Garth Turner on Harper

[Cobalt_Kid]

My name’s Garth Turner, and as a former lifelong Conservative, I know Stephen Harper better than most people. Like Tom Flanagan, I know where he’s headed.

Flanagan has been Mr. Harper’s main strategist for years, and his new book – which I’ve just finished – should be required reading for all Canadians worried about honesty and truth in government.

It confirms a concept called ‘incremental Conservativism’ – a plan for a right-wing government to hoodwink voters by making popular, moderate promises and then, once in majority, to unleash a pure, hardcore fundamentalist agenda.

Why would Tom Flanagan admit this in print? Because he’s telling Mr. Harper’s social conservative supporters to be patient, to lie in the weeds, and wait for unsuspecting Canadians to give this minority government a majority mandate.

My opposition to this agenda that the majority of my constituents do not want is what drove me from the Conservative caucus. I joined Stephane Dion and the Liberal Party to stand up for the agenda of tolerance and moderation and ethics in Ottawa. And now we need you.

All Canadians need to be told what the stakes are in the next election. That takes money, and your small donation will help get that message out. It is so important.

Mr. Harper and Mr. Flanagan have this all figured out. You and I and Stephane Dion stand in their way. Please take the time to donate, and give us the weapons to fight for the best interests of Canada.

This came out a while ago and pretty much confirms what I've thought about Harper and his supporters from the start.

Is there really room in a democracy for parties that want to do away with real political choice?

This is one of the big reasons I support Dion, he's one of the few politicians on the federal level who understands the stakes for Canada and is willing to pay the price of opposing an agenda with some very powerful and determined backers.

 

[wallyj]

The hidden agenda rears it's ugly head again. Impossible to refute because it is hidden. Scary,scary conservatives are coming to get you. Garth was up there,so was Belinda,why have they kept quiet about this "hidden agenda"?Surely they must know details of the master plan. Dion and his minions haven't opposed a thing in the past few months. That is leadership? I'll bet that when Mrs. Steffi lays out his clothes for the day that she has been giving him shoes without laces the past few weeks.

 

[lone wolf]

Now how do you suppose anyone who's left the fold is going to avoid looking like sour grapes when the facts get manipulated into more smoke and mirrors to mask Harpo's agenda? He's slime and the only reasons he won power was to appease western voters and please the "No more Quebec PM" crowd. What we saw in Mike Harris Tories, we'll see in a Reform/Alliance/Conservative majority.

Woof!

 

[Milko]

I dislike Dion very much. He is, duh quoting conservative ad here, not a leader. I mean how weak he can get to simply walk away when it comes to voting on key bills? First he walked away on crime bill, then he didn't show up on his own budget amendment and same happened to budget voting. While I can understand budget voting other instances show his weak leadership to me.

I do not like the guy personally and based on his political agenda. Hope liberals will get ride of this weakling soon enough. Ignatieff or McCallum would be much more effective leaders attracting voters, of course imo.
​

 

[lone wolf]

I dislike Dion very much. He is, duh quoting conservative ad here, not a leader. I mean how weak he can get to simply walk away when it comes to voting on key bills? First he walked away on crime bill, then he didn't show up on his own budget amendment and same happened to budget voting. While I can understand budget voting other instances show his weak leadership to me.​

I do not like the guy personally and based on his political agenda. Hope liberals will get ride of this weakling soon enough. Ignatieff or McCallum would be much more effective leaders attracting voters, of course imo.​

That is the one thing to Harper's advantage - no leadership in the Liberal camp. No one to vote FOR. The vote against Harper is a split one - exactly the same conditions that gave us Free Trade then GST.

Woof!

 

[Milko]

That is the one thing to Harper's advantage - no leadership in the Liberal camp. No one to vote FOR. The vote against Harper is a split one - exactly the same conditions that gave us Free Trade then GST.

Woof!

I was actually hoping for elections this year.I know Cons will get the government, but at least it would show how weak liberals are.

 

[Praxius]

I wouldn't listen to a damn thing that comes out of that hypocritical BS'ing poser Garth.

I used to frequent his little blog site a while back around the time he got his arse canned. He was going on about the evil Harper machine and their evil plans OOOOoooooo.....

He went on about how he was going to go as an independant and fight the good fight for the little people..... what a hero.

Then I started to ask him a few ligitamate questions about some of the things he was talking about here and there, and for some reason, most questions went unanswered... then disapeared. Eventually I started to realize I couldn't even post anything anymore. Funny thing was, I wasn't being a jerk for once and just asking honest questions.

Suddenly he joins the Liberals.... the toads he moaned about and fought against in the Conservatives.... after claiming to have a desire to fight for the little guy and being an independant, he joins the same idiots we voted out to begin with who ripped us off for 10 years.

WTF? The guy's an idiot and an attention Who'Are. He'll moan about what everybody else is doing or not doing, but I don't hear anything profound coming from his corner. Oh and the "Digital Democracy" plan he's shot around a while back isn't anything new, and in fact is much similar to something I thought up as a teenager..... cripes.

 

[lone wolf]

I was actually hoping for elections this year.I know Cons will get the government, but at least it would show how weak liberals are.​

If it stayed Tory minority, okay by me - even thoug I am most heartily NOT a Tory. I believe that's why Harper is avoiding the business of governing and going out of his way to make the other guys look bad. A majority is what he wants - and the very thing that most arrogant of *ahem* people should not have. The power hungry nature of the man burns from his beady little eyes. He will hurt Canada.

Woof!​

 

[Milko]

If it stayed Tory minority, okay by me - even thoug I am most heartily NOT a Tory. I believe that's why Harper is avoiding the business of governing and going out of his way to make the other guys look bad. A majority is what he wants - and the very thing that most arrogant of *ahem* people should not have. The power hungry nature of the man burns from his beady little eyes. He will hurt Canada.

Woof!

I absolutely agree. But recent polls do not suggest majority government, lots of people hate Harper and with upcoming economic slow down even more are concerned. But a good slap in the face of liberals would be a benefit I'd love to see them lose to NDP and BC in Quebes, so they can wake up and elect a decent leader. Why they do no want it is because Dion is a coward, he knows he can't hold the position long enough so for me it is just his lust for power. Shame for liberals.

 

[Cobalt_Kid]

The hidden agenda rears it's ugly head again. Impossible to refute because it is hidden. Scary,scary conservatives are coming to get you. Garth was up there,so was Belinda,why have they kept quiet about this "hidden agenda"?Surely they must know details of the master plan. Dion and his minions haven't opposed a thing in the past few months. That is leadership? I'll bet that when Mrs. Steffi lays out his clothes for the day that she has been giving him shoes without laces the past few weeks.

It's two years on from the last election and Harper still doesn't have his majority, I think Dion is doing a brilliant job. Everything the conservatives do is directed towards appearing responsible enough to suck Canadian voters into giving them the rubber stamp they desire in the House.

Harper strikes me as the kind of guy who holds his cards very close to the chest, he's not going to tell anyone outside his immediate circle his agenda. Try to get any information out of Ottawa now, you need to go throught the PMO to even get data from Environment Canada now, only intentional leaks like the Obama memo are going out.

Dion is fighting a holding action against an opponent that is using all the resources of government and large corporate backers (and yes I know there are limits on individual donations, there are also bundling schemes to get around them) to put a full court press on the opposition. Dion is a good match for the kind of ideological campaign being waged in Canadas political arena by Harper and his flunkies. He doesn't have to shine in the press, merely survive to fight another day and he's succeeding. I'm predicting a Liberal minority government come next election.

 

[Cobalt_Kid]

I absolutely agree. But recent polls do not suggest majority government, lots of people hate Harper and with upcoming economic slow down even more are concerned. But a good slap in the face of liberals would be a benefit I'd love to see them lose to NDP and BC in Quebes, so they can wake up and elect a decent leader. Why they do no want it is because Dion is a coward, he knows he can't hold the position long enough so for me it is just his lust for power. Shame for liberals.

You're playing the conservative game of putting the spotlight on Dion instead of where it belongs, on Harper. Dion has stood up to a concerted and very personal attack, especially in Quebec, with the goal of neutralizing him as a threat to Harper. He hasn't sunk to level of the power hungry and abusive conservatives and is still trying to make our system work despite all the significant roadblocks put in his way.

We're being programmed to see Dion in a negative light, I don't buy it. I have even more respect for a beaten and bloody fighter that's still standing even after all the abuse thrown his way. Dion is my kind of Canadian, he's not some boot licking neocon minion like Harper.

 

[Colpy]

Un-huh.

Garth Turner doesn't like Harper.

SURPRIZE!

If Turner was SUCH a (small l) liberal Dude, out to defend the "toleranace and moderation" so inherent in the Liberal Party WHY DID HE RUN AS A CONSERVATIVE?

Turner, on whom I was neutral, has just proven he is scum.

Dion was a cabinet member in the MOST corrupt gov't in Canadian history.

SPARE ME the holier-than-thou BS.

 

[Cobalt_Kid]

The power hungry nature of the man burns from his beady little eyes. He will hurt Canada.

Woof!

I don't get the feeling there's any passion when I see Harpers eyes. To me he appears like the kind of person that could downsize a significant proportion of Canadian society without missing a beat. The quote that really best suits Harper for me is from a 22 minutes show and describes Harper as having "dead shark eyes", kind of funny until you realize that he's able to control significant parts of lives and future.

 

[Walter]

What we saw in Mike Harris Tories, we'll see in a Reform/Alliance/Conservative majority.

I hope so.

 

[Walter]

the same conditions that gave us Free Trade then GST.

Best fiscal things to happen in Canada in decades.

 

[Praxius]

Un-huh.

Garth Turner doesn't like Harper.

SURPRIZE!

If Turner was SUCH a (small l) liberal Dude, out to defend the "toleranace and moderation" so inherent in the Liberal Party WHY DID HE RUN AS A CONSERVATIVE?

Turner, on whom I was neutral, has just proven he is scum.

Dion was a cabinet member in the MOST corrupt gov't in Canadian history.

SPARE ME the holier-than-thou BS.

Hey there ya go, we agree on something. Garth is a tool.

My last post wasn't just because of some personal hate on the guy, I couldn't care less if he was slowly driven over by a steam roller. But one thing I can't stand in the world is a BS'ing politician, trying to play the good guy card for the people actually wanting change, but truly out for his own screwed up intentions.... and is a chicken-hershey'squirt when it comes to the tough honest questions directed towards him.

No wonder why he was given the boot, because he's out for his own personal gains, likes to have this unhealthy obcession with the image that he's the hero of the people and only he know's what's best.... so he goes and gun-slings it and acts all cowboy to gain attention..... the big rebel. Then when he purposely does something in which he knows he shouldn't, he gets the can..... oh but it's the big evil party who's at fault. The same party who was handing him his pay cheques that's about my entire year's salery each, yeah.... poor him.

Sorry, the guy's go no credibility in his body. I'm not one to believe in old wive's tales, but he's got a beard.... don't trust the bugger, cuz he lives up to the stereotype.

 

[lone wolf]

I hope so.

Six letter word - means tyrant - starts with "H"

Woof!

 

[lone wolf]

Best fiscal things to happen in Canada in decades.

Sure it was.... Traded solid Canadian industry for minimum-wage American jobs - then stepped on provincial toes so it tax the Hell out of everything. If GST is so fiscally great, Walter, why is Harpo trying to win points by cutting it back - one percentage point at a time?

I do have a personal grievance. I didn't fear Free Trade and bought out a trucking business. GST killed the customer and Free Trade allowed the American company who owned both the supplier and the receiver to come out of the closet. Cost me $ 3/4 million in net worth. My story is just one of hundreds. Shove your Tory fiscal responsibility right up where the crows can't get it.

Woof!

 

[Cobalt_Kid]

Hey there ya go, we agree on something. Garth is a tool.

My last post wasn't just because of some personal hate on the guy, I couldn't care less if he was slowly driven over by a steam roller. But one thing I can't stand in the world is a BS'ing politician, trying to play the good guy card for the people actually wanting change, but truly out for his own screwed up intentions.... and is a chicken-hershey'squirt when it comes to the tough honest questions directed towards him.

No wonder why he was given the boot, because he's out for his own personal gains, likes to have this unhealthy obcession with the image that he's the hero of the people and only he know's what's best.... so he goes and gun-slings it and acts all cowboy to gain attention..... the big rebel. Then when he purposely does something in which he knows he shouldn't, he gets the can..... oh but it's the big evil party who's at fault. The same party who was handing him his pay cheques that's about my entire year's salery each, yeah.... poor him.

Sorry, the guy's go no credibility in his body. I'm not one to believe in old wive's tales, but he's got a beard.... don't trust the bugger, cuz he lives up to the stereotype.

He was booted because he wasn't respecting caucus privacy, while that isn't very admirable, considering the highly conspiratorial nature of the Harper government it really isnt an indictment of the man. We live in a time of a growing disconnect bewteen our supposedly democractic leaders and the public they're supposed to represent, it's enivatble that stuff like this is going to arise. If Harper wasn't so paranoid about letting any real information out of his control there wouldn't be a platform for people like Garth Turner...or a desire to make him appear as the wing-nut you say he is.

I'm more concerned about a government that has now made it neccessary for the press to vet any questions to be asked of them before they're asked. A government that has shut down many of the systems democracies depend on to function effectively...all the while people sit back and act as if all is still well. Garth may be wrong...he may also be the canary in the coal mine and we ignore him at our peril.

 

[dancing-loon]

Let me add my little tidbit to his profile:

Career background:

He is an author, broadcaster, columnist, speaker and entrepreneur. Over the past decade, he has authored seven books on business and finance, hosted business television show, and has travelled nationally as a speaker. He has held positions with the Globe and Mail, Sun Media, Maclean's, CTV and other major media corporations. Six years ago, he founded Toronto-based Millennium Media Television, of which he is CEO, one of the country's largest independent producers of network television programming. He and his wife founded the Credit River Company three years ago in Caledon, which has purchased, restored and is operating several heritage landmarks, including the 1888 Belfountain Village Store, the 1855 Cataract Inn and 1828 Caledon Inn.

He once sold me an ice cream that was supposed to be free, according to a flyer on the occassion of the 150 year anniversary of Belfountain.
A :-x... and disappointed Loon!:lol:

http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes/riding/137/