By Ray Rivers
January 12, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Stephen Harper has been PM since 2006, almost a decade. Although there have been longer-lived governments, his is looking particularly tired these days. The enthusiastic thrust to re-engineer Canada’s Senate, by a younger-day Stephen, has fallen off the face of the earth.
Harper can be very combative – he gives as good as he gets. Canadians have a very significant decision to make in October of this year.
Likewise, the PM’s zeal to transform Canadian society and re-mould it into the image of the US Tea-Party has mostly run out of steam. And the consequences of ideologically-driven gutting of the Public Service, to make it smaller, are coming home to us in the form of dangerously poor food inspection, back-logged immigration files, failing rail safety and neglected war veterans.
With an economics graduate at the helm, one would expect Canada’s economy to be cruising along closer to an A rather than the middling C we see today, or the D we expect in the future as oil prices continue to tank. Putting so many of our eggs in the petroleum basket has turned out to be a foolish ploy, even for oil-rich Alberta.
And despite all the ballyhooed cost-cutting, this government has run up as much debt as Pierre Trudeau did in all his years in office, though still not as big a hole as the one Brian Mulroney left us. Should the PM manage to balance the 2015 budget he would still have presided over 7 years of deficit budgets. And the Tories’ only two surplus budgets were handed to them on a platter by former Finance Minister, Paul Martin.
Senator Wallin and Prime Minister Harper during better times.
Yes, there was a recession and Mr. Harper reluctantly opened the national purse when our economy hit the skids in 2008, giving Canada its highest deficit ever the following year. Harper became a convert to Keynesian economics as did other nations which came out of the recession relatively quickly. And Canada’s banking system was able to withstand the kinds of shocks that crippled inferior systems in other places, like the Eurozone.
Stephen Harper in Calgary earlier in his career.
But Keynes would never have advised shameless waste, such as Canadians experienced with the $1.2 billion Harper poured into the one- week G20/G8 party for world leaders in 2010. And the money? Well It pretty much went into that artificial lake, built right on the shore of a real Lake Ontario; into lavish pork-barrel construction projects in Huntsville; and into all that shameful repressive policing that stained Canada’s civil rights record so badly even Rob Ford complained.
It’s called “tanking” – a procedure the police used to restrain people who just happened to be in a part of Toronto during the G20 conference. It is seen as a major stain on Canada’s civil rights record.
The policing alone cost one hundred million dollars, and was overseen by OPP commissioner, Julian Fantino. Fantino, for some reason, had become hot political property after being released as Toronto police chief in the mid-2000s. Both major political parties chased after him like foxes after a rabbit, hoping to snare his apparent star quality. But Fantino was destined to end up in Mr. Harper’s camp. After all, he is the Stephen Harper tough-cop.
Perhaps neither Harper, nor McGuinty who appointed him provincial police commissioner, had spent much time reading his full resume, highlights of which include various accusations of illegal wiretaps, corruption, harassing the LBGT community and incurring the wrath of Ontario’s aboriginals.
But Fantino pleased Harper – he was a lone voice among law enforcement professionals as he opposed the long-gun registry. The two had colluded on Harper’s signature ‘retro’ Safe Streets crime bill. And it was Fantino, of course, who oversaw the security debacle for the federal government’s G8 summit.
Julian Fantino served as a police chief in several major Ontario communities; went on to become the Commissioner of the Provincial Police and then got himself elected to the House of Commons and became a Cabinet Minister. It all looks good on a resume – but there wasn’t much done that should be remembered.
So it is little wonder that Harper welcomed Fantino into Cabinet immediately after he won a 2010 by-election for the Tories. And Fantino dutifully served his master in a number of minor portfolios. That is until he was promoted to be the Minister of Veterans Affairs, a natural and deserved placement for such an experienced security professional.
But last week the PM had to fire his appointee and reassign him back to where he could do less harm. Although Fantino had a nasty habit of insulting his clients – our veterans – it took a scandal, where a billion dollars slipped through his hands while veterans were left in need, to get him removed.
Julian Fantino is symptomatic of what is wrong with Mr. Harper’s government and why the Tories are puttering in the polls, except in Alberta, of course. It’s not just the thuggish behaviour or the lack of compassion, which unfortunately characterizes this Conservative government. It’s about the government’s performance.
Now in a minor Cabinet role, Fantino will have to pull in the Italian vote in the province – can he even be re-elected?
Today’s Conservative political platform is really just so yesterday. After nearly a decade with the same old gang in Ottawa, voters are looking for the ‘refresh’ button. Despite all that budget cutting and public service bleeding, voters are asking where the benefits are.
This upcoming election will be about fairness; about reducing the ever-increasing spread between the rich and the poor; and about the place of the middle class. It will be about building much needed infrastructure and restoring economic prosperity across all regions of Canada. And it will be about preparing to meet the demands on our society from an aging population.
Julian Fantino fits that demographic but he still plans to run again in 2015. Should the voters give him another chance and the Tories win again, it is questionable whether he would be given a new Cabinet position. And if he didn’t get re-elected? Well he has had an outstanding career for someone who started out as a mall cop, and someone who had to volunteer before the police would even hire him.
Fantino should know, however, that he may not even get re-nominated. After all his boss has a nasty reputation for cutting his losses, and throwing those who screw up under the bus – just ask Duffy. So I’m guessing we’ll hear a swan song at an upcoming retirement party, sooner than later.
Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province.
Background links:
G20/8 Veterans Affairs Demoting Fantino Top Ontario Cop
G8 Secret Law G8 Civil Liberties More G8 Even More G8
Fantino in Cabinet Latest Polls Alberta Oil
The above comment proves my point re: the Ontario electorate.
Time to go Harper! Take your Evangelical ideologies with you. Canada needs new blood. You are not welcome in Canada. Can’t you take a hint Harper? There are much better men in Canada to run this country than you. Get out before Canada is completely ruined! We may never be able to undo the damage you have done, but we’ll give it our best shot!
For those who think there is some merit in the argument that more people voted against the Conservatives than voted for them, they should consider the pluralities enjoyed by former Liberal governments which were not much different. We never heard this argument trotted out until the advent of Harper.
A mediocre school teacher / snowboard instructor with great hair makes a Prime Minister? Unfortunately as seen in Ontario the electorate isn’t too swift add Quebec(with their hands out as usual)and we may very well see a Liberal minority. I look forward to seeing those brown paper bags of money being handed out again….ahhh I miss those days….NOT.
Why not have Mac Harb’s pic instead of Pam’s?…..no bias here.
See, Ray IS a good Liberal. Case closed. Harper IS the best Prime Minister. You bet. Case closed.
The Burlington Gazette has let Mr. Rivers, and others, to unilaterally campaign for the Liberal party at all levels of gov’t. This is not a bad thing as the Gazette does not claim to be unbiased journalism………….many papers lean towards certain parties.
I do find it ironic, that journalist were once well respected individuals that did not communicate their own personal opinions or biases. That time has long pasted and now most journalist’s are regarded with some suspicion. Perhaps the Gazette can show its integrity and let political opinion pieces be written by ALL presidents of all the political parties instead of just Mr. Rivers.
This weekly piece by Ray Rivers is touted as an “opinion piece”. Some might consider it to be an anti-Conservative campaign. Perhaps it would be prudent for Mr. Rivers to bring his BIO up to date and declare that as recently as December, he is President of the Flamborough-Glanbrook Federal Liberal Riding Association. Of course it is not a secret, but worthy of disclosure nevertheless.
“President’s Message
The electoral commission and a cynical Conservative government have dealt Liberals a tough hand here in the new riding of Flamborough-Glanbrook. But if they thought that we would fail to meet the challenges of political leadership they have mis-judged Liberals.
For one thing we have an outstanding national leader in Justin Trudeau, someone who is winning hearts and minds across the country. Trudeau offers a clear choice from the tired and dismal politics of Stephen Harper and his team. And voters across the country, and across the riding, are ready for change.
Earlier this year we chose a brilliant candidate who is committed to serve the people of the riding and will make us all proud of being Liberal. Jennifer Stebbing is a breath of fresh air and brings a new and much needed optimism and hope to politics.
Finally, Liberals from across the riding are coming together, giving their time, energy, enthusiasm and creativity to build a new team to support Jennifer as your riding’s executive. This is an executive that is clearly focused on the one big goal of winning Flamborough-Glanbrook.
This will not be easy, we have no illusions. But we will be successful. So I invite you to join with us as we build our team. Join the Liberal Party and becoming a member of your executive if you can. Come to our executive meetings and if you can, join our campaign team. And please get to know our candidate and watch her build support as she continues to engage people across this extensive and diverse electoral district.
Since it takes money to run a viable campaign, I invite you to help us build our war chest for the election next year. More and more Liberals are finding that the simplest way to help is by joining our ‘Victory Fund’ and making a small and painless monthly contribution.
Please contact Irene Wood (jiwood@sympatico.ca), your Membership Vice-President, or simply go on-line and help us all make victory inevitable, with a subscription to the Victory Fund.
Ray Rivers”
“Four legs good (Liberals), two legs bad (Conservatives).”
Well said Ray. The CON’s claim to be good fiscal managers, but in reality, it was Paul Martin who was able to find the balance between continuing the programs that protect and serve Canada and bringing spending under control.
Harper has wasted billions on his consultant friends, self promoting ad’s with tax dollars, and his fake lake. The National Debt is out of control under these CON’s. The PMO is the largest it has been, with the largest cabinet. I don’t know why they need all these seat fillers when he doesn’t allow them to do anything. I guess that is how he keeps his party in “cheque”. Harper makes it rain cash for those who say yes dear leader.
The only saving grace to his time in office has been the common sense of the Supreme Court to block is reckless ideas.
It is time for a return to a balanced and fair approach.
It is unfortunate that the three opposition parties who have a lot in common in their philosophies cannot get together for at least this election and as a coalition clean up the electoral system mess. Some form of promotional electoral system deserves a thorough national discussion.
Of course, Ray is a good Liberal. Gee, I haven’t even seen even a “good Liberal” drag out that old unflattering cowboy hat photo in years. I see image propaganda is still in vogue.
Okay. So now for reality. Stephen Harper has been the best Prime Minister of Canada in my lifetime. Nobody even close. And, to boot, he has lots of steam left. Another 10 years!! Go Stephen!!
The thought of going back to Liberal tax and spend, Liberal corruption and Liberal pork-barrel politics is just sickening.
The thought of Trudeau on the Canadian or world stage makes me vomit.
Another 10 years… of deficits? If you’re crying about tax and spend, you must consider the de facto 16% tax that we are now paying to the US (our biggest trading partner) to buy their goods and services. That is due to the lack of trust that the markets have in the fiscal and economic policies of our shoot ‘em-up, toxic tar sands pumpin’, yee-haw cowboy PM. I think that the phony cowboy hat fits the phony PM perfectly.
I’ve never read Ray Rivers before, but I am having a hard time seeing why you think he’s a Liberal. If he is, I would be impressed as this is a fairly balanced piece. If there were any inaccuracies I didn’t spot them. (Just so you know, I would be happier in a world without political parties… and no, I’m not a member of any Party, and certainly not a Liberal.)
What I really don’t understand is what you could possibly base your assessment of Mr. Harper as “the best Prime Minister of Canada in my lifetime” on.
For me, Mr. Harper’s tenure has been the opposite, and not because of his fashion sense. One of the reasons many Conservatives are losing patience with the Harper Government is its dearth of conservative policy. We have clearly seen that the Liberal Party is not the only one to squander taxpayer dollars. Of course, if we are unlucky enough to let young Mr. Trudeau take the helm, Mr. Harper may not look so bad. Personally, I could be happy with Ms. May as PM, although I would settle for Mr. Mulcair.
The reality is that although The Harper Government may have “won” a majority of the seats, it certainly did not come close to a majority of votes, so we know it does not represent the majority of Canadians. The majority of voters simply did not vote Conservative. The one thing Mr. Harper has done very well is to wake us up to how badly our electoral system needs meaningful reform to Proportional Representation.