Posted on 01/22/2006 8:02:58 PM PST by FairOpinion
An unashamedly Right-wing politician is poised to shatter decades of middle-ground consensus in Canada's general election today.
The emergence of Conservative leader Stephen Harper has panicked opponents and cheered those demanding a radical change of direction for a country they describe as vanquished by the adherents of political correctness.
Paul Martin, the prime minister, warned of a shift to the far Right Paul Martin, the Liberal prime minister, has whipped up voters' fears in the final days of campaigning, claiming that Mr Harper would overturn the newly-enshrined right of homosexual marriage and cosy up to President George W Bush, who most Canadians dislike.
He even claimed that the Tories would attack abortion rights, which the party denies.
"We have a party that wants to take this country to the far, far Right of the US conservative movement," Mr Martin warned.
But despite days of such allegations, opinion polls showed the Conservatives steady at about 10 per cent ahead of the Liberals.
Such a result would mark the first Conservative victory for almost 20 years, although it might not be enough to deliver a majority in the 308-member House of Commons.
The Conservative campaign has been marked by a moderate election programme based on tax cuts, a crackdown on crime, increased defence spending and devolution of power to the provinces.
Mr Harper, 46, an economist, has been very careful not to threaten too much change. But most who have watched him during 20 years in politics say he is far from the typical Canadian consensus-seeking mould that has typified leaders of both Left and Right for decades.
According to his biographer, William Johnson, the country has never had a leader like him in the 139 years since Britain handed over power.
The biography, Stephen Harper and the future of Canada, describes him as a brilliant conviction politician who admired the no-nonsense styles of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan.
An introverted policy wonk, he distrusts the Canadian political elite and has a taste for necessary but unpopular policies. Many Canadians, including some on his own side, say this mix will make the sparks fly if he becomes prime minister.
Unlike almost all recent Canadian premiers, he did not originate in the Francophone heartland of Quebec.
A fluent French-speaker who has promised to leave Quebec's controversial language laws alone, he is unashamedly English by culture, temperament and origin.
In the run-up to war in Iraq, Mr Harper gave voice to the minority who were uneasy that Canada's old allies in America, Britain and Australia were about to engage in a conflict without Canadian units at their side.
On the day war broke out, he berated Canada's Liberal government for its "insecure anti-Americanism".
He no longer insists on sending troops to Iraq but few doubt that when he spoke to the House of Commons that day, MPs saw into the heart of the real Stephen Harper.
Was that a typo - should it have read "muddle ground consensus"?
During World War Two U.S. & Canadian efforts were extremely close, and Canadians served the cause of freedom with great honour.
You stated and correctly so "Our friends are nations like Australia, England, and some others."
Canada is an intricate part of the English speaking world (with the exception of Québec) and even there not all French speaking Québécois buy into the typical leftist baloney.
Has there ever been a photo made where Ronald Reagan doesn't look presidential?
Re:disarmed...That is not true for Canada or Australia, heck it is not true even for France.
There are well over 30 million firearms privately owned by Canadians.
They aren't. In fact, the main source of funding for Canada's national health care system is the infamous GST -- the national sales tax implemented under the "conservative" Mulroney government in 1991.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
It would be nice to be friends again. Right now the US government can not trust the Canadian government not to work against us. Neutrality would be an improvement.
The worst move for Canadian voters would be to vote for Harper and then not give him the necessary seats in parliment to carry through on his agenda of change. If they don't, the Liberals will sabotage his administration just as our Democrats have done, and conservatism will be blamed as a failure. Now is the time for some courage, admittedly something in short supply in Canada.
Martin will lose because of the corruption scandals engulfing his party, not because of any new popularity of conservatives like Harper.
"On the day war broke out, he berated Canada's Liberal government for its "insecure anti-Americanism"."
Anyone who said this is OK with me.
I hope Harper wins, his victory will mark yet another defeat for America's political enemies (first Schroeder, and next year Chirac whose approval ratings are in the low 20's).
It would be nice for me to be able to have a good opinion of our neighbors to the north. It's a beautiful country that I would love to visit some day.
A few points...
Public health care was around long before the GST.
The GST at 7% was a replacement for the hidden Manufacturers' Sales Tax (MST)of 13.5% link
For profit health care centers do exist in Canada and are increasing in number...
Top court strikes down Quebec private health-care ban
WellPointHealthServices
Company plans private health care for Ont. this summer, across Canada by 2007
There is in effect a two-tier health care system in Canada.
Correct me if I'm wrong...Although there are differences from the US, the fact that anyone in the US regardless of ability to pay has access to hospital care indicates we are more alike than different.
In effect paying Americans subsidize the poorer patients.
On a personal note...I'm getting older and will shortly be in need of extensive dental work leading in the end to dentures.
All the costs for this will be out of my own pocket.
We certainly do not have "universal" health care.
You must be really fun at a party.
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