By John Riddell
Quote On – Quote
In Party of One author Michael Harris covers the Harper administration so far, from 2006 (minority government) through 2011 (majority government) and on to 2014. This review is a bit different. It offers a series of quotations in two parts. Harris Quotes; and Quotes by others. All quotes are taken from Party of One.
Harris Quotations:
Harris: “Until that moment [Harper’s win in 2006], Canada had been a secular and progressive nation that believed in transfer payments to better distribute the country’s wealth, the Westminster model of governance, a national Medicare program, a peacekeeping role for the armed forces, an arm’s-length public service, the separation of church and state, and solid support for the United Nations. Stephen Harper believe[s] in none of these things.”
The “in-and-out” affair: “The Conservative Party agreed to plead guilty to exceeding spending limits in the 2006 election, to pay the maximum fine of $52,000 and repay a further $230,198.”
The robocalls scheme (2011 election): Conservative Michael Sona “was charged with having willfully prevented an elector from voting….”
Harper’s background: “…While a student at the University of Calgary, Harper became a devotee of the ‘Calgary School’ of economics…. For Harper, only one measure of being ‘better off’ mattered, and that was economic. To him, that meant corporate balance sheets and the GDP, not the dayto-day situation of average people. There was no concept of social security, no passion for equalization of the country’s unevenly divided treasure, and no doubt that anything governments could do, private enterprise could do better – including delivering health care. It was a philosophical tunnel vision Harper would never lose.”
On the F-35: “Looked at over the six years the project was in the Harper government’s hands, the F-35 is a story of hoodwinking the public, misleading Parliament, and risking billions of dollars–all that without the federal government’s having the foggiest idea of what Canadians were getting for their money.”
Science: “Both The New York Times and the prestigious British science journal Nature slammed Canada’s government. The Times called Harper’s suppression of federal scientists ‘an attempt to guarantee ignorance.’”
“In the words of former diplomat Daryl Copeland, the Harper government’s botching of the environment file has made Canada the ‘idiot boy’ of the climate change crisis.”
First Nations Peoples: “…What this centuries-old injustice requires is a visionary and a peacemaker, not a federal government that perpetually tries to strong-arm opponents into submission.”
“What troubled [Robert Marleau, clerk of the House of Commons for thirteen years] most about the suppression of information under Stephen Harper comes down to four simple words: ‘Government spending goes unverified’ – a stiletto through the heart of Canada’s parliamentary democracy. The Harper government creates new programs but suppresses their costs. It makes substantial cuts at the departmental level, but the details of what services are affected are kept secret. It proclaims policy without white papers or a word of debate. The late finance minister Jim Flaherty would bring in a budget but wouldn’t table the Planning and Priorities report to show how the funds would be allocated. Not even Canada’s parliamentary budget officer can penetrate the darkness.”
Militarism: “Stephen Harper had always been quick to turn to the military option with less than a perfect understanding of the issues.” [As I write this review (March 2015), Harper has just expanded the current Canadian forces mission of combat with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) into Syria; and has extended the mission for one year. This action is in violation of international law, is not endorsed by the UN; is not supported by NATO; and sets a dangerous precedent.”]
“The war in Afghanistan drew Canada’s biggest military deployment since the Korean War. Forty thousand Canadians served during the 12 year mission…. The ‘all-in costs’ up to 2014, when the Canadian troops came home, have been estimated at $28 billion, a number that can’t be verified, because of the lack of transparency of the DND…. The Harper government secrecy about everything to do with the Afghanistan mission [is] staggering.”
Quotations by Others
Bruce Moncur, a veteran wounded in Afghanistan, blogged that it was easier fighting the Taliban than being a wounded veteran fighting for benefits back home: “It’s like we’ve become an inconvenience. If veterans aren’t safe from budget cuts, I guarantee you, no one else is. Every Canadian needs to take note of this.”
Paul Heinbecker, former ambassador to the UN: “The neo-conservative idea of foreign policy is about flexing military muscle. It’s about free-trade deals. It is a reversal of our history. We used to be advocates of constructive internationalism, we used to work hard to make that work. That’s why our advice and our particular insight were so sought after by other countries. Now we are a country with baggage. Those invitations to counsel others and to take part in that international meeting of the minds don’t get issued.”
Sheila Fraser, former auditor general: “Parliament has become so undermined it is almost unable to do the job that people expect of it…. A glaring example is the [omnibus] budget bill, where there is no thoughtful debate or scrutiny of the legislation. And the legislation was massive, little of it to do with the budget.”
Robert Marleau: “Canadians are sleepwalking through dramatic, social, economic, and political changes surreptitiously being implemented by a government abusing omnibus bills and stifling public and parliamentary debate….We operate under Westminster rules – an honourable understanding that you will play within the rules and by the rules. Mr. Harper has not played within the rules. Having attained absolute power, he has absolutely abused that power to the maximum.”
Harris ends Party of One with a walk and a talk with Farley Mowatt. Harris quotes Farley as follows:
- “…Stephen Harper is probably the most dangerous human being ever elevated to power in Canada…. This son of a bitch incited Canada into becoming a warrior nation.”
- “Harper has smothered MPs and is destroying Parliament. Elizabeth May is our one ray of hope….”
- “About the country and our future…. It is like an aura that seems to have gone wrong. I have the sound of old cannon fired in 1812 in my ears. It is the sound of war again. War is coming back. There is an inevitable sense about it. I’m pretty pessimistic.”
Me: Harris also covers the “under the bus” crowd: they are many, including former cabinet minister Helena Guergis; Linda Keen, former president of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC); Kevin Page, former parliamentary budget officer; not to mention Harper’s former chief of staff, Nigel Wright…. The forgoing quotations would suggest that the Duffygate/Senate scandal may be the least of our worries….”
“Oh no,” we say, “that couldn’t happen here. This is Canada!”
Me: I’ve heard that before and, likely, so have you. Is our democracy being eroded, turned into an antidemocratic, autocratic form of government – or worse? Do we really want another four years of Stephen Harper? Canadians need to get a grip. I’ve given you only a taste of “Party of One” through these quotations. If you love this country, read this book. Then look to see how you can best participate in the 2015 federal election.
