Parliament and democracy, his comments show a deeper contempt for Canadians as a whole,” said Sean Meades, one of the organizers of the citizen's rally against the prorogation. “He has shut down Parliament so he can cover up his governments blunders and bad policy, meanwhile stacking the Senate with more Conservative Party apparatchiks to push forward an agenda that 62.35% of Canadian voters rejected in the last election.”

The peaceful rally is open to residents of all political stripes, including non-partisans and independents, who wish to show their opposition to Stephen Harper's prorogation of Parliament. “This isn't a partisan issues,” said Meades, “this is a matter affecting Canadians regardless of their political allegiances. It speaks to the nature of public service and the relationship between the electorate and the government. We all together elected the 40th Parliament. Its full composition represents our wishes as Canadians, and Harper loses his moral authority to govern when he denies our Parliament the opportunity to sit.”