Harper Index: Insults, discourtesy and disrespect mark Harper team's behaviour

[tuvor]

OTTAWA, April 21, 2008: A big reason many Canadians are uncomfortable with Stephen Harper may be the vindictiveness with which he and his team snub political adversaries and others with opposing views. Last week it was Elections Commissioner William Corbett. Before that it was multiple Genie and Gemini winner, and Oscar nominee, Sarah Polley.

News reports last week carried excerpts of a Conservative news release which attacked Polley for her advocacy against Bill C-10, which would give the federal government opportunities to censor artists by retroactively withdrawing previously approved tax credits. "... During the 2004 Federal Election, Sarah Polley was an active member of the 'Stop Harper' campaign, even attaching her name to a news release attacking the now Prime Minister." read the release, which quoted Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre as saying, "Individuals with vested personal and political interests should be honest with Canadians on what their true intentions are." These are tough words to choose for a Canadian cultural icon best known as Sarah Stanley in the TV series Road to Avonlea, based on a character in L.M. Montgomery's "The Story Girl".

The personal nature of the attack on Polley brought to mind the Harper team's lengthy record of personal or ad hominem attacks going beyond civil requirements of discussion and debate, some of which are listed, in alphabetical order, below. HarperIndex.ca encourages readers to submit their own examples, with references if possible, to HarperIndex list entries. As more are received, we will add them to the list.

AIDS activists felt snubbed and embarrassed when Harper refused to go to the International Aids Conference in Toronto.

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http://www.harperindex.ca/ViewArticle.cfm?Ref=00145

[Bragi]

1. This is spot on...

I rceall writing here immediately after the last election that the thing I least looked forward to was the Bushian partisan vitriol and Rovian attack philosophy that would take over Canadian political discourse under Harper.

It is now clear that Harper doesn't see a single issue or problem other than through partisan eyes, and he is convinced that if there's a problem anywhere, then there's has to be a Liberal behind it.

This is a pathetic way to view the world, but unfortunately this perspective more and more underlies and undermines civil political discourse.

The media are, at one level, totally oblivious to the harm this does. At another level, they like political attacks, since it is easier to report attacks than it is to understand, analyse and explain issues.

[Caradoc]

2. The leopard's spots...

Anyone who knew anything about Stephen Harper from his past writings, speeches and long association with 'the Calgary School' of neo-con free market 'thinkers' knew that this would be one leopard that definitely wouldn't be changing his spots. His minority government has been useful in that it has provided Canadians with a much needed break from the federal liberals who were showing all the signs of sloth and patronage that three consecutive majority governments often gives rise to. But not for a moment have I ever thought that Harper would ever achieve a majority government. While some argue that the longer he's in power, the brighter his prospects, but it's been a double-edge sword for the tories. The longer they're in power the more likely those who might have considered giving him a majority early in his mandate would see sense and realize what a mistake that would have been. His brand of conservatism is all partisan and no policy. The only thing working in his favour is a leaderless liberal party; with anyone but Dion at the helm, Harper would have been gone by now.

[Bragi]

3. I don't find the Harper government "useful" at all

Caradoc wrote: His minority government has been useful in that it has provided Canadians with a much needed break from the federal liberals who were showing all the signs of sloth and patronage that three consecutive majority governments often gives rise to.

As a thread below (titled "How Harper is Permanently Changing Canada") notes, Harper is using his minority to permanently change Canada in a number of important ways to match his neocon vision. There is nothing "useful" about this.

- B

[glarius]

4. Harper's plan to remake Canada is working.

Harper is remaking Canada, by stealth. Since he knew that the Liberals were not ready to fight an election, he cunningly has gotten his right wing policies established by declaring almost every vote was a confidence vote. If he ever gets a majority I fear for Canada as we know it.
Whenever I see one of the NDP members of parliament, (when they complain of the latest Conservative misdeed), squawking the same old line, "the Conservatives and the Liberals are the same", I become so furious, I sometimes find myself yelling at the TV.
We have Jack Layton and the NDP to blame for the fact that the Harper government is in power in the first place, and now for the NDPers to be constantly complaining about the Liberals not voting to bring down the government...is the height of hypocrisy.
From my observations, Jack Layton and the NDP have one goal and one goal only. That is to take as many seats as possible from the Liberals and to hell with what effect that has on strengthening the Conservatives. All that matters is the NDP getting more seats.
P.S....I have voted NDP in the past, but never again!