It is fitting that the weekend after the running of NASCAR’s Daytona 500, engines are revving up around Ottawa as Parliament prepares to return with a throne speech on March 3 and a budget on March 4.
Over the last few days, the NDP and Liberal caucuses have sent a list of their priorities to the government for the upcoming session. Within government, the Privy Council Office and the Department of Finance are putting their finishing touches on the throne speech and the budget respectively. Of course, the kerfuffle over prorogation will bring a great deal of added attention to the return of Parliament and it will be interesting to see how this affects both the mood of Parliament and public opinion about politics over the coming months.
With this in mind, here are a number of questions that I will be looking for answers to over the coming spring Parliamentary session.
1. Can the Conservative Government put forward an agenda and budget that justifies prorogation?
- Considering an argument being used to support prorogation has been the need to take the time to properly develop policy and a fiscal framework, there will be considerable pressure on the government to show that prorogation was both necessary to prepare the agenda and a worthwhile exercise as shown by a robust legislative agenda.
2. In preparation for the G8/G20 meetings taking place in Canada this summer, can the Finance Minister put forward a realistic fiscal picture that acknowledges both the recession we are coming out of and the pressures Canada and the world will face with mounting government debt loads?
- This may be especially pertinent considering the lashing out by the PMO at the CEO of the TD Bank for suggesting tax increases may be necessary to slay the deficit. While I am not suggesting tax increases – not that I’m afraid of PMO reprisal or anything – but the Finance Minister will need to begin telling Canadians how the federal budget will be returned to balance.
3. Can the Liberal Party return to Parliament refocused after a difficult fall session to hold the government to account and be the clear alternative to the Conservatives?
- The public hearings held by the Liberal Caucus filled a void for the national press gallery and discussed real issues of concern to Canadians. The Liberals will be working hard to ensure they can maintain this momentum until the ‘Canada 150’ conference they are hosting in Montreal in March. If the Liberals can show themselves to be a more disciplined, focused team they will be a force to be reckoned with in 2010.
4. Can Parliament function?
- With two of the Parliamentary break weeks cancelled, the House of Commons will be sitting for long stretches and, as any Parliamentary observer will advise, this can lead to increased dysfunction in both the House of Commons and in Committees. It will be interesting to see if our elected representatives can put partisanship aside to get the job done in some sort of amiable fashion.
5. Will Canadians care?
- Over the past few federal elections, we have seen a decline in voter turnout and increased apathy from the Canadian public. The prorogation controversy may have woken some people up but will it be enough to get Canadian voters engaged as an election gets closer. Added to this is the question of who benefits the most from voter apathy or, on the other hand, increased political engagement – the Government or the Opposition?
The answers to these questions won’t necessarily define the spring session of Parliament but they will contribute a great deal to where Canada’s government is heading. Just as in NASCAR we’ll be watching the event closely but we won’t be surprised by a crash or two.
