Now, after the election...
December and January were months of rest from writing blogs. Why? I trust is was because I was hiding or running away from sharing my thoughts and ideas relating to Canadian society and the issues or news commentaries of the day. So much of the news from day to the related to Canadian politics and the anticipated election.
During the election campaign and shortly after, I did write a few articles, speeches, poetry and letters. One item was a comment on an article written in the Ottawa XPress concerning my view that the time devoted to the election campaign was far too long. With television and the radio, with magazines and newspapers, with rapid travel from place to place by air flights and on high speed roads highways and with many local meetings to address the issues, we do not have the same need for the time that was required in earlier days for the public to be exposed to political thought and issues of the day. The following is the article written on January 28.
What a waste of time...
Over fifty days spent telling the public what is needed to make our country better than it was during the many days that we were "governed" by parliamentarians, to my simple way of thinking was a waste of time. Most voting decisions were already made when the election was called. How many individuals really changed their minds and if they did, why? Because of promises? In all the days spent in power, the Liberals and other party members did not do all the things which during the campaign they promised. Who do they think we are? Stupid? Well, I guess we are and we get what we have voted for, another minority government, which will be followed by other governments and we will still have, for example, inadequate medical care, crime in our streets and the poor will remain with us. Need I say anything about taxes? The social problems that we have today we had last year and the year before and next year they will still be here. And, this is what we call democracy? Well yes, we vote and live with the results. What ever changes? We will have another election within a few years and a repetition of words after words, promises after promises and another fifty plus days of wasted time!
After the election, the following commentary was written on January 24.
The battle lost and won...
The Liberals are out, the Conservatives in, and to the winner, the spoils. In Canadian politics and government, we find that the Prime Minister is one of the most powerful "rulers" imaginable. He makes appointments to the Senate, the Supreme Court, to Commissions of great variety and boards innumerable. He names members of his cabinet who meet in secret and pledge allegiance to their master and if they do not support him, they can be simply replaced of demoted. Should the P.M. not wear a crown? Stephen Harper soon to become the Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper may show the world what honesty and integrity in government really means. The Canadian public has spoken (or voted) and the Conservatives have won. Now, what does the future hold?
Yesterday, the Right Honourable had his cabinet sworn in. There were a few surprises and some expressed concerns about a couple of appointments for they seemed to run contrary to what some may have supposed should have been the case. All too often the public or media personalities have expectations based on what has been spoken or written by members of the ruling party, as if those words have been carved in stone or that what was spoken is a form of absolute promises without any changes of heart or a response to a need as determined by the prime minister. Canadians should become realistic. The party in political power needs to “rule” and the blueprints and the tools used are those deemed to be the right ones. I say, let the party in power “rule” and let criticisms be made after programs are in place or decisions made which can be addressed in Parliament. The public need not second guess the prime minister on everything that he does. He needs breathing space and the time to get on with governing. His job and that of the Conservative Party is great. Canadians need to give the government the opportunity to get underway.
During the election campaign and shortly after, I did write a few articles, speeches, poetry and letters. One item was a comment on an article written in the Ottawa XPress concerning my view that the time devoted to the election campaign was far too long. With television and the radio, with magazines and newspapers, with rapid travel from place to place by air flights and on high speed roads highways and with many local meetings to address the issues, we do not have the same need for the time that was required in earlier days for the public to be exposed to political thought and issues of the day. The following is the article written on January 28.
What a waste of time...
Over fifty days spent telling the public what is needed to make our country better than it was during the many days that we were "governed" by parliamentarians, to my simple way of thinking was a waste of time. Most voting decisions were already made when the election was called. How many individuals really changed their minds and if they did, why? Because of promises? In all the days spent in power, the Liberals and other party members did not do all the things which during the campaign they promised. Who do they think we are? Stupid? Well, I guess we are and we get what we have voted for, another minority government, which will be followed by other governments and we will still have, for example, inadequate medical care, crime in our streets and the poor will remain with us. Need I say anything about taxes? The social problems that we have today we had last year and the year before and next year they will still be here. And, this is what we call democracy? Well yes, we vote and live with the results. What ever changes? We will have another election within a few years and a repetition of words after words, promises after promises and another fifty plus days of wasted time!
After the election, the following commentary was written on January 24.
The battle lost and won...
The Liberals are out, the Conservatives in, and to the winner, the spoils. In Canadian politics and government, we find that the Prime Minister is one of the most powerful "rulers" imaginable. He makes appointments to the Senate, the Supreme Court, to Commissions of great variety and boards innumerable. He names members of his cabinet who meet in secret and pledge allegiance to their master and if they do not support him, they can be simply replaced of demoted. Should the P.M. not wear a crown? Stephen Harper soon to become the Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper may show the world what honesty and integrity in government really means. The Canadian public has spoken (or voted) and the Conservatives have won. Now, what does the future hold?
Yesterday, the Right Honourable had his cabinet sworn in. There were a few surprises and some expressed concerns about a couple of appointments for they seemed to run contrary to what some may have supposed should have been the case. All too often the public or media personalities have expectations based on what has been spoken or written by members of the ruling party, as if those words have been carved in stone or that what was spoken is a form of absolute promises without any changes of heart or a response to a need as determined by the prime minister. Canadians should become realistic. The party in political power needs to “rule” and the blueprints and the tools used are those deemed to be the right ones. I say, let the party in power “rule” and let criticisms be made after programs are in place or decisions made which can be addressed in Parliament. The public need not second guess the prime minister on everything that he does. He needs breathing space and the time to get on with governing. His job and that of the Conservative Party is great. Canadians need to give the government the opportunity to get underway.
posted by croweagle at
11:10 PM
2 Comments:
Harper’s One-Man-Band, and Pretzel Tories.
So, a little time has passed, and Harper’s daring moves to impress the electorate with his political acumen have now sunk in a bit. Reaction across the country to his cabinet appointments – and abandonment of principles espoused during the election – have varied from sheer disbelief, to shock, to amusement. Never has a Canadian politician fallen so far so fast. Usually it takes time for power to corrupt, but Mr. Harper is a man in a hurry.
Many Tories have had to swallow their tongues and bend themselves into pretzels defending the indefensible. Some MPs have said they fear going back to their ridings because they will have to explain to their supporters how the Harper crew did a sudden U-turn on the accountability issue, which, after all, was the Tory strong point in the election. Harper ran as Mr. Clean, and painted Martin as Mr. Corruption at every opportunity he had.
Even the rightwing press is stunned and disappointed.
Examples of press reaction:
The Vancouver Sun:
“"I expected some of the superficial criticism I've seen," Mr. Harper told The Vancouver Sun in an interview. "But I think once people sit back and reflect, they'll understand that this is in the best interests of not just British Columbia but frankly of good government." Mr. Harper referred to his statements on Monday, when he said he recruited Mr. Emerson to Cabinet to give Vancouver -- which didn't elect a Tory MP in five city ridings -- a voice in Cabinet. He used the same rationale to explain why he appointed Tory national campaign co-chairman Michael Fortier, a Montreal businessman, to the Senate and as Minister of Public Works. Montreal, like Vancouver, did not elect a government MP. "I think I was clear what I did and why I did it," Mr. Harper said yesterday.
The Calgary Sun – Roy Clancy:
“Stephen Harper must be breathing a sigh of relief today. Just minutes after being sworn in as prime minister, he relieved himself of one of the biggest burdens he had carried into the job. No longer must he live up to the impossible standard of political purity and ethical integrity saddled upon him by a naive electorate. ...But as widespread moans of anger illustrate, many Canadians took Harper seriously when he promised Monday to "begin a new chapter for Canada." No wonder they were disappointed when they learned within moments that this new chapter looks a lot like the old one. ...Harper's pragmatic moves may not have violated the letter of his promises to change the way government is run, but they shattered the spirit. .... Monday's manoeuvres quickly lowered the bar when it comes to public expectations of this new regime.“
The Calgary Sun - Rick Bell:
“See the Tories wriggle. Wriggle, Tories, wriggle. Ah yes, one party's turncoat is another party's principled politician. No anger now. No demands to step down and face the voters now. No nasty name-calling now. No sympathy for the poor electors of the riding of the quisling now. ... The trouble with talking about the moral high ground is you actually have to walk on it or, like the kid standing by the broken window after throwing the snowball, insist without shame you've done nothing wrong. ... So the rationalizations flow, the lame explanations are exhaled into the hot air and only those who have drunk the Conservative Kool-Aid will follow as good old ideological ants.”
So, what lessons can be taken from Harper’s first exercise of Prime Ministerial power? Here are a few for you to ponder:
• Just as it is unfair to accuse every Republican of having the same moral vacuity that President Bush has displayed, so too is it unfair to say that all Conservatives – and all voters who voted for the Tories – lack good moral and political judgment. It is very clear that there are a lot of people who voted Tory because they sincerely believed that it was time for the Liberals to mend their house, and for another party to bring in some anti-corruption measures. These people still have high standards; they are as bewildered by the events of this week as others are.
• Harper obviously believes he is above trifling things like having to take the feelings of others into consideration. This exercise of Prime Ministerial power shows that he will think things through – apparently mostly on his own – and then decide on the best way forward. If he explains his thought process, it is obvious to him that voters will then understand why he is right, and fall into line. There is a word for this: paternalism. Harper shows clear signs of seeing himself as the Big Wise Daddy of Canadian politics. His use of the word “superficial” to describe the reaction of others to his crass abandonment of some of the major planks of his election platform illustrates this very clearly.
• Harper is focused on winning a majority in the next election, to happen within 18 months. Everything he will do or say is geared to that. If lesser mortals within his own party do not understand this, that is their problem. They must suck it up and stay in line. Big Daddy knows best.
• Harper does not believe in a democratic party for the Tory government. It is his way or the highway (witness Stronach). This is perhaps the most worrisome aspect for many Tories: did they realize they were electing a dictator rather than the leader of a parliamentary party fashioned along the lines of a Westminster democracy? How many more decisions will be made by The Leader, and rammed down the throats of the caucus? And how can Canadians expect such decisions to be the best, if they are not tested by vigorous debate within the governing party before being made?
If Harper continues in the same vein for the next 12 months, expect him to join the ranks of the Clarks, Campbells and Martins as a short-lived blip on the Canadian political firmament.
By
Anonymous, at 1:00 PM
Very well written and thought through, "curiosity" and I am curious as to your identity, remembering that this "bird" has but one life!
By
croweagle, at 10:27 PM
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