Giving the Devil His Due
Who would have believed it, that Canada elected an evangelical (albeit discreetly) Christian, a Reform/Alliance/Conservative, no less. Well, we believe it, because we done it. For a simple enough reason: that the previous Liberal government was so hopelessly inept, so cavalier, so ineffectual, so rampantly crooked, so disturbingly arrogant that the electorate just couldn't take them any more. So, on board with the Conservatives; that is, the new Conservatives, alias Reform-Alliance. What a triumvirate; it is to shudder.Prime Minister Stephen Harper strikes fear into my Canadian heart. Well, he seems like a nice man, has a nice and tentative smile. Yes, he lacks charismatic presence, but guess what? who needs it. He has a certain gravitas. He is undeniably intelligent. He is purposeful. He claims to be honest and above-board, and wants to construct his government to be all of those things.
To his great credit, he has done some quite needful things. He has publicly acknowledged and promised redress if only symbolically, to the Canadian Chinese community who were assessed a racist head tax of $500 per person at a time when that would have represented a year's salary to the ordinary Canadian. He has expedited Canada's turn-about in its voting record in the United Nations, traditionally trashing Israel, though truth to tell, the turnaround started with the previous short-lived Liberal government.
Mr. Harper has initiated an Air India enquiry to truly make an attempt to understand that horrific terrorist event that was home-grown, so that the many family members of the murdered may at last anticipate some kind of acceptable closure. He has denied Canada's acceptance of the legitimacy of the newly-elected Hamas government, and cut off Canada's aid to the Palestine Authority unless and until such time as it recognizes the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and harmony with its neighbours.
Finally, Mr. Harper has reitered his government's stand on the Armenian genocide whereby Turkey was responsible for the deaths of over one and a half million Armenians during the years 1915 to 1923. Armenians have fought long for recognition of that signal event in humanity's failure. Turkey has responded by withdrawing its Ambassador to Canada, and by threatening retaliation in the form of trade embargoes. Go to it.
Well, where was I? Yes, lauding the actions of this man who, as Canadian Prime Minister has me and many others rather worried for the potential of a Conservative government upsetting the social and economic structure of this country we love. Honest and above board, we're assured. Acutely cunning, more like it; the intent being to endear himself to disarmed Canadians to enable a majority Conservative government. Heaven help us. A Progressive Conservative government was one thing, acceptable, if one gritted one's teeth. The Liberals should be banished from government for a goodly indefinite period. Which leaves us with the New Democrats who have never held the reins of federal office, and likely never will, but who knows what the future will bring?
But a New Conservative (read: Reform-Alliance) government with a majority which will feel empowered to enact any legislation that might appeal to their tight little hearts? Heaven forfend. Consider: Our current prime minister who decried the arrogance and dishonesty of his predecessors made quite the impression when he made a Cabinet Minister out of a Liberal elected-but-turned-Conservative a scant week following the election; when he named an unelected Conservative bagman to the Senate and as Minister of Public Works.
That's old history now and we turn another page. While in the opposition benches, Mr. Harper demanded the release of the then-prime minister's agenda. So what is Stephen Harper doing now? Banning the release of his own agenda. He has replaced the top bureaucrat at Environment Canada, felt to be too close to the Liberal intent to honour the climate-change plan the Conservatives have always derided. The Kyoto Accord is dead with this government. Universal child care within Canada is defeated. Assymetrical federalism is alive and well, with Mr. Harper assiduously courting Quebec to assure majority support in the next election.
Why am I not reassured? Wait until we see Prime Minister Stephen Harper in a majority government.
posted by Pieface @ Monday, May 08, 2006
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