Liberals Free Vote On Afghanistan

Seems enough Liberals voted with the Conservatives to let the motion pass. Link below will tell you how your MP voted:<br />
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<a href="http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/1/parlbus/chambus/house/debates/025_2006-05-17/HAN025-E.htm#Div-9">http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/1/parlbus/chambus/house/debates/025_2006-05-17/HAN025-E.htm#Div-9</a><br />
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Bill Graham voted yes by the way. Most of the Liberal leadership contenders voted nay, but most of the Liberal shadow cabinet voted yea.

He's perfect - social liberal who isn't laughably dovish (read: impotent) wrt foreign policy.

Bravo, at least in opposition the Liberals can allow MPs to vote their conscience. Whether I agree with the choice is not as important as allowing elected officials the right to vote outside of the constraints of partisan politics. That would also mean that a Boo! should be voiced for the heavy handed partisanship of the Bloc and NDs.

It was more interesting to me that the defender of democracy who was going to bring about democratic reform that more accurately and effectively represented the people (PM Harper) said that regardless of the vote He was going to extend the mission unilaterally. Along with the appointment to cabinet of unelected representatives or poaching from other parties this seems more autocratic to me.

the only reason a free vote was held is that the liberal party itself doesn't want to be tied down to a position while in opposition. War is far too contentious so its better to be able to dance around the issue.

As far as democracy is concerned, the only way that is even remotely accomplished is a referendum, and NOBODY is talking about that.

As usual the Liberals figured out how to have it both ways. I'm very sure that Bill Graham counted heads in his party and knew he had enough that it would pass - so he had the luxury of letting the rest of the MPs vote their conscience, thus looking to the people like a progressive party.

Interestingly, on the CBC they said that the vote wasn't binding anyway - not specifically because of Harper's satement that he wouldn't change his mind, BUT because "decisions about deploying Canadian troops are made by Cabinet and not by Parliament."

Oh really? And who decided THAT ???

Does anybody else think there's something wrong with this picture?

The vote was a publicity stunt. Harper and the opposition knew well in advance how it would play out, otherwise there never would have been a vote. Creating the illusion of democracy is a fine art. It helps having the MSM on your side. You may notice that the MSM never asks the simplest of questions, such as "Why are Canadians killing and dieing in Afghanistan anyway?" Yeah sure, we're just in there helping the Afgan people because we're just a bunch of great fun loving people that just can't help ourselves to go off into a far away land killing a few bad people (I think the term was "scum bags") and helping all those helpless good people because ... well we're just a bunch of really nice people, and that's all there is to it. Next question ...

Marc,
How is democracy better served by referendumb? Encouraging self-interested uninformed electors to come out to cast a ballot really only serves to empower the 'demos'. Witness the cancellation of school programs in California when people were given the right to decide. I will take this or any other form of representative government over rule of the mob.

I may be mistaken, and correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't Canada sent into Afghanistan under the Martin Liberals? If so than this is not solely a Conservative war but a Liberal one as well.