Anthony Rota Resigns in Disgrace as Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada

Posted on 2023/09/26 by J.W.J. Bowden

A Politician’s Propensity toward Platitude Destroys His Career

After Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, addressed a joint sitting of the House of Commons and Senate on Thursday, 21 September 2023, Anthony Rota, the Speaker of the House of Commons, recognised an elderly man in the galleries:

“We have here in the chamber today a Ukrainian Canadian war veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians and continues to support the troops today even at his age of 98. His name is Yaroslav Hunka. I am very proud to say that he is from North Bay and from my riding of Nipissing—Timiskaming. He is a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service. Thank you.”[1]

Rota’s praise precipitated a standing ovation. This seemed in the moment like the sort of innocuous and innocent platitude that politicians routinely make about their own constituencies, and it formed but one part of his closing remarks to the Ukrainian delegation.

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Posted in Parliament, Speaker of the House of Commons | Leave a comment

Northwest Territories Delays Its General Election to Mid-November

Posted on 2023/08/29 by J.W.J. Bowden

The Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories convened in Inuvik – above the latitudinal treeline and thus away from the fires – on 28 August, though most MLAs had logged on remotely via Zoom because the fires had forced many of them had to flee the territory and take refuge in Alberta.

The Legislative Assembly met yesterday afternoon and passed three bills: one postponing the general election, another amending the Emergency Management Act, and a third Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures) No 2 to cover the costs of evacuating residents and containing the fires.[1] The Speaker mentioned that “The Commissioner will be asked to assent in writing to the bills you passed today.”[2] I can therefore only presume that the Commissioner of Northwest Territories, Margaret Thom, swiftly granted these three bills Royal Assent by written declaration yesterday.

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Posted in By Efflux of Time, Consensus Government, Dissolution | Leave a comment

Consensus Government & Dissolving the Legislature in Northwest Territories

Posted on 2023/08/26 by J.W.J. Bowden

Wildfires Prompt a Special Sitting of the Legislative Assembly

In August 2023, the skies turned an ominous orange over large swathes of the Northwest Territories as gargantuan wildfires gobbled up forests and inched ever closer toward the edge of Yellowknife, forcing a mass-evacuation of the territories’ capital city.[1] Fires inherently pose a threat to human life and infrastructure, but these particular fires in 2023 have brought another unintended consequence: forcing a delay in the upcoming Northwest Territorian general election, scheduled for 3 October 2023 after a dissolution of the legislature on 3 September 2023.

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Posted in By Efflux of Time, Comparative, Confirmation Voting, Consensus Government, Constructive Non-Confidence, Dissolution, Individual vs Collective Ministerial Responsibility, Responsible Government | Leave a comment

The Canada Day Specials

Posted on 2023/07/01 by J.W.J. Bowden

Political Map of the Dominion of Canada, 1897

You might find of interest this long weekend my journal articles and blogposts on the history of British North America.

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Posted in Dominion Day, History of British North America | Leave a comment

My Review of “Pivot or Pirouette? The 1993 Canadian General Election” by Tom Flanagan

Posted on 2023/06/30 by J.W.J. Bowden

Outline of the Book

Tom Flanagan’s Pivot or Pirouette? The 1993 Canadian General Election is the first in a new series on “Turning Point Elections” edited by Gerald Baier and R. Kenneth Carty and published by the University of British Columbia Press. John C. Courtney wrote the second book on the elections of 1957 and 1958, Revival and Change, and the third book King and Chaos: The 1935 Canadian General Election by David MacKenzie just came out two weeks ago.

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Posted in Articles and Books, My Published Works, Reviews | Leave a comment