- it is not "Harper's democratic record" it's Canada's Democratic Record while Harper is in office and it's abhorrent

Submitted: 6:55am, 7:05am & 7:18am, PST, 21 Jan.'11 The Toronto Star
Harper’s democratic record wins little praise, Richard J. Brennan, The Toronto Star, Jan 21 2011
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/925601--harper-s-democratic-record-wins-little-praise?bn=1

"Harper’s democratic record wins little praise"

It should be pointed out that it is not "Harper's democratic record" it's Canada's democratic record while Harper is in office.

Referring to it as Harper's implies that somehow Harper 'owns the place' and it is his to do with as he pleases and he pleases to be undemocratic. Harper is the custodian of Canada's democracy and as such has failed us terribly and has seriously betrayed our trust and his duties.

It also isn't "well Chrétien was the same". This is simply obscuring and obfuscation intended to deflect the proper apportionment of blame and responsibility. Chrétien was not the same, clear and simple and perhaps anyone that so suggest might give examples from the Chrétien era that are even in the same order of magnitude.

It is easy to say this is such and even make a good media bite and gain an individual some national attention and perhaps even promote themself, or whatever they may be hawking at the time, but Canadian democracy is too serious too important to too many people to be trifled with in such fashion.

PierreTrudeau's motto, "Reason Before Passion"

Perhaps it should be modified to fit the current context, "Reason Before Self-interest"

And, what happened to JFK's: "ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country".

Somehow the passage of time has played tricks on our memories and these great sentiments have got turned inside out.

"How can you cast your vote intelligently if you don't know what's going on?"
(Robert Marleau, previous information commissioner).

Why are Harper and the Con's so steeped in deception, obscuration, obfuscation, obstruction, hypocrisy and to such a degree you simply can not take Harper and his Con's at their words for anything. The only thing we can be confident of is when Harper or any of the Con's assert something, we need look somewhere else for the truth.

It must be something about a well informed public that Harper and the Con's don't like, that's the rational inference. My guess is that people will start to realize what's going on with Harper and the Con's and see them for what they really are - rightwing extremist ideologues with the good a a few at heart, and vote intelligently. I can see why Harper would find that undesirable.
Liberal and comprehensive rights to access information, available to all, unobstructed and vigilantly exercised, is a cornerstone of modern, open and free, democracy, protecting all from a closed, secretive government intent on using the powers entrusted to them for their self interest and interests contrary to the will of the people.

The open, transparent, free and unobstructed flow of information ought to be enshrined in our Charter of Rights. Its obstruction and obscuration, and in the extreme, by Harper and the Con’s shows us the dire need for this.

Access to information affords the stuff whereby the individual may forge both sword and shield to uphold human rights, preserve individual integrity and ensure true Democracy and without which no amount legislation can guaranty these things and so, should therefore stand on the same footing.

Lloyd MacILquham cicblog.com/comments.html