2009 - Year of the Cul de Sac

Twice now in approximately one year, the Prime Minister has decided to prorogue Parliament. Some say it's because he doesn't want to take more heat in the House over Afghanistan; still others maintain he wants to get his majority in the Senate before the House sits again near the beginning of March.In these pages, we've attempted to defend Parliament from the numerous attacks it faces on every level from the present government. But the shutting down of Parliament is perhaps the most demeaning blow of all, since it no longer has the opportunity to fight back over abuse by governing power. Just consider what will be shut down once prorogation begins:Bill C-6 - Safety of Consumer Products BillBill C-8 - Family Homes on Reserves and Matrimonial Rights BillBill C-13 - Canada Grain Act Amendments BillBill C-15 - Serious Drug Offences BillBill C-23 - Canada-Columbia Free Trade AgreementBill C-34 - Protecting Victims from Sex OffendersBill C-42 - Ending Conditional Sentences for Property CrimesBill C-44 - Canada Post Corporation BillBill C-45 - Foreign Nationals Working in CanadaBill C-52 - Sentencing for Fraud BillBill C-53 - Accelerated Parole Review BillBill C-57 - Canada-Jordan Free Trade BillBill C-58 - Mandatory Reporting of Internet Child Pornography BillBill S-6 - Accountability with Respect to Political LoansBill S-7 - Senate Term Limits BillBill C-27 - Antispam BillNow, these are serious pieces of legislation, many months or even years in the making. The parliamentary calendar year was primarily focusing on moving these bills forward in timely fashion. Moreover, what is listed above is less than half of legislative initiatives nearing conclusion. These will all die and will have to be reintroduced in the House. In short, we will have to start all over again with such legislation.And then there is the key work being done by numerous committees that will just expire once prorogation commences. My committee - Foreign Affairs - is nearing completion on Bill C-300, an Act respecting corporate social responsibility. The Human Resources Committee will have to watch their work on ensuring secure, accessible and affordable housing for Canadians (Bill C-304) ride off into the sunset. Of course, the Afghan Committee's study into detainees will end, as will Bill C-201 - an Act to amend the Canadian Forces Superannuation.So, all this now ends. Some might be resurrected, others will never see the light of day again. This is what you paid us to do for this past year. We are supposed to be legislators, and despite our disagreements, we are meant to act responsibly in moving legislation effectively through the House. How much all of that cost for the last 12 months I have no idea, but it's now undermined - wasted in a supposed era of accountability. The next few months aren't just about getting a free ride until after the Olympics; they were meant to be months deliberating how we would pay off our largest deficit in Canadian history. 500 Aboriginal women have disappeared in this last while right here in Canada, but I guess they'll just have to wait for another time. And what are we suppposed to do about Copenhagen? There are so many such stories that will now expire.Two prorogations in a year and numerous pieces of legislation lost along the way. 2009 will be viewed as the year where we started down the road of governmental responsibility, only to be turned around - twice - by a government ducking and running. Oh well, at least we'll have the Olympics, eh?