PING!
Posted on 05/06/2006 5:47:58 PM PDT by NorthOf45
The Harper steamroller
CBC's The National
By Rex Murphy
May 5 2006
I'm not much good with numbers. Accountants with their hawk and scrutinous eyes terrify me. I'd rather chew sand than read a financial document.
Even I can see the Conservative budget is all of a piece with the Harper machine's determination to press a hard, clear agenda onto the Canadian electorate. This is not a minority government we're dealing with. It's a steamroller.
Actually we could have and did expect the GST cuts and the child allowance allotments, the budget plums. These, after all, are part of the precious five priorities that Mr. Harper and his fiercely disciplined lieutenants have been pressing on us with the frequency and charm of a Canadian Tire sales blitz.
The Tories are defining the terms and building a record: Fix the message, keep things simple, and give voters something to remember. They got the headlines they wanted out of this budget too, record number of tax cuts, 28 tax cuts, benefits to the middle class, but the budget is only one more large item in the dramatic series that Mr. Harper set in motion since he so eagerly stepped in to the functions of the Prime Minister's Office.
There was the extremely high-profile stay in Afghanistan, quickly followed by his attendance at the triple summit with Presidents Fox and Bush, the great unveiling of the thick Accountability Act, another of those famous five priorities, and who would have believed it, what looks like a resolution on the near infinite grumblings we've come to know as the softwood lumber issue.
These are all big ticket items made more precious as news because the Harper administration, certainly far more than the oscillating Martin government could ever dream of, has both the discipline and the wit to drive the news agenda and are as bulldogs at their task. In fact, it's difficult not to believe that Mr. Harper's first 100 days have been designed as a mirror opposite to the unfortunate first 100 of Paul Martin. Martin, distracted, heading a divided party, and intercepted every waking minute by new horrors from the Gomery inquiry.
Mr. Harper has taken care of one other matter too. His great weakness in the two elections he weathered was that the Liberals could highlight the vagueness of what he stood for and paint as menacing what was referred to as the hidden Harper agenda, roses on the cover, cobras in the basket. That was the Liberal line on that Harper agenda.
Well, Harper's image is Harper's business now. There will be no grey zones or fuzzy outlines when the next writ is issued.
Always remember, a minority government is just another name for a continuous election campaign.
The Liberals, leaderless and demoralized, are looking across the parliamentary aisle at an image that they should be familiar with, a party fixated on presenting itself as the only body that can seriously offer a real national government when the time comes. Imitation is the best flattery.
This week's budget is one more finely tuned, well managed, efficiently targeted item in Stephen Harper's quest fully to exploit his opposition's weakness, to define himself in advance of the next campaign, and teach the Liberals that the phrase "natural governing party" is not, as they thought, copyrighted. For "The National," I'm Rex Murphy.
Rex Murphy Ping
Thank you Rex for giving us a line to use in our elections against whomever the DemonRATs put up to stand for election.
Roses on the cover, cobras in the basket. That's the DemonRAT Candidate.
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PING!
I hope the Liberals are enjoying their stay on the opposition benches as it looks like they will be there for a very long time.
If Harper doesn't plunge into the "constitutional" morass, Meech Lake or Charlottetown style, the Liberals could well meet their grave on the opposition bench. If Harper makes the mistake of trying to solve the insoluble "language" problem he'll suffer the fate of the Mulroney/Campbell Tories.
Hey!
Nice to see you JBG!
:-)
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