- Harper "The government will prorogue the House so that it will not be held accountable for its shameful record"

Excerpt submitted: 10:02am PST, 7 Jan.'10
Harper's new tune strikes sour note, PM trying to avoid facing Parliament, Dan Lett, 7/01/2010
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/harpers-new-tune-strikes-sour-note-80885187.html?commentConfirmed=y#comments

"The government will prorogue the House so that it will not be held accountable for its shameful record"
(Harper, as leader of the Official Opposition, lambasting the Chrétien government's plans to prorogue Parliament back in 2003)

Wow . . . I wish I had said that - about Harper and the Afghan transferee scandal and ensuing cover-up that is - as well as many other things.

Harper and the Con's priority far outweighs any legislative agenda.

In fact, it does not include our Democratic Institutions at all. What does Harper need laws for when he exercises unbridled power through the Executive and Administration.

As far as the 'tough on crime' agenda, as Van Loan explained it, they have "a different philosophy" - yes guess what it is. If your answer is heavy on extreme right wing ideology and light on Democracy, transparency, rationality, factual underpinning, your not far off.

The 'tough on crime' agenda is no more than power mongering, like Harper's other agenda's, and Canada be damned .

We saw the same kind of propaganda politiking with the 2% GST reduction. Even Ian Brodie, Harper's adviser at the time, came out and admitted as much (“Despite economic evidence to the contrary, in my view the GST cut worked … It worked in the sense that it helped us to win.”)

Harper and the Con's use a catchy phrase that is short, resonates with no demands on in depth analysis and sticks, to describe ad hoc and superficial policies - designed for their propaganda machine the likes of which has not been seen in Western Democracies in recent times.

God Save Canada.

Lloyd MacIlquham cicblog.com/comments.html

From previous posts . . .

One big difference between Paul Martin and Harper, aside from Harper's slanderous attacks on Martin and anyone that dares to stand up to him. Martin stood tall, took responsibility, showed leadership, putting the grasping onto, maintaining and grubbing of power, second to the good of the country, and called for an Inquiry into the Sponsorship Scandal. One might say that, yes, but, Martin knew that he, personally, had nothing to worry about when the truth started to emerge.




It would be outrageous if Canadians would have to wait for action outside Canada, on the International level, to learn the truth; and, an incredible catastrophe to Canada and our reputation on the International level, if the Afghan Detainee transfer scandal went to the International Criminal Courts in the Hague.

He may be able to Prorogue Parliament. But, Harper can't Prorogue the Hague - those 'For whom the Gavel Falls' - must answer




How do you get a seat as an onlooker at the Int'l Criminal Court, anyway. Do they sell tickets? Do you to book in advance? Are there Scalpers? Can you apply to be on the prosecution team? Pro Bono? MacKay, you were Foreign Affairs Minister, would you check that out for me. Thanks.





With a 33 - 35% die-hard core of supporters, Harper and the Con's need only be targeted in their approach to wooing and turning some of these Blocks and anyone who thinks they do not have such a strategy and are not successful in this will, likely, be in for a surprise.

The counter to this is to thoroughly and vigorously, with all out efforts and at all times, expose Harper and the Con's for what they are and the damage they have already done and will do, especially if they get a majority.

It is not good enough to say, what are the Liberals doing. I would vote Liberals but their leader is weak.

This is not Harper's Canada, it is not the Liberal's Canada.

This is our Canada, each and every one of us. It is up to us to stand up and be counted. If we shirk this duty, we lose, and our children lose and our children's children will suffer.

We must all keep in mind, it is not Harper that must pay. I am sure that when he 'retires' he will go to the US and get a great paying position with some ultra-right conservative group.


We are the ones, each and every one of us to a man, woman and child, that will have to pay. But, worse, it is also our children and our children's children that will be left to pay the crippling financial debt as well as the impacts of Harper's policies regarding just about everything, not the least of which is Global Warming,





Combine this with a perception that Ignatieff and the Liberals are weak (and if the Liberals don't think this is so, they just have to go out and talk to people) and Harper will, in the New Year, start changing his turn to "Oh, and by the way, did I mention that Canadians do want an election". He may even poison the budget - yah, like he's ever done that before.





It seems to me that Canadian's must be made aware of the overall damaging effect that Harper and the Con's policies will have in the long run to Canada not only our economy, but to the country as a nation and our social fabric. It is our children and our children's children that will be required shoulder this withering burdened.

The Liberal Party, or other the opposition Parties, will not be able to do this by themself. It is something that will have to result from a general awareness, including the media both traditional and Web "[shining a] light into dark corners" of government and "assist the process of holding governments accountable” (to borrow a phrase from Harper).

This, of course, is harder than it sounds given Harper propaganda machine and the huge amounts of tax payers money, as well as Con Party money, Harper spends on media - central to the smooth running of their propaganda machine, the Harper and Con largess is tied to media that publish pro-Con materials.

I think that the way to do this is by having everyone, to a person, in Canada who feels strongly enough to stand up and be counted (I am sure I don't need a reference) do so, be encouraged to do it and be provided with the necessary information to assist. Everyone who can, including the media, who is at all concerned ought to be doing this - Canada's future and the future of our children and our children's children are at stake.