When Germany invaded Poland on Sept. 1, 1939, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King reacted by immediately recalling Parliament, which was not due to sit for another months, and ask for its blessing before declaring war on Germany.
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which → invade → Germany
On the first day of the special session, King tabled copies of documents relative to the outbreak of the war, so that the House of Commons would know the basis on which war was being declared.
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war → table → which
The result of that debate was a foregone conclusion: most Canadians had by then become resigned to a war, which they would fight without joy but with determination.
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they → become → determination
Two days later, the Commons voted, by an overwhelming majority, to declare war against Germany.
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Commons → vote → Germany
For the rest of the war, King would keep the House of Commons informed, even as the government assumed a degree of executive power unprecedented in Canadian history.
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government → keep → history
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Today, Prime Minister Mark Carney has suggested that Canada is “at war.”
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Canada → suggest → war
Just like Mackenzie King, he is going to Parliament.
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he → go → Parliament
But unlike King, he will be going to the European Parliament, which he will attend this month as an honoured guest.
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he → go → guest
What about the other Parliament, the one in Ottawa with the pointy tower which, if left unused, ranks as the country’s biggest tourist trap?
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which → leave → trap
It was adjourned in June, and is not due to sit until Sept. 21, after Carney’s jaunt to France.
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It → adjourn → France
In the meantime, Canadians have to rely on foreign newspapers’ accounts of the negotiations, themselves written on the basis of spin from both governments, to figure out what went wrong.
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what → have → governments
Carney has, of course, offered his version in PMO-controlled news conferences.
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Carney → offer → conferences
Only in July, he appeared to tell whoppers about the agreement with the United States for the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
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he → appear → Bridge
After the Wall Street Journal reported on certain critical details of the deal that contradicted Carney’s own description, he was forced to admit he “should have been clearer” about the agreement’s terms, which included significant concessions to the United States side, concessions which he had denied until an American newspaper reported them.
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newspaper → report → them
But even if Carney was Canada’s version of Honest Abe, he should still go to Parliament before enacting counter-tariffs, the ones currently set to go on Sept. 8.
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he → go → Sept.
Responsible government means that a prime minister is accountable to Parliament, and a prime minister only remains in post if he has the confidence of the lower house of Parliament.
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he → mean → Parliament
Given the gravity of the situation, it is natural to expect him to make a statement on the record in a formal setting where the Opposition can question him, and where there are consequences if he “should have been clearer” but was not.
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he → give → him
In addition, Parliament has the power to compel the ministry to produce documents relating to the negotiations, on the reasonable theory that Canadians deserve to see what their government was willing to surrender to the Americans and what broke the camel’s back for our side.
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what → have → side
There are, of course, prudential reasons against the release of such information at this stage, when a deal might still be forthcoming; but our representatives should at least discuss the desirability of letting Canadians know why so many of them may soon lose their jobs.
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many → be → jobs
Despite calls from the Conservatives to recall Parliament, the government has made it clear that it is not willing to do so.
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it → recall → Parliament
The speaker theoretically has the last say, but he can only recall the House “after consultation with the government,” and there is no evidence that consultations have taken place.
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consultations → have → place
Nor does it seem that the government will pay a political price for ignoring Parliament.
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government → seem → Parliament
Many Canadians, in fact, seem to equate scrutiny — the one role of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition — with pro-American sedition.
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Canadians → seem → sedition
True, some right-wing commentators have been very keen to excuse Donald J. Trump’s conduct, but two wrongs do not make a right, even if scrutiny may raise awkward questions about how Carney has handled the negotiations with the United States.
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Carney → excuse → States
Canada’s parliament is one of the most toothless in the Commonwealth: the average MP spends their entire career without ever breaking the whip.
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MP → spend → whip
Many of our elected representatives only attend the House when they are forced to, do their emails at their desks, and use Question Period to film social media content.
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they → elect → content
If it is not allowed to flex its dormant muscles at such a moment of national crisis, it may as well not exist at all.
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it → allow → crisis
The Aporia
