Posted on 03/17/2006 11:27:07 PM PST by goldstategop
Canada's new prime minister, Stephen Harper, whose minority government was elected on the promise he would break the highly centralized power of "the PMO," the Prime Minister's Office, has begun by establishing what is beginning to look like the most powerful PMO in Canada's peacetime history.
At the same time he has scored a publicity coup by paying a surprise visit to Canadian troops in Afghanistan, gaining top attention in the print and electronic media for three days running. He has also responded to left-wing demands that Canada withdraw from that country by refusing a parliamentary debate on the question and by issuing the flat statement that Canada was there to stay.
Canada does not "run away" from undertaken responsibilities, he said. "We're doing all kinds of great work in terms of helping democracy, advancing the rights of women and the education of children. These are great Canadian values."
It was the first time in years that a Canadian prime minister had stood so squarely behind the armed forces against left-wing criticism, and his very presence in a war theatre stirred the embers of the country's once-vibrant pride in its military.
Notably absent in all this, however, was Gordon O'Connor, Harper's defense minister, into whose jurisdiction he had so visibly intruded himself. This and similar unilateralism was already bespeaking the kind of government he was in the course of creating. He would be his own man, nobody's prisoner, and nobody could expect a sinecure.
The first people to discover this were the "social conservatives," who had worked tirelessly for him in the election campaign. Their influence was significantly non-evident in the "transition team" that last month directed the transfer of power from the outgoing Cabinet of Liberal Paul Martin to the incoming Cabinet of Steve Harper.
The team's spokesperson, for example, was Marie Josée Lapointe, also the chief voice of the pro-gay Equal Marriage Canada, who had publicly blasted Harper as an opponent of human rights during the campaign, and whose colleague in Equal Marriage, Alex Munter, had worked actively against the Conservatives. It was this transition team that had kept the articulate Calgary MP and social conservative Jason Kenney out of the Cabinet, appointing instead "Red Tories" like Albertans Jim Prentice and Rona Ambrose.
The underlying message was unmistakable: The social conservatives do not control Steve Harper. Neither, apparently, does anybody or anything else. Including principles. He is in favor, for instance, of appointing only elected senators, but this did not prevent him from appointing his Quebec campaign chief, Montreal's Michael Fortier, to the Senate in order to make him minister of public works.
While in opposition, he had deplored the defection from his party last year of billionairess Toronto's Belinda Stronach to join the Liberal Cabinet. But this did not prevent him this year from persuading Vancouver Liberal MP David Emerson to defect from the Liberal caucus and join the Conservative Cabinet as minister of international trade.
All these moves are clearly intended to identify Harper as a Canadian first, and a Westerner or social conservative second. This is how he wants to present himself in the next election – as a man with a clear vision for the whole country. That election can be brought about whenever the opposition unites against him in a vote in the Commons, or whenever Harper himself decides to call it.
To establish this "national" identity, he must among other things wholly restore the unity of the Conservative Party from the disaster it suffered after the last Conservative administration. This was the government of Brian Mulroney (1984-1993) which so alienated the West that it enabled the Reform Party to spring into existence, splitting the Tory vote and bringing about 13 years of Liberal rule. Calgary's Steve Harper himself was a product of that Reform movement, and then became the chief instrument in its reunion with the Tories.
But in forming his government, he has had to reassure the Tories that the old national party has been re-established. That's why in his administration there are three ministerial chiefs of staff from the old Conservative group for every one with a background in the Reform movement. This, despite the fact that 80 percent of the Conservative Party's present membership and about 75 percent of its MPs come from a Reform background.
But doing it has required a heavy-handed control by the PMO – heavier, say some disgruntled Reformers, than anything they remember occurring under the Liberals. In short, Nice Guy Steve Harper has turned out to be much, much tougher than anybody thought.
(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.")
Illbedamn.
A Canadian Reagan? At long last, could it be true?
ping!!!
If he's that great maybe we should send Bush and the GOP Congress up their to take some pointers.
Talk about a breath of fresh air. Canada finally gets a leader who isn't some limp wristed socialist commie.
The CBC must be in complete panic mode.
A-Canadian-PM-with-a-backbone BUMP!
It's not often that you get to use the words "Canadian", "politics", and "exciting" at the same time.
He would be his own man, nobody's prisoner, and nobody could expect a sinecure.
The first people to discover this were the "social conservatives," who had worked tirelessly for him in the election campaign. Their influence was significantly non-evident in the "transition team" that last month directed the transfer of power from the outgoing Cabinet of Liberal Paul Martin to the incoming Cabinet of Steve Harper.
Unfortunately if you read the articles carefully, I think Harper is worse than Bush and many US Republican reps that he basically ignores social conservatives after election.
(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.")
One one hand I can't blame him much. This is Canada after all, and its political culture is day and night from the United States. Social conservatism is anathema in Westminster-style political systems (including Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia). These issues are usually left to "individual member's conscience" to decide and "political parties should not aim to have an agreed political platform for these issues".
But on the other hand, this is how social liberalism come into being. The Left is united on these points, and many card-carrying Conservatives have decided to "accommodate with the times".
I don't agree with that - they are the mainstream type of political right here in New Zealand as well, but they have hurt the election prospect of poliitical conservatives at the end.
My personal experience in New Zealand sees that the economic conservatives will "do nothing" to social liberal policies, and people who grow up with these policies are natural support base of economic liberalism as well. This is confirmed by the fact that the Left is much stronger in New Zealand now than the early 1990s, coupled with a Left that windowdresses its economic policies and we have now reached a stage where the Left will become the natural governing power in the country.
(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.")
Until out constitution gets amended to oblige liberals as well as the conservatives to submit vacant Senate seats to the electorate, Harper can, AND MUST, make his own appointments, especially as the Senate is now packed with liberals who ready and willing to sabotage conservative initiatives.
As to crossing the floor: This is not the first time in the history of Parliamentary government that an opposition member has crossed the flor to become a cabinet minister. Note that Belinda is now contemplating running for the leadership of the Liberal party just as she had run for the leadership of the Conservative party just before she abandoned it at the most damaging time for the Conservatives.
Liberals ought to remember the Chancery Court maxim of equity:
"Thou shalt not suck and blow in the same breath."
As to appointing Red Tories and downplaying Reformers and Social conservatives (not the same, BTW). Harper has to bring this party together and he has to demonstrate that HE is the Prime Minister, not the party's back-room movers and shakers.
It's one thing not to be in the thrall of "social conservatives," and it is another thing to go along with an intolerant liberal agenda that wants to impose same sex marriage on society and outlaw and make criminal any expression of religious belief that homosexual activity or same sex marriage is immoral, as Canada has done with its "hate crime" laws.
I would submit that the social "liberals" have gone far beyond "leaving it to individual consciences" to in fact criminalizing socially conservative thought. Public expression of the belief that homosexual activity or same sex marriage is immoral is for all intents and purposes a crime in Canada, UK and many European countries. Hate crimes legislation is basically an infringement of the human rights of traditional religious believers, especially when selectively applied to the benefit of only particular favored groups like homosexuals and Moslems, and reversal of the threat to freedom posed by "hate crimes legislation" is not extreme but perfectly reasonable.
This opinion could only be the position of someone who has been so thoroughly conditioned by the modern progressive state that he cannot imagine life un-directed by the government nannies.
"Christian" "social democracy" is a disgusting amalgam of the most odious aspects of both religion and socialism. Thank God Harper believes in a free country!
The CPC central office is infested with ultra-Red Tories that are left of 99% of the membership and most of the current party delegation.
They want the party led by Belinda Stronach and believe that everyone who isn't a Red Tory should be purged.
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