Be very afraid: Stephen Harper is inventing a new Canada
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Ha ha! I can smoke in the basement.I'm going out to the shed, I'll be up to speed when I get back.
Rex Murphy: Lessons in civility
The most disrespectful snarl about Canada’s parliamentarians came from Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who said of our elected representatives that, “50 yards off Parliament Hill,” they were all a pack “of nobodies.” Such patrician scorn bespeaks a haughty leader who has little time for his elected colleagues and, by extension, the voters who put them into office.
Yet, from the way people speak of Stephen Harper, one would think such an attitude was unheard of before the Conservatives came to power. Let the Harper administration, in minority or majority, tinker with this or that piece of legislation or agency, and it’s the first step to a totalitarian horror, a sign of profound disrespect for the Commons and democracy.
I’d like to be clear here that Mr. Harper and his team can be every bit as nasty and small as their predecessors and be every bit as cavalier when asked to account for themselves, as were the Liberals in their day. I’m one with the preacher on this: There is nothing new under the sun.
When ascendant, as under Mr. Trudeau or Mr. Chrétien, they play hardball with the very best, taunt and scorn their opposition, and shortcut legitimate process when it suits them (remember the abrupt guillotining of the Somali judicial inquiry?). In opposition, they pose as guardians of Commons tradition and protectors of the House’s historic privileges and power.
All of which makes their wilder claims about Stephen Harper just so much convenient hyperbole. In this, they are no better than the party they attack. And, to be fair, no worse either — which is no great rating for either of them.
National Post
The most disrespectful snarl about Canada’s parliamentarians came from Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who said of our elected representatives that, “50 yards off Parliament Hill,” they were all a pack “of nobodies.” Such patrician scorn bespeaks a haughty leader who has little time for his elected colleagues and, by extension, the voters who put them into office.
Yet, from the way people speak of Stephen Harper, one would think such an attitude was unheard of before the Conservatives came to power. Let the Harper administration, in minority or majority, tinker with this or that piece of legislation or agency, and it’s the first step to a totalitarian horror, a sign of profound disrespect for the Commons and democracy.
I’d like to be clear here that Mr. Harper and his team can be every bit as nasty and small as their predecessors and be every bit as cavalier when asked to account for themselves, as were the Liberals in their day. I’m one with the preacher on this: There is nothing new under the sun.
When ascendant, as under Mr. Trudeau or Mr. Chrétien, they play hardball with the very best, taunt and scorn their opposition, and shortcut legitimate process when it suits them (remember the abrupt guillotining of the Somali judicial inquiry?). In opposition, they pose as guardians of Commons tradition and protectors of the House’s historic privileges and power.
All of which makes their wilder claims about Stephen Harper just so much convenient hyperbole. In this, they are no better than the party they attack. And, to be fair, no worse either — which is no great rating for either of them.
National Post
I rarely disagree with Rex, and I find myself completely in agreement with him. yet again.
Rex Murphy is a national treasure and, as per usual, very bang on with his observations.
I quite often listen to "Cross Country Checkup" on the radio on Sunday afternoons. Rex has class, he treats every participant pretty much the same regardless of their walk of life! He also uses tact in getting long winded morons off. :smile:
That's the beauty of Rex, he actually makes observations. I don't read or listen to him regularly, I'll admit, but when I do I always get the very distinct impression that he is, beyond all else, a straight shooter. He will call out bad or poor behaviour irrespective of who it he's calling out. He's far, far different from most of the op/ed folks out there who are coming to the table with an agenda. He's fair, he has class, dignity and let's face it, the man is a wordsmith.
Ah yes, the old Canada of homophobia, racism, and misogyny. I can remember it too. Can't say I miss it.
:roll:
Be very afraid: Stephen Harper is inventing a new Canada"""
Not that it's important, but even given the choices we had.........I still didn't vote for the prick............or the other prick.
Now that Flatulance is warning of even more draconian cuts to "the system", the Haperites are finally starting to talk about health care. After all this time. Jeez, Louise, wonder why!
Be very afraid: Stephen Harper is inventing a new Canada"""
Not that it's important, but even given the choices we had.........I still didn't vote for the prick............or the other prick.
Now that Flatulance is warning of even more draconian cuts to "the system", the Haperites are finally starting to talk about health care. After all this time. Jeez, Louise, wonder why!
It's easy to ick out the haperites,not long into any conversation you'll hear 'the liberals did it"even if they have to go back fifty years.
I don't vote for partys,I vote for people,and harper and his lackys are not those people,yhey would never be on my christmas list and I definately wouldn't buy a car from any of them.
I don't vote for partys,I vote for people,and harper and his lackys are not those people,yhey would never be on my christmas list and I definately wouldn't buy a car from any of them.
Yeah, but they mocked politics. They were...
oh, wait. No, you're right. They understood it completely.
Bring back the Rhino!