Stephen Harper showing his truest colours in an earlier phase of his political career? (He does have a sense of humour after all?)

“The Conservatives,” John Ivison at the National Post wrote this past Friday, “think an election is probably at least a year away and are trusting in the public’s political amnesia … They believe the only question that will matter by then is: Who do you trust to lead the country through a period of fiscal restraint? If they can contain themselves from doing anything too rash between now and then, prorogation will fade into political antiquity.”

Meanwhile: “Canada steps up aid as Haiti faces chaos.” And in the face of the harsh tragedy suddenly unfolding in the birthplace of Canada’s Governor General, that is a very good thing. At the same time, Joan Bryden at the Canadian Press is no doubt also on to something when she writes: “In the space of a few days, Parliament Hill has morphed from being a symbol of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s high-handed contempt for democracy into an emblem of his compassion and concern for the people of Haiti.”

Under the circumstances, all you can say is if it works for the beleaguered people of Haiti that’s just fine. At the same time again, our resident Ontario historian Randall White has finally completed his deep-background investigation into the great Canadian prorogation debate, that has lately done so much to polish popular perceptions of Prime Minister Harper’s “high-handed contempt for democracy.” CLICK HERE if you still have the stamina to pursue this subject, or see “If there is a deepening debate about ‘prorogation’ and democracy in Canada what does it mean?”,  under the Ottawa Scene category to the right of this page.

Poster for January 23rd “No/Non Prorogue”rally in Kelowna, BC.

In an interview very early this morning, a bleary-eyed Dr. White said he was too exhausted from his labours to offer any succinct summary of his research findings. But he did report that he certainly will be attending the “No Prorogue” rally this coming Saturday, January 23 in his local area. And he claimed that his decision to do this is a better practical summary of what he has learned in his deep background investigation than “still more words.” He went on: “Who can say at this point how things will turn out on the 23rd … I can only definitively predict that I’ll be there myself.” He is nonetheless impressed  that so far rallies are planned in 50 different Canadian centres – and even for expats in London (England), New York City, and Dallas, Texas. “It’s at least a protest against political amnesia,” Dr. White shrugged, as he walked out the office door. (Btw as well as being very long, Dr. White’s article in this case has no illustrations at all: he says the subject is just too serious.)