CHRISTOPHER C. THRESHER
Opinions Writer

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s ruthless tactical decision to prorogue Parliament has supposedly erupted an outpouring of anger from across the Great White North, with critics describing themselves lovingly as a “grassroots movement.”

Laughably, the Toronto Star endorsed the coming grassroots fury based on the astonishing record of over 200,000 members on the Facebook group “Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament,” as a “growing public uprising,” evoking imagery of revolution, revolt and the nail that would seal Harper’s coffin.

Unfortunately for the average leftist and over 130 professors who recently signed a letter of protest against Harper’s decision to prorogue — nobody else really cares. The concept of prorogation itself barely registers politically, and will only lose traction in the coming months.

The evidence? Facebook numbers don’t mean a single thing. Harper has prorogued Parliament before (the failed Coalition coup), and the Conservatives have only dropped a measly two or three percentage points in the polls, within the statistical margin of error.

The proverbial chess move that Harper has played effectively kills over 30 pieces of legislation, buries the Afghan detainee issue from the headlines and allows Harper to assume control of the Senate with a “working majority” of five more Senate appointments. Harper’s ministers and parliamentarians will also be free to bask in the glowing limelight of patriotism every Canadian will enjoy as the Olympics convene.

He will also prepare for a new Speech from the Throne and March budget, not just allowing Harper to “recalibrate,” as he has repeated often, but gain a better, stronger and certainly more authoritative grasp over Canadian politics.

Harper’s wherewithal and cunning is a clearly partisan calculation, absolutely no doubt about it, but it is not and cannot be considered undemocratic, illegal or unconstitutional. The act of prorogation itself is a common political move and has been utilized over a hundred times in Canadian history.

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, a master politico easily as ruthless and as calculating as Harper, also used prorogation for tactical advantage when faced with the looming Sponsorship Scandal.

The lesson? Harper’s brilliant at what he does, and he has never hidden it. While Harper is playing Chess; Ignatieff is still trying to figure out how to play Checkers.

Wherein lies an acceptable argument is the question of whether or not prorogation for political purposes undermines the unwritten conventions of our democracy, the health and trust of our national institutions and sets an unacceptable precedent for future prime ministers.

Unfortunately the left will continue to annoy us with banter ranging from neat little quips alluding to fascism to hypocritical comments about the unconstitutional nature of the Prime Ministers Office.

So, I guess you can keep signing your letters, joining your Facebook groups and whining about the injustice of it all while screaming “Get back to work!” (as if you knew a single piece of legislation that died once Parliament was prorogued). Go right ahead, I’ll watch. None of it really matters anyway, and mark my words, the prime minister will reconvene Parliament just as thoroughly in control as he left it.

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