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Harper taking giant steps to move Canada well to the right on policies
DOUG STRUCK | The Buffalo News | 4/9/2006

TORONTO - Prime Minister Stephen Harper has moved to end more of the liberal hallmarks that make Canada distinctive from the United States and to reverse the polices of 12 years of Liberal-led government.

Harper's Conservative government outlined its legislative goals in a formal speech to parliament on Tuesday, pledging to cut taxes, replace the federally backed day care system with subsidies, curb what Harper calls lenient treatment of criminals and loosen the government's monopoly on health care.

Monday, Harper announced his government would back away from marijuana decriminalization, a regular platform of the Liberal government. He has frozen funding for some grass-roots environmental programs and pledged to scrap the country's gun registration program, another favorite Liberal program.

"Canadians have chosen change. It is time to turn a new leaf," the new government said in its "throne speech." But after two months in office, some of Harper's wobbly initial steps have brought sharp criticism to his Conservative minority government.

Harper's election victory Jan. 23 was quickly marred when he lured a Liberal Cabinet minister, David Emerson, to switch sides. That brought howls of outrage from Emerson's Vancouver constituents who felt betrayed and charges that Harper was reneging on his campaign invocations against political chicanery.

Another campaign pledge - to make government more "transparent" - also seemed threatened after Harper banned his ministers from speaking without his approval and held at least one secret Cabinet meeting.

"Stephen Harper talks about accountability, but his own ministers are not accountable. They are muzzled," Liberal Parliament Member Scott Brison said.

Harper also won faint applause for his initial meeting with President Bush recently in Cancun, Mexico. The newly minted premier went to Mexico vowing to press Bush to delay U.S. plans to require passports at the border and to end a long trade dispute over softwood lumber.

He got neither. Harper returned from the trip to fierce criticism from Ontario's tourism minister, who said the passport scheme will cost the province millions of lost tourist dollars.

"I was astounded because I heard him in the campaign say he was going to stand up for Canada," Tourism Minister Jim Bradley said. "Instead, we have the prime minister capitulating, running up the white flag."

Harper's moves away from the Liberal Party's agenda to one more closely aligned with the conservative U.S. administration also may cut against his game plan to win more seats in Quebec in the next election, said Peter Donolo, a political analyst in Toronto and former Liberal government spokesman.

"In the past 15 years, Quebec has gone from being the most pro-American province to the most anti-American one," Donolo said. It is also socially liberal and the province most suspicious of involvement in Afghanistan, he said. "Both those issues will cause him problems in Quebec."

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MrIMStoned

I can't wait until the next vote of nonconfidence.

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"In the end the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it. It was inevitable that they should make that claim sooner or later: the logic of their position demanded it. Not merely the validity of experience, but the very existence of external reality, was tacitly denied by their philosophy. The heresy of heresies was common sense. And what was terrifying was not that they would kill you for thinking otherwise, but that they might be right. For, after all, how do we know that two and two make four? Or that the force of gravity works? Or that the past is unchangeable? If both the past and the external world exist only in the mind, and if the mind itself is controllable what then?"

Little Nicky

It's the beginning of the Bush/Harper/Fox Alliance. First, North America, then the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

magicstoner56

Dude that seems like one fucking whacked out crazy canadian,you dont 'vow' to do anything in office,you dont wanna screw up on a promise to a country.that and the free health care should be done anywhere the country can afford it,cause some regular people cant