Rae’s appeal to Rideau Hall dials Canada back to colonial timesJOHN IBBITSON | Columnist profile | E-mail
OTTAWA— Globe and Mail Update
Published Monday, Dec. 12, 2011 12:50PM EST
Last updated Monday, Dec. 12, 2011 1:01PM EST
Bob Rae would reverse 162 years of constitutional precedent by having the Governor-General refuse royal assent to a bill. He should be careful. An opposition leader proposed this sort of thing once before – and it ended with a mob burning Parliament to the ground.
The Liberals vehemently oppose the Harper government’s plan to dismantle the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly on marketing grain. They are particularly incensed that the Tories are pushing the legislation through the Senate, even though a Federal Court judge has ruled that the bill is outside the law, because the government didn’t first seek the approval of farmers through a plebiscite as previous legislation requires.
The Tories are appealing the ruling, arguing that no law can bind Parliament from passing a new law. But until the appellate courts have the final say, the Interim Liberal Leader wants David Johnson to stay the government’s hand by refusing to give royal assent to the legislation...........................
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