"Superficial criticism," he sniffed when asked about the palpable anger among voters in the British Columbia riding of Vancouver Kingsway, who were reacting to news that David Emerson — the man they elected under the Liberal banner just 19 days ago — had defected to the Conservatives in order to get a plum cabinet job.
"I think I was clear what I did and why I did it," Harper said when asked about his equally controversial decision to appoint unelected Quebec Tory backroomer Michael Fortier to the Senate and make him public works minister. In Canada, public works is traditionally the major dispenser of pork-barrel contracts to ridings deemed worthy of government largesse.
Back in Alberta, the home of the Reform party that first brought Harper to national prominence, there is some dismay.
"I have misgivings about anyone who starts compromising principles on Day 1, especially to accommodate Quebec," said Link Byfield, former publisher of the now-defunct Alberta Report newsmagazine.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1139611811404&call_pageid=970599109774&col=Columnist969907626796%20%20http://www.vivelecanada.ca
[Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on February 16, 2006]
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Does This Remind You Of Anyone You Know?
Posted on Wednesday, February 15 at 09:11 by 4CanadaContributed By
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What makes him think Harper had any principles to begin with?
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Nothing in this World makes People so Afraid as the Influence of an Independant Minded Individual.
Attrib. Al EINSTEIN
And your point is..?
The number one objective for most politicans is "power" and whatever means for achieving that power (the ends) becomes acceptable to the point of legality or even pushing a bit beyond in a calculated risk (the means). Ethics and the rule of law become the same thing.
The Reform Party combined, in part, democratic reformers with right wing ideologues. Anyone who read what Harper had to say, both when running for the leadership of the Canadian Alliance and after he became leader, understood that he did not believe in the democratic reform principles of Reform. His coalition was to be between economic and social conservatives. Harper's writings show a disdain for democracy and his actions confirm that disdain.
I am rather surprised that people like Link Byfield missed that point. Harper's right wing economic principles are intact in the new Conservative Party; he is an economic theorist not a democrat. The selection of Emerson and Fortier for cabinet reflect his right wing economic conservatism. Its central is principle is the special entitlement of economic success (the capitalist) to the corridors power.
Why is Michael Fortier, an investment banker, and an unelected member of the Senate in Public Works? This is the department that holds much of the public assets of Canada. What do you think will happen to this "capital" under Fortier? Emerson is a major shareholder in one of Canada's largest lumber companies, which is now purchasing mills in the US, and he is now in charge of that file. Whose interests do you think he is there to protect and advance? The same could be said for any number of other cabinet picks.
Emerson should be investigated to find out exactly when he first started talking to the conservatives. I wouldn't be surprised if it was not sometime before the election took place.