Canadians decided last that they didn’t trust any of the political parties nor their leaders to govern the country. Choosing the third minority government in a row sent a strong message that they wanted the political parties to cooperate and govern differently.
Coalitions are the natural consequences of minority governments and that is exactly what is happening. Canadians in their collective wisdom wanted the best ideas to be considered from all parties. Harper's hubris is inimical to those ends.
Mr. Harper was aware of this attitude shift in the hearts and minds of Canadians. He campaigned in warming sweaters in sepia toned television commercials. He promised to govern in a more collaborative way compared to the pit bull and bullying approach he used in the last Parliament.
Harper got a larger majority based on the pending recession/depression and the obviously mistaken belief that Conservatives were better at prudent management of the economy. The much anticipated Fiscal Update was Harper, the economist and shrewd strategist, first chance to show he was focused on the needs of the country more than petty and pugnacious political posturing.
He prefers to pick on people rather than govern with wisdom and caring. The people he picked on this time were public servants who had just signed a 3 year contract below inflation rates. But Harper decided they should be denied the right to strike and that was a centerpiece of his pathetic Fiscal Update. There would be no threat of a public service strike for at least three year so it was pure political bullying of vulnerable people.
Next Harper moved to take away legal rights of women to seek pay equity which is so contrary to Canadian core values and our shared sense of fairness. He offered retired seniors a crumb saying they could defer 25% of the requirement they sell retirement stocks now that had dropped 60% of value in a month. Nickel and diming seniors will not deal with the fear from the devastation to the retirement savings of seniors.
Harper has failed to win a majority when he held all the trump cards and played them. He has failed to realize the anxiety of Canadians who face a financial crisis of Biblical proportions. He has been tone deaf or indifferent to the expectations and values of Canadians to make the minority government work.
He has shown he has no respect for the law or democracy. He is terminally tactical and strategically incapable of collaboration, even within his own Cabinet and Caucus. He has no respect for Parliament as will be proven as he tries to prorogue the House to try and avoid the inevitable non-confidence vote.
Harper is clever and conniving but he has shown that he is neither wise nor willing to learn and adapt. In a modern democracy especially with a minority government, those are fatal character flaws that make Mr. Harper unfit for the highest office in the land.
Mr. Harper, it is over. The fat lady is singing and she is well into her second verse. It is not too late to show some dignity and integrity for a change for the good of the country, Canadians and even your own party and your place in history.
The fix was in long before Harper made any statements last week. Layton is so upset he was outed on this that he has hired the RCMP to investigate the call to his supporters he didn't want anyone else to hear, and that is that he was meeting with the Bloc 5 days after the election to start cooking this plot. This makes all of the bleating and chest beating that the 3 stooges showcased in that disgraceful show of solidarity with the separatists, ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteTo have designed this coalition weeks before Parliament resumed demonstrates the naked power grab that is the essence of this coalition, and its obvious disregard for what the voters decided in the last election.
It is now evidently simply wrong to suggest that Harper caused this. He could have offered $100 Billion for infrastructure and INCREASED Federal support of political parties, and the result would have been the same.
This call to his Party members that Layton so badly wants to hide is the proof that this was a foregone conclusion - which makes a mockery of all the yapping about Harper's mismanagement. These guys were ready to usurp the voters decision right after the decision was made. Such is the venality of these people that the warm embrace and happy smiling glad handing with the guy who wants this country to collapse seems perfectly normal and defensible.
It is stunning and nauseating to winess the spin of these back-of-the-pack last place runners, supported by those useful idiots who think winning at any cost is reasonable, defensible and just the right thing to do. Those of us who believe in true democracy are outraged by the planned, gamed and executed hijacking of our elected Government.
Well said crackers. Judging by the response from across the country most people of all political stripes agree with you. It's obviously to late for Stephane to ask for a do-over or a re-take. Though he may have inadvertantly guaranteed a Conservative majority in the next election. I don't know who your next leader will be Ken but you need to choose well, they will have a tough assignment. I believe the Liberal party needs to take time to re-invent, re-tool and re-finance itself. It is important for this country to have in place a strong government along with a strong opposition. It is quite obvious that the current Liberals have an identity crisis and therefore are led by whomever makes the most noise. That is not good for Canada.
ReplyDeleteWell said Ken.
ReplyDeleteWhat is not good for Canada is government run by bullies. It astounds me with all the anti-bullying programs out there that many people still don't get the difference between leadership and bully tactics. And also what the difference is between a conservative and a Neocon.
It is going to be interesting to see how vicious the little rats get when they are backed into a corner. From the rhetoric that is coming from Harper he sounds like he is willing to fan the flames of separatism to keep himself in power. But that is so neocon -creating division by creating fear. Dick and Donald must be so proud.
For the coalition - good on you. Finally some politicians with cahones. Go for the throat and hang on until they are down. The Coalition sure as heck can't do any worse that what Harper and his yes men have done.
"Neocon" is a word like "social justice" or "sustainability"... all are terms tossed around with abandon, but the users themselves cannot agree on a definition.
ReplyDeleteYes, Harper has made an ass out of himself. But no one gave Dion a mandate to govern. Or Layton. His own party wanted him out the door just a few weeks ago (and Stephen Ledrew types still want that).
Seems like First-Past-The-Post woked just fine in the time of Chretien. Now having the biggest share of the vote (albeit not 50%) in a five-party split election is not enough?
Crackers and Albert S are merely mouthing the speaking notes from Harper's propaganda machine. We see the "local activists" venting on right-wing talk radio as if the world is ending for doing the same stuff Harper did a few years back.
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