Its clear that Harper has lost the confidence of Parliament, nothing can change that now. “Pulling the fire alarm before the test on Monday”, which will postpone a resolution for months could trigger a free fall in Canada’s economy. Markers don’t do well when there is political instability and this would certainly qualify. I can only imagine what the reaction will be from international investors who are looking for a stable place to invest. Deterring the confidence vote might work in Harper’s political favor but it will be at the cost of real people in Canada. 

What should Harper do if he really was a political strategy genius? He should let events play out honorably and begin the election campaign as it will only be a matter of time. The coalition government would be held responsible for the economy. If they can’t deliver, Harper can take full advantage of that in the next election. The wrong political strategy is to call a timeout to save his own job while Canadians are still loosing their jobs. The right strategic move for Harper is to let events play out quickly, coming out of this situation in a graceful and honorable way. 

Will he take the high road? Well, at the rate he was going in the last few days, he’ll burn down the house first and then hand it over. Which means he’ll be finished as leader of the Conservative party. 

In that case, the only person that has the power to put us on a path away from self-destruction is the Governor General. Its pretty clear that nothing will happen in Parliament as long as Harper is Prime Minister. No economy can survive such chaos and a coalition government is better then no government. Right now I am very concerned about the potential for panic in the markets and the devaluation of the Canadian dollar once international investors react. This is a serious matter and Canadians need a resolution now, we can’t wait. There is no need to burn down the house.