As an English Quebecer via BC and Ontario, I believe I might have a more well rounded view of the Harper Prime Ministership than some regionally biased political junkies. This is not to say that I am fat. Yet.

My recent Christmas visit to the East Coast unearthed an unbridled hate for Mr. Harper who in no particular order is: “taking Canada down the US Republican road,”  “destroying our cultural heritage,” “lacking in vision,” “ EVIL!” “stealing Atlantic Accords from deserving Atlantians” etc. etc. etc. Yet on the other coast, my British Columbia friends are prepared to turf every remaining Liberal west of Winnipeg as a result of coalition agreement signed with the NDP and the BLOC. And yes Jake, Iggy did sign the deal. Meanwhile, my Ontario friends sigh at the long road ahead for the federal Liberal Party. And mes amis en Québec are content to see who will give them the most money in the end.

Politics is a blood sport. Woe is he or she who doesn’t appreciate this pure fact of this game. Especially between politicians and political parties. Sometimes their own. And no Prime Minister in my memory has taken up this sporting challenge with such intent as Mr. Harper.

Why can’t we just all get along? Why can’t we just have someone to love as PM?  Why can’t we have Obama Lite? Boo hoo hoo.

Why? Because little old Canada needs to change if we want to realize our full long term potential in the world. We can’t continue to sit on our natural resource funded keesters and make a fortune for harvesting what has so graciously been endowed to us. Or stolen from our native forbearers. We’re going to have to work for a change.

While we howl and whine, let’s keep in mind that they don’t give out international economic recognition just for being a nice guy. Paul Martin is a real nice guy with a solid business background. And look where he was leading us. Bureaucratic nowhere. Pierre Trudeau was a nice intelligent guy who led us to wage and price controls. Brian Mulroney was….well, Brian Mulroney. Jean Chretien was a nice little guy who righted the Canadian ship.

But he was really a conservative.

So here’s a novel theory for you. Stephen Harper just might be the first Prime Minister in recent history that actually puts the needs of the country and its people ahead of his own or his party’s interests. Is that gagging I hear from coast to coast?

Harper’s competitors should consider these simple details. Voters like cuts to their taxes so they can buy more food for their kids. They like to write off their hockey, public transit and ballet costs. They like to get paid to stay home with their kids. They like tax-free savings accounts. They like that they can now get financial help for disabled children. And most of all, they like a government that stays the hell out of their lives and their pocketbooks. These are Stephen Harper policies – not the Dark Knight’s.

Poor valiant Steve has taken it upon himself to wean Canadians from the government teats in as many ways possible. And I say, right on! I’m not afraid that he will turn me into a born again, anti-abortion warmonger. Or god forbid – an American (even though I like Americans). Because if he tried I would simply exercise my democratic right as a CANADIAN and vote him out next time around – if in fact there was any sort of tangible alternative that made any sense at all.

So for now, I’m sticking to the view that this Prime Minister is good for the future of Canada. And in these economic times, he deserves a majority to prove it.

Despite his evil grin.

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Tags: canada, coalition, harper, politics

This entry was posted on Friday, January 9th, 2009 at 4:03 am and is filed under Federal Government. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.