Stephen Harper's political tactics are nothing new
Author Lawrence Martin brings up former Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien in order to put Stephen Harper into perspective.
The veteran political journalist was being asked about a piece of legislation that has sparked widespread anger against Harper’s Conservative government. It’s Bill C-38, an omnibus measure that rewrites a raft of laws on subjects ranging from environmental assessment to old-age pensions under the guise of implementing the federal budget. Many have denounced its introduction as undemocratic.
“I was one of the leading critics of Chrétien in terms of his heavy-handed behaviour and dictatorial behaviour, and it was sort of similar,” Martin told the Georgia Straight in a phone interview from Ottawa.
He recalled headline-grabbing stories like the Shawinigate scandal around Chrétien’s involvement in two property deals. He cited controversial government grants channelled to the former prime minister’s riding in Quebec. Martin also noted that the Harper government isn’t the first to use omnibus bills.
However, Martin stressed that there’s a difference this time around. “I wrote a lot about Jean Chrétien and abuse of power under the Liberals,” he said. “I would say that this government has taken it to new levels.”
Martin has written books on both leaders. In 2010’s Harperland: The Politics of Control, he detailed Harper’s low regard for democracy, shown through actions like proroguing Parliament twice.
According to Martin, Bill C-38 is an example of Harper’s “all-controlling methodology, in which he shows very little respect for the democratic system”.
“He looks upon politics as war,” Martin said. “He looks upon governing as defeating the enemy and using any measure he can to defeat the enemy. He does it in an entirely ruthless way.”
Martin also suggested that Harper may have cribbed from Chrétien’s playbook in ignoring public opinion. Like the Liberal leader, Harper has kept on winning elections despite scandals.
But, the author recalled, the sponsorship scandal caught up with Chrétien and the Liberals, paving the way for the election of a Harper government in 2006.
“It took years for the public to be convinced that there was something nefarious going on with the Chrétien government],” Martin said. “And it seems to me that the Harper Conservatives better be careful because at some point, it might catch up to them the way it did to the Chrétien government. Because some of the things they’re doing and the number of things they’re doing are worse than under the Chrétien government.”
He suggested that the issue of electoral fraud may decisively tilt public sentiment against the Conservatives. Elections Canada is investigating the use of automated phone calls, or robocalls, that misled voters across the country during the May 2011 election.
That election was triggered by the Harper government’s refusal to provide information on the funding for legislation it brought forward. For that, Harper became the first Canadian prime minister to be found in contempt of Parliament.
“So you’d think he would learn from being caught on abuse of process, and won’t have the gall to go against the integrity of the system in this way again,” Martin quipped.
In Harperland, Martin wrote: “As a strongman prime minister, he was beyond compare. He made previous alleged dictators like Jean Chrétien look like welterweights.”
Tom Flanagan, a former Harper aide, also mentioned Chrétien when asked for his opinion on the controversy regarding the budget bill. “There had been many omnibus bills in the past,” Flanagan told the Straight in a phone interview. “I don’t know if this is the biggest one or not, but it’s certainly not unprecedented. The Liberals had different omnibus bills under Jean Chrétien.”
Flanagan, the Conservative campaign manager in the 2004 election, acknowledged that it’s a “fair criticism” to say that the introduction of Bill C-38 is undemocratic.
However, Flanagan said he’s happy the Harper government is doing such things as changing the environmental-review process for resource-development projects. “It may be an imperfect process,” he said, “but I think the goals are so important here that it’s worth doing this.”
The University of Calgary professor of political science noted that the Conservatives may not be done yet. “They probably have another wave of changes that they’re planning for a new session of Parliament,” Flanagan said.
Comments
16 Comments
Gentleman Jack
Jun 14, 2012 at 9:36am
Is this the same Flanagan who suggested Julian Assange be extra-judicially murdered? Why is he considered quotable in the media?
hAYOKA
Jun 14, 2012 at 9:58am
libs = cons they always have always will . Now what will you do is the more important question
HellSlayerAndy
Jun 14, 2012 at 10:00am
Harper is a lot like Cretin.
1) They both cite deficits to impose economic austerity measures and provincial offloading. At the time, the Economist stated that Martin was practicing the most severe measures of any G8 nation. Both did so during deep recessions.
2) Both handed out Federal support to reward partisan support.
3) Both were given a easy ride in Parliament due to the strategy of vote splitting which left a fractured Opposition whose Main Opposition consisted of a Quebec party
4) Both started their unchecked executive rule with NATO foreign wars with hugely increased military spending....Cretin in Yugoslavia and Harper in Libya. Both have enabled Afghanistan to the tune of 22 billion and counting.
5) Both ran highly centralized PMOs that reduced their own MPs to the employee status of unelected consultants and handlers.
6) Both picked and choose which media outlets to lavish safe interviews that simply showcased their leadership qualities and little in the way of substance.
7) Both were highly contemptuous of the public's right to protest and sought massive police powers to curtail it....'pepper steak'? Harper's massive show of force at the G8/G20 with draconian laws were reflective of Cretin in a RCMP huddle wondering if the cops could get newspapers to kill anti-Suharto stories.
8) Both had no problems with meet and greets with dictators and in fact Cretin publicly de-linked human rights to trade when it was convenient to do so just as Harper links them when he finds it convenient to do so.
9) Both used vicious negative campaigning tactics to avoid providing the public with a meaningful political agenda that could be the basis of a rational voting IN FAVOUR of either men's parties.
etc etc etc
Lawrence Martin's biggest problem is still pushing the fiction of partisanship when the governments, regardless of their 'label', are virtually indistinguishable.
Election fraud is NOT the problem when, save for 1 election, between the two...neither party achieved a clear majority.
Look at the evidence....
2006: Tories...124 with 36%
2008: Tories...143 with 38%
2011: Tories... 166 with 40%
It's not election fraud if by merely expanding your popular vote by 4% you gain 42 additional seats and unchecked and unaccountable executive power.
It ain't fraud...it's design and any school kid outside of this country would tell you...it ain't a democracy.
One of the most despicable things to ever happen in a democracy is when a political party with not even a legitimate plurality colludes massively with a tightly controlled corporate media and a royal figurehead to suggest 'coalitions' in a British Parliamentary system, if not illegal and unconstitutional then dangerous, BUT don't see danger of unchecked and unaccountable executive power being given to a party that only received 124 seats based on 36% of the popular vote.
Any system that puts 'stability' ahead of a legitimate democratic mandate, isn't a democracy.
Fairness
Jun 14, 2012 at 11:54am
I have never liked a Prime minister that hides behind closed doors, he is never in the public eye, never speaks to the people for the people, but AT the people telling it like it is According to the world of Harper. He actually scares me and the reason he keeps getting elected is because he is surrounding himself with Harper lovers and likeness, and paying off corporations to help him stay in power...... he is a lot like Bush, and he likes Putin, and I don't mean the potato dish with gravy.
The Bigger Picture
Jun 14, 2012 at 2:00pm
Harper's conservatives are not in power because Canada voted for them. LESS THAN HALF of Canada voted conservative. Those that did are probably very concerned that their conservative ideals are hardly being represented in Parliament. One can be a conservative and still listen to research and science. Being a conservative doesn't mean ignoring the research and forcing your own ideals on a country. It may take some years... but it will NOT end well for Harper.
Darlene Jackson
Jun 14, 2012 at 2:24pm
STOP HARPER NOW
2nd Nation
Jun 14, 2012 at 3:21pm
But! But! I've been using the word fascist for years! I've been comparing every politician I don't like to Hitler! To Mussolini! Stalin! The Red Chinese! This article must be wrong since it doesn't jive with my wacky view of the world!!!
RickW
Jun 14, 2012 at 3:43pm
HellSlayerAndy:
I think Harper is more small-minded than Chretien ever was. Not that it makes any difference in the "big picture". Chretien was indifferent to the average Canuck; Harper dislikes us.
RickW
blueheron
Jun 14, 2012 at 8:35pm
Call me jaded, but many of the postings here are probably written by people who think the 'Arab Spring' is a real revolution, by the people, for the people.
The Canadian system is not perfect, but compared to what's happening in almost every other country, it's working well for us. What worries me more is how lemming-like so many young people today are.
single parent on disability
Jun 14, 2012 at 10:40pm
To blueheron, I am glad that this country is working well for you.
I am a proud Canadian and support my Country. I can't however support or tolerate a government that lets its people suffer needlessly. Thank goodness the UN is paying attention to our poverty here because this government refuses to acknowledge the truth of our current situation, and in fact tries to cover it up. Shameful to the world. Harper and co. think that they can fool the world with their lies, not so. Glad to hear your doing fine, I did to once before I was hit in an MVA and lost my job and ability to work and support my family. This is not about trashing the political parties but about democracy that my family went to war for so that I could have freedom. Democracy needs to be protected at all costs.