Some Advice for Mr. Harper

Tonight, Stephen Harper will address the nation in the midst of a political crisis of historic proportions. His instincts will tell him to go on the offensive, to attack the opposition, and to draw as much blood as possible, in the hopes that it will somehow stop his opponents. My simple advice to him: don't do it.

Mr. Harper is fighting for his political life, but there are two words he can say tonight that will save his skin, at least for the time being: I'm sorry. That's right. Mr. Harper needs to stand up and apologize to the Canadian people. He needs to apologize for ignoring the fact that they returned him to power with another minority mandate. He needs to apologize for his constant abuse of power, whereby he has used the machinery of government in a concerted campaign to destroy his opponents. He needs to apologize for using a global crisis to settle scores with unions, women, and the political left.

If Mr. Harper has the guts to stand before the Canadian people, and finally admit that his venomous partisanship was a terrible error in judgment on his part, if he apologizes for it, and promises never to wander down that road again, then he has a chance. If he stands up and finally recognizes that his party does not command a parliamentary majority, and if he commits to consulting with the opposition before introducing matters of confidence, then the Canadian people will be inclined to give him a second chance.

If Mr. Harper fails yet again, and if he decides, as he has always done, to use this opportunity to escalate this crisis instead of diffusing it, then the Governor General should refuse his expected request to prorogue Parliament, since it would be nothing other than a shameless effort to abuse his executive power to prevent the democratically elected House to render their judgment on whether or not he continues to enjoy their confidence.