Holding Harper Accountable

I am growing so sick of hearing that Harper et al are principled. I have tried to get people to see Peter McKay, Vic Toews and Stock Day for the shady characters the public record tells us they are and now Harper has shown his true colours when dealing with the Metis residential school survivors. He told these people they would be compensated before the last election, now in power, he tells them he was mistaken.
I often marvel at how angry and bitter the Conservative supporters seem when referring to non-Cons. I am now beginning to develop the same level of anger. The Cons. speak of accountability - I can't wait until the Income Trust investors, the wheat and barley farmers, and the residential school survivors get to hold them accountable. (Heck, add to that list the anti-gay crowd who watched the Cons. all but give up on their so called defense of traditional marriage.)
The N.D.P. must find their way back to the fringes and the Lib's must claw their way back to the top if Canada is to be saved from the dark side.

I Get It

The Conservatives are working hard to set up a majority win in the next federal election. Harper has muzzled his caucus (they have a habit of foot-in-mouth disease), he has begun a war on the media, (not to be trusted) and he is working hard to control the message, focussing on success and hading failure.

I have feared Harper since his Reform days. He is intelligent, driven and very Conservative in his beliefs and paractices. He has U.S. envy and has spoken of some embarrassment with the average Canadian. I fear him and his supporters more and more each day. I continue to wonder why anyone would support this man and his party.

I am beginning to see the light.

The bloggers have been debating the 'child daycare' issue on a number of sites. Those supporting Harper's $1200.00 plan are very unapologetic in their condemnation of the Liberal plan. There is a true anger with the levels of taxation in this country and a sincere belief that single mothers need a wake up call, 'quit having kids you cannot support!'. There is also a belief that wealthy, double income Canadians will receive the biggest return from the Liberal plan.

I am a little concerned that these angry people are the same ones working to remove the gun registry, and that they are often homophobes hoping to deny fellow Canadians their legal rights but these are issues for another time. What is most upsetting is the selfishness of these people.

Canada is a dynamic, vibrant and healthy place to live. We enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world and have been named 'the best place to live' by international organizations. For a country with such a small and diverse population these accomplishments are nothing short of amazing. Is it possible that the predominantly Liberal governance of our country can be said to have played a small role in these successes?

Ultimately, it remains true that the majority of Canadians maintain a slightly left of center perspective on how this country should be run. The most successful right wing federal leaders have recognized this and have worked to govern through compromise in order to move the electorate, slowly toward the right.

Millions of people would love to come to live in Canada. We are not having enough children of our own to maintain our population so we must look to immigration for stability and growth. The average U.S. citizen has been put in debt to the tune of $28000.00 (per person share of national debt) our personal debt load is $19450.00 and shrinking. Our economy as been growing for years while the U.S. economy is dieing. Our poverty rates are lower and...

C'mon all you angry Conservatives. Celebrate being Canadian. Understand that your neighbors are proud of what are nation has achieved and what we stand for. For over 100 years now approximately 65% of Canadians have opposed the philosophies of the right and yet our nation has become and maintained a standing of envy around the globe.

Eventually Mr. Harper will grow so paranoid he will lock himself in Sussex and refuse to talk to anyone. His ministers will grow tired of the gag rules and begin to speak their truths and the media will find the closetted skeletons. The Liberals will choose a dynamic new leader, the auto workers will transfer their energies to the Liberals and all will return to normal. Can't you find a way to live with these truths?

You Almost Have to Admire His Audacity

Well here we are at the beginning of the spring season and the Stephen Harper led Conservative party continues to be mired in controversy.

Mr. Harper was quick to prove that his words and actions do not necessarily have much to do with one another. See 'It only took him 17 minutes' Now, he has put on the mask of arrogance he once hated on the face of Chretien and Martin. (Ethics watchdog bedamned), Harper has advised that he will not cooperate with the ethics commissioner and now faces official censure over the matter.

Non-conservatives watched in awe the mastery of Harper's team as they worked to convince Canadians that their morals were somehow above those of the Liberals. Somehow the ethics of a law breaking Justice Minister, Public Safety Minister and the valueless 'WORD' of Peter McKay, (I will not work to merge the parties.)were not important during an election that focussed on ethics. WOW, that was a neat bit of work.

It is somewhat unfortunate that the honest supporters of the Conservative party had to learn the true nature of their leader and his insiders even before their first sitting in the house. As I have stated before, the majority of voters in Canada have not been surprised but we are watching in awe as Harper revels in his new found power and he continues to find new ways to prove his worth.

The Liberals are becoming fairly urgent in their search for a new leader. It is apparent that the Conservatives of Stephen Harper are determined to prove that they can self destruct at an even faster pace then did Joe Clark.

In a sane world a newly elected leader would work to surpass the expectations of his own supporters in the hopes of reaching out to those who doubted his skills and character. Mr. Martin could not meet this challenge. Stephen Harper has no interest in even attempting to meet this challenge.

And this is only the beginning...

Sometimes it is best to let the experts speak for you.



I would like to say that this is most certainly only the beggining of what is almost certainly going to be a most painful period of Canadian history.

It Only Took Him "17 minutes" to Get it Wrong

The best way to judge Mr. Harper and his party is to listen to them. Thankfully for Canada and Canadians they are their own worst enemies.

"There's no grand principle involved in this decision, just ambition," Harper said.(Harper on Belinda Stronach's defection, May 2005)

"I think it shows there are two kinds of people in public life -- people with principle and people like Belinda Stronach," (B.C. Conservative MP James Moore, May 2005)

“What David Emerson did, I would suggest, is different,..." (Peter McKay Feb. 2006)
Apparently, McKay believes that men make pricipled decisions based on the good of their constituents while women are just political opporutnists.

"The other thing I want to do is, you know, I'm a long-time advocate of Senate reform which we're going to start through an electoral process." (Stephen Harper Jan. 2006)

"Harper's pledge to reform the Senate by appointing only elected Senators as one of his first steps in the new Parliament." (C.T.V. News Feb. 2006)
Reaction to the Harper's appointment of Michael Fortier to the Senate

"Harper is "demanding" he publicly support Emerson's appointment." Calgary Sun, Feb. 2006) Conservative M.P. G. Turner contemplates leaving the Conervative Party after being told to keep his views to himself regarding the appointment of ex-Liberal Emerson to the Conservative cabinet.

Many Canadians reacted angrily to Harper's questionable actions.

"Prime Minister Harper provided Canadians with open, accountable government for a whopping 17 minutes prior to becoming Prime Minister earlier this week, until he successfully lured David Emerson from the Liberal cabinet." (The Hammer.ca Feb. 2006)

Mr. Harper is fast tracking his party's slide into the slime of political chicanery. The majority of Canadian voters are probably not surprised, however, apparently many Conservative supporters and voters have been caught off guard.

"Amazingly, the first actions of a Calgarian leading a conservative government rooted in the West are roundly condemned throughout the West."(Murdoch Davis, Toronto Star, Feb. 2006)

I have been angry with the right wing leadership and supporters of our nation for many years. I believe that Mulroney and Manning created the mess that saw the BLOC become the official opposition. I argued for years that a weak, divided right was bad for Canada and I have expressed grave doubts over the selection of a Reform Party policy chair as the leader of our 'new' Conservative party. Having now lived through two weeks of Conservative stewardship I can only state amazement in reaction to the incompetance and hubris that is the Harper led government.

For the love of Canada, won't someone with integrity and vision take control of our national, right wing political agenda. If this keeps up we may end up with Belinda Stronach as our next Prime Minister. Ohh, the horror.

Uncertain Future

Our new Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, has begun to put his stamp on our nation. He stated that he would work to mend our relationship with the U.S. and then two days later virtually declared war on our southern neighbors, arguing that he will spend billions to defend our northern waters. Harper was responding to the U.S. ambassador's assertion that the North West Passage is international territory.

Mr. Harper next, put his children in jeopardy for a photo op of him shaking hands with his son as he saw him off to school, showing us his wonderful paternal instincts.

Canadians are now waiting for Harper to announce his cabinet. We have been led to believe that his deputy leader will not get the nod as deputy P.M., Brian Pallister, a well liked Manitoban has advised that he does not want a cabinet post, (he is considering jumping ship)and many Canadians are waiting to see if Stock Day will be our new foriegn affairs minister.

Canadians have put their trust in a new government. We can only hope things get better for the Harper led Conservatives. I won't be holding my breath.

Haper's Path

"...Canada may elect the most pro-American leader in the Western world. Free-market economist Stephen Harper, leader of the opposition Conservative Party, is pro-free trade, pro-Iraq war, anti-Kyoto, and socially conservative." "A Harper victory may prove to be the exception to the international rule -- a rare foreign event that manages to put a smile on President George W. Bush's face." Washington Post

I was recently chastised for refering to Harper as "...looking scary...". I was commenting on the decision of the Conservatives to use Mr. Harper as the focus of their ad' campaign. A few days after my posting the Winnipeg Free Press ran an article that sited a Decima Survey. This survey showed that the Conservative ads' had chased away 25% of viewers.

Perception matters. Stanfield's missed football, Joe Clarks odd walking style and Ms Campbell's "...a campaign is no time to discuss policies..." are all examples of missteps or perceptions that have hurt a campaign. Stephen Harper does not film well. This should not play a role in the minds of voters but...it does.

There are people from many races and cultural groups running for the Conservatives. There are men, women, old and young Canadians running for this party. An ad' campaign that focussed on the diversity and inclusivity of the Conservative party could put a new face to a party considered too right on social issues. There may even be an openly gay Canadian still willing to speak for the party. (O.k. this is a stretch.)

This article began with a recent Washington Post article about Harper. Ofcourse these statements could not have come at a worst time and combined with Martin's luck at being attacked by the U.S., Harper is once again having to overcome forces beyond his control. His ads are within his control. He and his braintrust must move in a different direction if he is to regain any chance of victory. Luckily there is still plenty of time.