It would appear that the Conservative Ministry, under the leadership of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, has become quite a few more notches centrist than it had acted during the campaign.
The most notable example, in my opinion, would be one concerning our new Minister of Justice and Attorney General, the Honourable Vic Toews, and his stance on the status of the Supreme Court of Canada; throughout the Thirty-eighth Parliament, and during the election campaign, he was a vocal opponent of the current court, accusing the Right Honourable Beverly McLachlin, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and her Honourable Puisne Justices, of highjacking the legislative agenda of Canada, going so far as to accuse them of acting as "activist judges" behind the bench.
However, shortly after the first meeting of the new Conservative Ministry, when responding to questions from the media pertaining to his previous comments regarding the Supreme Court, the Minister responded by saying that he would "respect the constitutional role" of the Court. He made it clear that he respected the previous rulings of the Court, where in previous months and years it was obvious that he had no such inclination.
In addition to that particular example, I would argue that the Cabinet has moved further toward the centre in terms of reforming the Senate and the House of Commons (moving further to the right, perhaps), in light of recent appointments that would have a Minister serve from the Senate for an entire Parliament, and another Minister serve in the party, less than three weeks after having been elected as a Member in Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition.
:?: Question
Is the new Conservative Cabinet becoming more centrist, and less right-wing?
The most notable example, in my opinion, would be one concerning our new Minister of Justice and Attorney General, the Honourable Vic Toews, and his stance on the status of the Supreme Court of Canada; throughout the Thirty-eighth Parliament, and during the election campaign, he was a vocal opponent of the current court, accusing the Right Honourable Beverly McLachlin, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and her Honourable Puisne Justices, of highjacking the legislative agenda of Canada, going so far as to accuse them of acting as "activist judges" behind the bench.
However, shortly after the first meeting of the new Conservative Ministry, when responding to questions from the media pertaining to his previous comments regarding the Supreme Court, the Minister responded by saying that he would "respect the constitutional role" of the Court. He made it clear that he respected the previous rulings of the Court, where in previous months and years it was obvious that he had no such inclination.
In addition to that particular example, I would argue that the Cabinet has moved further toward the centre in terms of reforming the Senate and the House of Commons (moving further to the right, perhaps), in light of recent appointments that would have a Minister serve from the Senate for an entire Parliament, and another Minister serve in the party, less than three weeks after having been elected as a Member in Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition.
:?: Question
Is the new Conservative Cabinet becoming more centrist, and less right-wing?