Way to Go Mark

""That kind of language (Harper) was using when he didn't have to be as careful about what he was saying is the true Harper," Holland said." (Mark Holland's comments on Harper's remarks on Kingsley in 2001 (?)) Thank goodness someone is outing Harper.

Watch CPAC Committee Meetings!

Last night I watched the HRDC minister and her conservative cronies on the HRDC (?)committee say nothing for one hour - quite a feat! She was asked several times what criteria had been used to determine what should be cut - she said "common sense". She must have said "effective and efficient" a hundred times, but couldn't even begin to define it. When asked what programs were actually cut, as in reduced or eliminated she couldn't answer. Then her (I think) parliamentary secretary put forth a resolution that, if I understand it correctly, proposed that the committee should convene a meeting to study HRDC documents to ascertain the answers to the questions they had asked of the minister. The other committee members quite rightly, it would seem, pointed out that the minister should know that information and be able to provide it, that, in fact, that was the essence of her job!! Stupid and inept or stonewalling!!?? I'd go for the former.

Dismantling Canada's Institutions #2

A couple more institutions under attack: a trial balloon a while ago to change the Canada Pension Plan, and the new onslaught on the CRTC (overriding their decisions). Harper et al's famous "Firewall Letter" shows where he wants to go with the CPP: "Withdraw from the Canada Pension Plan to create an Alberta Pension Plan offering the same benefits at lower cost while giving Alberta control over the investment fund. Pensions are a provincial responsibility...."

And the big picture as he made clear yesterday: In reference to the creation of Mirabel airport, he trashed the Trudeau Librerals: “It was at the time an omni-present, centralizing government." Later he said that he would stop "federal intrusions into provincial jurisdiction" (Tue. Dec. 19 2006 9:13 AM ET, CTV.ca News Staff).

Why doesn't Harper just come out of the closet all the way, instead of periodically peaking from behind the door. He and his minions want reconstruct this country, by dismantling its central institutions, greatly empowering the provinces and rendering the federal government powerless to address the lives of its citizens in any meaningful way. He should put this - his long term vision - squarely before the Canadian public and let them decide in the next election. But he won't do that - he'll hide behind a cash register waving a 1% GST cut at what he thinks are the simpletons of this country.

Harper's Election Strategy

It may just be media spin, but it would seem that Harper is trying to pretend he is moving to the political middle ground - for those of you that may be buying into this ruse, please note that Harper sent his parliamentary secretary, Jason Kenney, to help Ted Morton in his election campaign for leader of the Alberta conservatives. One would do well to check into the ideology of Ted Morton and at the same time check out Tom Flanaghan, another close associate of the prime minister - both born and bred Americans of the flaming right.

Wilkins Has Got to Go

How dare Wilkins smear a Canadians' reputation on Canadian soil. Send him back to the US where he can yatter all he wants. What happened to real diplomats? I guess Bush scared them all away.

Dismantling Canada's Institutions

I probably will miss some but I'll start the list. Almost one year after being elected this is the picture we have of Harper's vision of the country - NOTHING - dismantle it (but leave him in charge). In his pathetic little piece-meal way, he has used his limited minority powers and his desire not to have to talk to anyone but himself, to craft attacks on some of Canada's defining institutions. The most recent - the Senate - where does everyone get the idea Canadians want to abolish the Senate - thank God for sober second thought when we have the likes of Day and Flaherty running the country! Does he communicate his long-term vision for the Senate and how he intends to get there? No, he picks away at it - some elected, some appointed, some short-term, some long-term - what is that going to achieve - dysfunction and then ... is that his long-term goal, does he have one? Abolition?

Then there's the Wheat Board. Fire the President, change the rules - result? - people pissed off -goal? Make someone in the US happy?

The Charter of rights and the legal profession - cut funding for cases where the Charter might over-ride government decisions. The goal of this one is a bit more clear - render the Charter inocuous and reduce the role of the legal system in its protection of democratic rights and freedoms - all the while using the word "democratic" as much as possible as a smoke screen.

Status of women - remove the word "equal" from its mandate and cut funding for systemic change. The goal of this one is also pretty transparent, especially combined with the destruction of a national quality daycare plan. Keep women in the home and promote right wing family ideology - re-legitimize gender oppression.

Supreme court - turn the selection process for Supreme Court judges into a media circus and put a cop on the selection committee. Clearly one goal is to reduce the status and respect the country holds for Supreme Court judges - for what reason? - again reduce the role of the legal system in protecting our rights and freedoms.

See a pattern emerging? Either he just likes to tinker away for the fun of it or he's using his limited powers to initiate the so-called "hidden agenda". It's not hidden - it's right in front of our faces!!!

Now He Wants to Speak to the Press

Are the press obliged like little puppies to come whenever Harper decides to emerge from hiding, and then listen with bated breath. They should have all had the flu. At the same time as he was live on CTV with his self-satisfied little smirk, Dion was on CPAC answering all the hard questions with aplomb and full detail. Why was Dion's response on being available to the media not covered on the news - Harper's on-going refusal has been. Surely no one is going to be taken in that he wanted to reach out to Canadians - he sees the many articulate Liberals addressing real issues in the media and he summons the press - and they let him get away with it - pathetic.

The Gloves, No Masks, Are Off

It would appear that the smug self-satisfied conservatives feel threatened or maybe it's their version of Christmas cheer, but the reactions in question period are decidedly bizarre these days - maybe they're running scared since the leadership convention. The all calm superiority and smiles of Mr Flaherty have turned to snapping and snarling, sort of like a cornered ferret, and then there's the usually comatose Oda - she really got her dander up - pretty unbecoming for someone in charge of the highest forms of human expression, oh but I forgot she's not all that crazy about culture - just war and hockey museums.