Later today, after the sun has risen on Ottawa, Prime Minister Stephen Harper will present what may be his last Throne Speech as PM. Canadian “news” sources would have us believe that there are major dominion-wide, bail-out dollars to be had for failing industries, and that this will solve all of our nation’s economic woes. Resource development will continue apace, and, if we invest our wee dividends appropriately, we, as nation, may just make it out of this whole “economic dealy” in the black. But really, who are they shitting?

With plans to run deficits in the multiple-dozen billion dollar range every year for the Tories foreseeable term, the Canadian people will be up to their necks in a deep pile of shitty debt by the time this economic “turmoil” has sorted itself out, or the Tories are booted from office, whichever blessing arrives first. Meanwhile, Stephen Harper and his publicly-subsidized pack of lackeys will be drawing fat pensions from our pay-cheques while we slave away, day after day, ad infinitum. Seriously, is this the sort of future any Canadian wants?

For their part, the Liberal Party, with new interim leader Michael Ignatieff at the helm of their sinking ship, claim they will not let the PM “skate by with a passing grade.” I take this promise with a massive grain of salt, though it could just be the years of bitterness and anger I’ve pent up against the Liberas that makes me believe they won’t do shit on Tuesday, coalition agreement be damned. Even with a clear head, I wouldn’t give more than a 25% chance, at absolute ballsiest-best, that they’ll vote to defeat the Conservatives over the upcoming budget.

The NDP, however, I’m certain will vote unanimously against the budget, and with good reason. The Conservatives are the enemy of Canada’s working people (and, I would argue, the majority of citizens as well), and if the NDP vote with Harper’s government on anything, from this point on, I swear to Christ I will deny them my vote, as I’ve denied the Liberals mine, until the day I die. I’m sure, though, that Pat Martin will hold onto my vote for another day, as the dirty deeds of Harper & Co. are far too foul, at this point, to forgive.

Just this past Thursday, in fact, a leaked memo from the Conservatives was revealed by NDP environment critic Linda Duncan regarding a planned bill which would eliminate environmental assessments for projects on government land valued at $10 million dollars or less, a move which fits nicely into the Conservatives proposal to increase spending on federal infrastructure projects. If the NDP vote goes along with any of Harper’s backward schemes, regardless of “economic climate,” then they aren’t worth shit as representatives of Canada’s “progressive” Left, and ought to be abandoned along with the Liberal Party, to disappear, in shame, off the radar.

Earlier this past evening, as I was celebrating Robbie Burns Day with a dram of scotch, I had no takers in a bet regarding Harper’s fall. I was hoping someone would back the non-confidence front, but no dice. This, really, is no surprise, but I was in the sporting mood. NDP MP Pete Stoffer is a man whose thinking parallels mine here, or perhaps mine mimics his own? Regardless, he was quoted on the CBC saying, “If I was a betting man, I would say this honestly, I have a feeling the budget may be allowed to pass.”

I am not taking any more bets on this issue, however, I have the day off Tuesday, and have not much planned besides securing a case of Lucky Lager, rolling some joints, and listening over the radio as the deal goes down, or doesn’t. With luck, it won’t, but, realistically, I’ll be shocked to shit if it doesn’t.


Dean Jensen lives in Winnipeg, and also writes for The Manitoban.