‘What he’s trying to do is elevate expediency into a constitutional principle’

Ned Franks considers that which Stephen Harper considers debatable.

Parliamentary expert Ned Franks dismissed Harper’s comments as “constitutional nonsense.” “There’s only one requirement for being the government and that is you must enjoy the confidence of the House of Commons,” said Franks, professor emeritus at Queen’s University. “It’s not a constitutional debate. Constitutionally, there’s absolutely no question. There are ample precedents both in Canada and abroad to support it.”

Franks accused the Conservative leader of trying to rewrite the Constitution for his own end. “He’s trying to change not just the Constitution in terms of what confidence means, he’s also trying to change it in terms of how governments are formed,” Franks said. “What he’s trying to do is elevate expediency into a constitutional principle.”