A Public Letter to Governor General, Her Excellency Michaelle Jean

To: Her Excellency Michaelle Jean
cc: Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Liberal Party leader Mr. Stephane Dion, and NDP leader Mr. Jack Layton

Dec 1, 2008

Your Excellency,

It is with great disgust and much anger that I am writing to Your Excellency to protest against the current political ploy put together by the Liberals and the NDP to topple the current Canadian government.

When Canadians from coast to coast headed to the polls on October 14, 2008, we have spoken as a whole and voted for the Conservative Party with 143 seats in the parliament, the highest number among all the national parties. Following our long-standing tradition of democracy, the leader of the Conservative Party, Mr. Stephen Harper, is thus asked to form a government, with him as Canada’s prime minister. All party leaders, including Mr. Dion, Mr. Layton, Bloc Quebecois leader Mr. Gilles Duceppe, and Green Party leader Ms. Elizabeth May, had spoken to support the democratic choice of Canadians coast-to-coast. Canadians were well-aware that a minority government can be an unstable government, but Mr. Dion has spoken in his speech that he would “work with” Mr. Harper and the Conservatives to help Canada through the uncertain economic times.

It has not even been two months since the election, but now, because of backroom deals that entail details that Canadians have no ability to obtain, Mr. Dion, who was abandoned by his own party just months ago, is asking to form a government with him as the prime minister. The NDP and the Bloc, meanwhile, are neglecting the choice of the Canadians and are supporting this ludicrous idea. To make matters worse, Mr. Dion would then be succeeded by another person when the Liberals have their leadership convention in May of 2009. Canadians in general have no say in his successor. Canadians have not surrendered their right to choose a government to the hands of the Liberal delegates attending its leadership convention – it is a despicable act that violates the fundamentals of our democratic process.

I personally have no problem seeing a majority, a minority, or a coalition government, as long as that government is one that is elected by the Canadian public at the polls. In my opinion, if the Liberals, the NDP, and the Bloc, want to form a government as a coalition, they need to declare that intention and let Canadians decide if that is how they want the government to form. The current idea of trying to topple the government Canadians collectively chose with one that an undisclosed number of insiders conjure is unacceptable, and is a mockery of the democratic system that many Canadians are very proud of.

The reason why so many people from around the world decide to make Canada their home is because of its democracy, not because of corrupted backroom deals that run rampant in the infra-structure of the government – many Canadians have known that far too well. I ask that you, Your Excellency, to declare a general election to let Canadians decide how they want their government to be should the current government be overthrown as a result of a non-confidence vote. I plead that you do not listen to the unacceptable request made by the Liberals and the NDP to allow them to form a coalition government without the proper consultation of the country, which can only be done accurately through a general election.

Thank you very much for your attention to this urgent matter.

Yours Sincerely,
E. Leung
A very concerned Canadian