The Iceman has an interesting roundup of commentary on Stephen Harper’s tenure as PM. Well worth a read. Here’s a snippet:
“… it is remarkable how effective Stephen Harper has been at his job. One thing you don’t see the Liberals playing these days is the “hidden agenda” card. He has been our Prime Minister for 5 years and guided us through an incredible economic recovery. The hidden agenda message just don’t bite anymore.”
Economic recovery??
“Economic recovery??”
~Hasse@Norway
Emphasis on the “incredible” as in ‘not’ credible.
Only took a measly 8 years for the Liberals to give up on the “hidden agenda”. For them that’s agile thinking.
Most of this is available at nationalpost.com; they had quite a spread on Stevie’s five years.
Yep Hasse.
When the Canadian economy adds 300,000-plus full-time jobs in 2009, that might be a recovery.
Harper is doing what he’s doing pretty quietly and has brought the country a long way toward economic sanity since he was first elected.
He could do it a lot quicker with a majority government, but the stage has already been set. I could be wrong, but I believe Canada’s voters are almost ready to believe in personal responsibility.
They can see what’s happening in Europe. The welfare state is dead.
Economic recovery is a valid term, and Harper has guided Canada through this phase, which was in large part sparked by external not internal economic issues.
Considering that Canada, in its export economy, is heavily dependent on the US – with approx. 85% of Canadian exports going to only this one country – a dependency unknown in the rest of the world – and that the US has been in severe economic constraints – then, preventing Canada from falling with the US – has been a major task and accomplishment.
The Liberals may have dropped the ‘hidden agenda’ tactic, but they’ve moved onto yet another unprovable and emotional claim – that Harper is ‘mean’ and ‘controlling’. Ah well, when fiction dominates fact, you know it’s a Liberal speaking.
One thing Harper does not get enough credit for is keeping the various factions of the Conservative Party together. Red tories and reformers still have their differences (and wounds) which are being played out in ridings across Canada. Harper is called a control freak but it’s necessary to keep the party rifts from showing. Look no further than the Liberals where the Chretien and Martin forces are still going toe to toe.
In BC the centrist NDP leader was ousted by the far left of her party despite a 20 pt lead in the polls.
The BC Liberal Party which is a coalition of Federal Liberals and Conservatives is in danger of being ripped apart as the very effective Gordon Campell (also called a control freak) was forced to resign. The Federal Liberals are now trying to take over the party through the candidacy of Christy Clark. Her campaign is being run by a who’s who of the Federal Liberal party including her ex husband Mark Marissen. If this happens many conservatives will leave the party insuring the NDP gets in. Federal Conservatives should join the BC Liberal party and vote for Kevin Falcon or George Abbott (ABC Anyone But Christy coalition).
I don’t see any recovery. Neither in my paycheck nor in Workopolis. Jobs still evaporating from Canada and moving to India.
Well the lst five years for me have been so refreshing. First PM Harper is not a lawyer, not from Quebec and doesn’t practice “double talk”. He is a very good speaker, I enjoy being able to understand his clear vision of Canada. I have also enjoyed watching the stress that he has given the Liberal party and their supporting media family. We finally have a Prime Minister that I can be proud of. I can’t imagine what would have happened to our country if the Lib’s had been in charge through this tough economic time.
Double talk is when he axes $3 million from SOW one day, and bails out GM/Chrysler next day for $50 bil.
Regardless of the spin, Canadians understand fully that PMSH’s government has successfully navigated us thus far through these tumultuous economic times. At the time of the last election, even those that opposed Harper were uncharacteristically supportive of him wrt handling the economy. Even the most Leftist loons understood that his pragmatic style was necessary for the times.
I would like to add one more item to the ‘time-line’ that is missing(among others) that I feel IS a substantial accomplishment. The Tax Free Savings Accounts that were ridiculed by the opposition are (anecdotally(sp?) speaking) a very successful and a visible accomplishment with PMSH’s name all over it. In speaking to bankers and bank tellers, I’ve gathered that the program has been wildly successful, and that Canadians abroad have taken advantage of this positive savings devise. IMO, if you want to motivate Canadians to get to the polls, win/win programs such as this are what Canadians are truly looking for their government to assist in.
Remember PM Harper, Canadians are not looking for more government handouts! But we do approve of giving a hand to those that wish to help themselves. We’re not interested in helping-out those that refuse to help themselves. We’re not interested in helping the hopeless.
Canadians understand fully that PMSH’s government has successfully navigated us thus far through these tumultuous economic times.
Agreed.
I wouldn’t want to change horses in the middle of an important race.
Since we’re talking about a potential election in the spring, I’d like to throw-out a suggestion as to why the opposition might want an election sooner than later.
Were I the Liberals, likely the most important political tactic they have going forward is to ‘control the message’. This means they’d likely prefer to focus on issues such as the ‘census’, the ‘G20’ and the ‘F-35’ as evidence that Canadians need a change. If we go to the polls this spring, the Liberals will get help from the MSM to keep the focus on the aforementioned issues. Now I believe Canadians are neither here nor there on these issues; but, focused on these issues the MSM and therefore Canadians will be. Now, punt the election 6 months or a year down the road and what has changed? Three words (or one acrynom):MSM. By this fall, Canadians abroad will be watching the so called “FOXNews North” for an alternative view point. Or in other words, the Liberals lose the ability to control the message.
I predict that the government will fall, regardless of what is in the next budget for the very reasons outlined above.JMO
“$3 million from SOW”
LOL!
I was going to do my libertarian schick and poke fun at the notion of being being “guided through the incredible recovery” (by ANY politician) but demured after reading some of the fine, generous comments above.
Indiana Homez: To your TFSA point ADD pension income splitting; this most definitely has Harper’s pro-family view written all over it.
I have one client family that saves over $4,000 in income tax EACH and EVERY year since the introduction of this brilliant and equitable pension split option. Weirdly, tho, they don’t express pleasure or appreciation of this fabulous annual tax saving.
Another thing: I was quite literally shocked at the flexibility of the TFSA — that sums could be removed at will with the contribution room fully restored for future a re-deposit. I remember combing the literature for the gotcha. There weren’t any. Moreoever, it’s a radical vehicle: our very first flat-out tax-exempt savings-investment product (vs. tax deferred).
Like all hard-core conservatives/libertarians, I have my disappointments but I have to keep reminding myself that “politics is the art of the possible”. To expect MY agenda [read: laissez-fair non agenda] to ever be enacted in Canada is delusional [tho strictly speaking you don’t enact laissez-faire, eh?].
Clearly he has been a veritable genius is excising the “scary” “hidden agenda” narrative from the Canadian psyche. Canadian haven’t warmed to him but seem to appreciate his professional demeanour and quite comptence. He gives charisma a bad name!
“appreciate his professional demeanour and quite competence”
Excellent description. He’s the consummate executive manager.
Yeah, but….except for the gong show that was the Lib/Dip/Bloc coalition, I feel like I’ve been sentenced to five years of boredom. I suppose it could be worse.
I forgot about income spiting. This is my #1 issue as far as fairness goes. I have taken great umbrage to the fact that my family is penalized for making the sacrifice to keep a parent at home. It has paid-off one hundred fold looking at my kids relatively speaking, but that doesn’t assuage my feelings of anger towards a government that is clearly trying to force those like my wife out of the house through punitive taxation. This is also why I’ve been adamantly against any form of ‘National Daycare’ that the Libtards propose, that would have ironically(is it ironic if it’s an intended consequence?) forced my wife out of the home to pay for some kids daycare whose parent is too lazy (yeah I said it), and selfish (yeah I said it) to rear their own kids.
Today, my kids are too old for daycare, and my wife is career planning, but I will fight this type of social engineering until my last breath. I will fight for a mothers right to stay at home. Always!
Geez me no d
you really got me riled-up on that income splitting thing.
Economic recovery? You mean from worse to just bad? We’re nowhere near where we were three years ago. Though in all honesty, no Canadian PM could have dodged the bullet of the US housing and collapse. But we may be making our own housing bubble.
OK, perhaps I’ve fallen behind the times but what is “SOW”?
GM GM GM GM GM GM GM GM GM GM!!!!!
That is all you need to never vote for the Stephen Harper conservatives. That was the most colossal mistake they could have made. Caving for $50B because of a whiny opposition. That whole deal reeked of corruption and union cronyism.
The income trust reversal is another one. I preach it loud and clear to family and friends. If they couldn’t hold their ground on those two things, they are WEAK WEAK WEAK. They are failures and are done as far as I’m concerned.
Vote only for people who can PUBLICLY declare and prove they believe in free markets. Only the ones who will shout it from the mountaintops “Capitalism is the best ism!”
The GM bailout assures us there is more market manipulation ahead.
Alternatives? NONE. We’re f’d. Every time some conservative chump calls me or knocks on my door now I ask them to defend the GM bailout. Seriously, convince me it was a good thing. Just try.
The $3 million Harper took from SOW(Status of Women), with such a hew and cry from the Left, was given back to them, under the table.
I wish it could be said that he got the $50 billion back from GM.
SOW = Status of Women
It’s always interesting to see the trolls and chattering class refer to the $50B debt as a negative on Harper, “proving” he is not a fiscal conservative.
Revisionism at its worst. At that point in time, the Coalition of Swine was circling, tempting to defeat government. If Harper had of balanced the budget, being fiscally prudent, the Commies and leftards would have skewered him for it, as uncaring, with the MSM chanting in the background. So he read the tea leaves, and realized he could keep the Horde out of the government, and borrow enough to quell their shrillness….and it worked.
Now, do I like to see that debt? No, I’m sure none of us really do…but to pay that price otherwise, to see Jack and Gilles holding the reigns of power would be a true disaster of epic proportions to this country.
This country still isn’t back to where I would like it to be, but, being the closest neighbour to a country where they are going through a true Depression , )but with a friendly MSM have downplayed it), we have come through about as good as one could be. Scary to think how bad it would be with the leftards ruining the government.
Stephen Harper’s has been ‘remarkable’ in the sense that he has destroyed any semblance of small-government principle in the CPC with the full approval of his pinhead supporters. He will NEVER get a majority because he is politically incompetent.
Government jobs are NOT an indication of economic recovery. The stats you need to look at are how many private sector jobs are being added and the numbers are anemic. More full time jobs are being lost to part time work so this skews any figures being bantered around here.
Having houses cost 5x’s the average salary is NOT an indication of economic recovery.
Spending more money in an effort to dig yourself out of debt is NOT economic recovery. Have you personally tried to get yourself out of debt that way??
Aizlynne: “Having houses cost 5x’s the average salary is NOT an indication of economic recovery.”
I’ll bite … what should houses cost in relation to the average salary to reflect economic recovery?
Regarding SOW, I couldn’t believe that Aaron dared to bring that up again. It was hilarious to read of it again!
“The BC Liberal Party which is a coalition of Federal Liberals and Conservatives is in danger of being ripped apart as the very effective Gordon Campell (also called a control freak) was forced to resign. The Federal Liberals are now trying to take over the party through the candidacy of Christy Clark….”
Posted by: Fritz at January 17, 2011 1:24 PM
That’s nonsense. Her campaign is being run by Liberals and Conservatives. Her campaign co-chair Sharon White is Conservative, her platform chair is Conservative, her volunteer chair is a Conservative, she’s endorsed by Gwyn Morgan, and her campaign was initially ran by Ken Boessenkool, a well known Conservative, who only left after it was decreed that Harper’s top campaign officials must remain neutral. She is also supported by the architects of the Big Blue Machine, and Bill Bennett.
She is the obvious coalition candidate. In BC, you need both Conservatives and Liberals to win provincial elections. George Abbott might be able to keep that coalition together as well, but it’s actually Kevin Falcon who has the team with the the least balance – about 1% of his campaign is made up of federal Liberals, while Christy Clark’s is 50/50, as is Abbott’s. That’s the only way to win in BC.
Thank you for the link. I got more hits Monday from SDA than from the Blogging Tories. It basically never happens that BT is not #1 for referring hits. You clearly have an audience indepent of and beyond the Blogging Tories. Any blogger lucky enough to be linked by you is going to have a good day in the pageview department.
At the end of 2010 I ran a webpoll on who was the Blogging Tory of the year, and SDA won easily. I had endorsed Blue Like You who finished in second place. A wise philosopher once said “if you’re not first, you’re last!” – Ricky Bobby
Yes, many of us old Reformers support PMSH even tho the ties of yesteryear are becoming more tenuous. Having met the man more than once I still believe his core beliefs are solid. One can only imagine what Ottawa can do to attack his core.
As a previous poster suggested. I thought the CPC would put more effort into explaining the economics of running a government. The fact that our generation has eaten our children and grandchildren’s future has no excuse. That reality is ignored and those that bear responsibility like the PCs, Liberals and NDP go about their business continuing to spout their BS and irresponsibility.
The irony of this whole exercise is that many Canadians think we are in better shape than the USA and that in fact we are fiscally strong. I am a CPC supporter but realize that they are the best of a fundementally weak offering but also realize that they reflect the populace that elects them.