(The following article is from the March 1-15, 2010 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St., Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

People's Voice Editorial

Prorogation over, MPs are heading back to Ottawa. Tens of thousands of Canadians took to the streets to condemn this interruption of Parliament, but to hear the Tories tell it, the nine-week break was more like a work camp than a holiday. It's true that MPs do constituency work while the Commons is not in session, and Parliaments have been prorogued before in Canadian history. But this occasion was different. Once again, Stephen Harper simply shut down Parliament to get out of a sticky political situation. It's a habit which veers scarily towards total concentration of political power in the hands of a prime minister with the support of just one-third of voters.

     The minority government's contempt for popular opinion will be on full display when Parliament resumes. First up is a budget which will scrap any token efforts at mitigating the impact of the deep economic crisis which continues to batter working people. Last year the Tories were forced by circumstances present some budget crumbs - a few economic stimulus measures, minor tinkering with EI eligibility and benefits.

     That's all history now. Using the federal deficit as their excuse, the Tories are reverting to form. It would be mistaken to characterize their platform as "downsizing government." The real Harper agenda is to strengthen the repressive aspects of the state - especially the military, but also the police, prison system, and the spy apparatus - while simultaneously gutting any social policies which serve to redistribute wealth from the rich to the rest of us. Yes, the rogues are back. It's time to hit the streets again.