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In a June 5th Toronto Star column, Thomas Walkom addresses the question as to whether Conservative leader Stephen Harper “is a former firebrand who, at the more mature age of 45, is moving to the centre … or, a dangerous, socially conservative radical with a secret agenda.”
Walkom’s answer to the question: “Harper is a radical, in the true sense of the word: He would make changes that cut to the root of the system.”
The basis for Walkom’s assertion comes, in part, as a consequence of …
- Harper’s pledge that he would allow a free vote in the Commons if a private member introduced an abortion bill. Harper would not stand in the way if a majority of MPs decide to recriminalize abortion — but it wouldn’t be his idea.
- Harper calling liberals cowards for not joining the U.S. in the war in Iraq: “What is evident is the lack of desire of the modern liberals to fight, and even more, the striking hope on the left that we actually lose … nowhere was this insidious moral neutrality more evident than the 2003 U.S.-Iraq War. Serious conservatives must insist that Canada fully support the U.S. in its new role as the world’s single superpower.”
- Harper’s call for “serious conservative parties” to not shy away from values, on a wide range of public policy questions, including foreign affairs, family and child care and health-care and social services. In particular, Harper has written, “the welfare state is destroying the family through government interference that unduly limits the rights of parents to use force — such as spanking or strapping — to discipline their children.”
- the movement of medicare as a universal entitlement as understood by the Canada Health Act (which demands that 100 per cent of the population be covered equally by public insurance) into a more limited, means-tested programme, available only to those too poor to afford private health insurance.
- a call for an end to all universal social programmes.
Conservative MP Calls For Repeal Of Hate Law
 Tory MP Cheryl Gallant calls for repeal of hate law |
In what is becoming a repeated pattern, a senior Conservative official was forced to distance the party from a candidate’s controversial remarks — this time about Canada’s amended hate law.
In an interview with CTV News, Ottawa-area MP Cheryl Gallant said she opposed the new law that was recently amended to include sexual orientation as one of the protected groups.
“The danger in having sexual orientation just listed, that encompasses, for example, pedophiles,” Gallant said. “I believe that the caucus as a whole would like to see it repealed,” she said.
And this is the party that Canadians are considering making government?
Might B.C. Voters Decide The Overall Winner In This Election?
Arjun Singh writes: I haven’t done any of the complicated math, but the same Ipsos-Reid poll that showed the Conservatives and Liberals in a dead heat in Ontario, showed that the Conservatives dropped 8% in their support in B.C. That still equates to the same Grit/Tory dead heat as in Ontario. The Liberals only dropped 1%.
Interestingly, the NDP is up 9%.
Communists. Running In A Constituency Near You.
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They’re ready. They’re working for you. How able are they? Don’t ask.
If you’re looking for an alternative to the mainstream parties, the Communist Party of Canada says Try us! Here’s one political party that believes having a decent job is a fundamental right.
The Communist Party of Canada has released their platform document, titled People Before Profit!, which its 35 candidates across the country will promote over the next three weeks. Here’s a sampling of tenets of the CP platform …
- An obligation that requires all large corporate employers to justify publicly before terminating operations in whole or in part.
- An equal obligation that requires these same corporate entities to give at least two years notice in the case of massive layoffs.
- The enactment of legislation instituting a 32 hour work week, with no loss in pay or services to the population.
- An end to diverting funds from the Federal Employment Insurance Reserve and a call to raise benefits to 90% of the salary earned by each and every worker, for the duration of the term of unemployment.
Too bad they’re not serious contenders; parts of the platform have appeal.
Who’s Gonna Win the Election Come June 28th?
Last evening, VanRamblings introduced a new election blog (top right), the Election Prediction Project. At present, the site’s administrator, Milton Chan, is calling for a bare majority Liberal government. All that can change in the weeks to come, though.
By clicking on a province on the map on the site’s front page, visitors are taken to a listing of each riding in that province. By clicking on a particular riding, site visitors are afforded the opportunity to read input from voters in that riding (and both their prediction as to who is likely to win, and who the respondent will be voting for), as well as provide their own input.
NDP’s new strategy to target Harper
A Canadian Press story reports that, in a break from tradition, the NDP will ratchet up their attack on Stephen Harper, accusing him of hiding an extreme right-wing agenda.
“With the Conservatives, I think they are being artfully vague in a Republican way about what they really want to do in office,” said Brian Topp, the NDP director of research.
Apparently, the New Democrats have drafted an about-to-be-released document entitled Harper’s Dictionary, accusing the Conservative leader of hiding a range of right-wing plans, from allowing MPs to push restrictions on abortion and gay marriage to re-imposing the death penalty in Canada.
For insight into Stephen Harper’s policies, as well as important 2004 federal election news events, click on VanRamblings’ full Decision Canada coverage.
