The Politics Of Trust

A national Conservative Party might offer a credible alternative, if only it could unite its sparring factions. Musing about a solution, he invoked the concept of "creative destruction." Coined by Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter, it describes the process whereby hungry new firms topple established giants. Conservative Party stalwarts insist that what the Canadian public is seeing is the "real" Stephen Harper and say the "hidden agenda" debate should be laid to rest. "Sometimes old structures do need to be demolished in order that new ones can be erected," the speaker told the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating, a group more accustomed to discussing leaky faucets than federal politics. The speaker's name was Stephen Harper. Six years later, as prime minister, his speeches have no trouble finding a national audience. And in the next federal election, some voters will be wondering what creative destruction he would wreak on the country if granted a majority government. When he delivered his 2001 speech, Harper was president of the National Citizens' Coalition, a right-wing advocacy group that promotes an agenda of small government, free enterprise and conservative family values. Yet, in his first 15 months as prime minister, Harper has governed more like a cautious centrist: rolling out a big-spending budget aimed at middle-income families, reaching out to moderate Tories in his caucus, and appealing to "soft" nationalists in Quebec. The difference has been so stark, in fact, that former right-wing allies are accusing him of selling out to the political left. Complete artice at http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=24579&sc=110 [Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on April 25, 2007]

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