How many of you remember Stephen Harper the opposition leader? Do you remember that guy who said he would usher in a new era in Canadian politics if the people gave him a chance. A Harper government would be more open, more honest than those fat cat liberals. Liberals had become complacent and displayed a sense of entitlement to power. A Conservative government would be an ethical government. What ever happened to him? He can’t be the same Stephen Harper who became prime minister.
Last month Canadians were treated to a federal election a year before Prime Minister Harper had promised one would be held. He had said that governments should not play with election timing to benefit partisan interests so he would set a date at the outset that would be election day unless the evil opposition parties defeated him on a vote of confidence and forced an election. Did I miss that? I don’t seem to remember a motion of confidence being brought forward and the government being defeated. Prime Minister Harper rationalized that he needed a new mandate from the people of Canada for the urgent business which lay ahead for the government. Translation: He thought he could win a majority.
Still, what was this urgent business, particularly? You and I both know that when times get rough we all hunker down and blame the government. Well the going is getting kind of rough. U. S. banks are failing, unemployment rates are rising on both sides of the border, and the North American auto industry faces collapse. Gee, you don’t think ol’ Stephen knew this was coming and figured he better get an election out of the way before the subprime hit the fan?
What could be a more cynical manipulation of the power of the prime minister than that? But that fresh faced farm boy who led the opposition to Jean Chretien and Paul Martin would never have done that. I really wonder what happened to him.
