Big Surprise, It's Business As Usual....
Congratulations, Canada. You, oops, we voted in a new government. Didn't we just? Yesterday was the big day following the other Big Day, right? The estimable Stephen J. Harper is now formally invested as Canada's Prime Minister, and he has unveiled his new cabinet, all duly sworn in and ready to move this country over a little this way, a little more in that other direction. We're not going, kicking and screaming in protest, we've warmed to the idea, right? and we're waiting, observing, kind of keen to see where it will all lead. Hey, this is only Week One, and even that just starting, so take a pill.This is, after all, a minority government. What harm can come out of a minority government? There are safeguards, there is the opposition, there is the threat to throw the bastards out - as we did, just recently with those other bastards who betrayed the naive trust of the electorate, right? And we have, now formally installed, a man who we are informed is no longer a mistrusted enigma, but one who has moved firmly to that place, neither too-right, nor suspiciously centrist, where he has succeeded in quieting the more vocal fear-mongers among us. This man has promised a more transparent government, a more careful, honest government, no more smoke and mirrors, but rather full accountability and rigorous integrity for all to see. Promise!
We've seen the gentler side of this man, this implacable enemy of waste, corruption and implausible governance. He has a loving wife, two sweet children whom he obviously dotes upon, and if you don't believe the foregoing, he also rescues and coddles cats. So there. Who could possibly mistrust anyone who has compassion for abandoned animals? Accountability here we come...
A leaner cabinet, he's given us one. He's brought on board several former bogeymen whom Ontarians loved to hate from the bad old days of the Harris-led government which slashed social spending for welfare and health care. Good start. Our new Minister of Defence whose task is to build up our sadly-neglected military, former brass himself, was quoted just recently in the press as saying that Canada's Joint Task Force II was a dangerous group of carefully-tutored killers whose presence should be isolated from civil, mainstream Canada. Oops, this is also the guy, Gordon O'Connor, who was vigorously lobbying on behalf of defence suppliers, and what's this? he's about to have his new department hand out beefed-up defence contracts? Well, kind of interesting.
Oh, hey, big surprise, here's a new convert to the Conservative cause, a freshly-defected Liberal whose Vancouver riding voted him into place through a protest vote, fearful of electing a Conservative. Hey, the joke's on you guys; should've voted NDP after all. He was, after all, only kidding, when a few short weeks ago he declared Harper to be Canada's worst nightmare. Now he's on side with the Cabinet position of his choice. Be practical: what's unethical about hauling in a big fish like David Emerson to augment sparse MP numbers and by the same stroke scoring scarce big-city representation? This is supreme practicality; no, not expedience, get yourself another dictionary.
Ah, the Senate, the Chamber of Sober Second Thought, and the solemn promise to clean it up, clear it out, make it respectable. In the meantime, it's still useful, as we can see, to whisk a favoured partisan into the Senate (ugh, bad word that: appointment) so he can be plucked out so handily for a Cabinet position. How droll, the Minister for Public Works (Michael Fortier, who's he?) and Government Services has been drawn from Quebec! That's funny, funny, funny. Didn't he tweak our noses on that one?
Wait, wait a minute, we're not finished yet. There's always the Minister of Justice, truly one who has a grave responsibility to the balance of truth, honour, respect for the law of the land and full accountability. Wot? You're kidding, tell me you're kidding! Justice Minister Vic Towes has a criminal conviction under Manitoba's Election Finances Act? Yeech! this is your idea of a joke, right? Right?
I'd better leave off. This is just too damn depressing.
posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, February 07, 2006
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