I am so mad I think my eyeballs are going to squirt blood and my hair catch on fire....

Canada, like so many other nations, is not immune to the global crisis unfolding right now. While other Governments are stepping up to the plate and taking action, what is Canada doing? Zero. Nadda. Nicht. Squat. Canada as of a few hours ago finds itself in a state of Constitutional crisis that is reminiscent of places like Bolivia and Mongolia and Russia.

Stephen Harper, the Canadian Prime Minister, on the surface appears to be a likeable sort. Well mannered, well dressed, educated....I think you get the image. But beneath it all lurks a neo-conservative student who is determined to steer Canada towards a right wing goal that really has not yet been made clear to Canadians. Canadians have been unsure of this man for some time now and that is why he has been unable to win a clear majority in an election.

In a recent economic update, Mr. Harper suggested that Canada might just be able to steer around the economic storm and avoid going into deficit. OK by me and OK by many others. BUT, in the same speech his neo-conservative agenda came to the fore when he announced a plan to squash Government funding to Opposition political parties. As I noted at the outset, this is what I would expect of an Evo Morales in Bolivia or a Dmitry Medvedev in Russia. How does a leader stay the leader forever? By hamstringing the Opposition parties to the point where they cannot function and provide you with any opposition to your policy.

But, Mr. Harper did not plan for what came next. The 3 Opposition parties have now fought back and have laid down plans to form a governing Coalition. This has caught Mr. Harper off guard and today he went to an emergency meeting with the Governor General. I am not exactly sure at this point what all was said at this meeting, but the Governor General has granted "prorogue" until Jan 26th. As I sit here in the lobby of the Sheraton Hotel in Toronto, I can hear people talking all around me in angered, frustrated tones. To put it bluntly, people are pissed off with today's developments. And its not just people here in Toronto. It is people everywhere and I can make that statement based on having just watched the Canadian currency plummet 115 bps. Shocking!! The currency markets are saying they have lost faith in the Canadian currency !!

A state of "prorogue" means that until Jan 26th, Harper can avoid having to face a vote of no confidence in Parliament - a vote that will for sure take him down and put the Coalition plan into play. But, this also means that until Jan 26th,Harper cannot enact any major policy. His Gov't can only do the minimal functions ( like pay the bills ) to keep the country moving. Enacting stimulus packages to deal with the financial crisis is out of the question. Showing legitimate leadership to calm the financial markets is also out of the question.

If there ever was a time for leadership, it is now. And where is our Prime Minister? He is hiding under the table in his office like the cowardly wimp that he is, shivering in fear, reading his neo-conservative play book wondering what to do next.

I have lived in this country for 44 years and for the first time I must admit - I am almost ashamed of my country. Thanks a lot Stephen Harper. I knew there was a reason I could never bring myself to vote for you....