A
guest post by Pamela Mac Neil
Conservatives are looking for a new leader and in doing that, the conservatives may have to make an important decision. Harper and his CONs have, particularly in the last 4 yrs governed for only for 1/3rd of Canadians. They've governed only for their base. Much of the policies created by Harper not only appeased his base, but also satisfied his neoliberal agenda. Harpers continued exclusion of the Canadian majority throughout the last 4 yrs, was because he knew Canadians would not agree with his neoliberal/fascist/evangelical policies. Every avenue, to hide what he was doing from the Canadian public, that Harper could take, he took. From omnibus bills, to signing trade deals and announcing policy changes outside the country, to just plain doing things in secrecy. This exclusion of the Canadian public even carried over to the election by instituting an invitation only attendance at Harpers campaign stops. What is truly amazing is that the MSM has never exposed that Harper was governing only for his base and how he was doing that. So what will the new leader do? Will he/she focus primarily on their base, or will they include the rest of Canada in their future plans? Will they reach out to all Canadians? The MSM and people within the conservative party are talking about what has to be changed. Many are saying it's the tone that has to change. That's like saying that a rabid dogs problem is not that he has rabies, but that he barks to loud. Harper after being PM is staying on as an MP. Anyone think that he is doing this because he cares about the people in his riding? Harper wants to be able to influence who the new leader will be, the more malleable the better. He thinks if the conservatives get to govern again, the chosen leader will continue on with his neoliberal agenda. It is important to understand though that Harper and many people in the conservative party are living in their own self made bubble. While they were in power, they remained in that self made bubble, that is how they governed and that is why, essentially, they lost the election. Living in a bubble does not stop them from making plans for the future. They know they need the people outside of their bubble, but they have to figure out the best way to communicate with them without offending their base.
Conservatives are looking for a new leader and in doing that, the conservatives may have to make an important decision. Harper and his CONs have, particularly in the last 4 yrs governed for only for 1/3rd of Canadians. They've governed only for their base. Much of the policies created by Harper not only appeased his base, but also satisfied his neoliberal agenda. Harpers continued exclusion of the Canadian majority throughout the last 4 yrs, was because he knew Canadians would not agree with his neoliberal/fascist/evangelical policies. Every avenue, to hide what he was doing from the Canadian public, that Harper could take, he took. From omnibus bills, to signing trade deals and announcing policy changes outside the country, to just plain doing things in secrecy. This exclusion of the Canadian public even carried over to the election by instituting an invitation only attendance at Harpers campaign stops. What is truly amazing is that the MSM has never exposed that Harper was governing only for his base and how he was doing that. So what will the new leader do? Will he/she focus primarily on their base, or will they include the rest of Canada in their future plans? Will they reach out to all Canadians? The MSM and people within the conservative party are talking about what has to be changed. Many are saying it's the tone that has to change. That's like saying that a rabid dogs problem is not that he has rabies, but that he barks to loud. Harper after being PM is staying on as an MP. Anyone think that he is doing this because he cares about the people in his riding? Harper wants to be able to influence who the new leader will be, the more malleable the better. He thinks if the conservatives get to govern again, the chosen leader will continue on with his neoliberal agenda. It is important to understand though that Harper and many people in the conservative party are living in their own self made bubble. While they were in power, they remained in that self made bubble, that is how they governed and that is why, essentially, they lost the election. Living in a bubble does not stop them from making plans for the future. They know they need the people outside of their bubble, but they have to figure out the best way to communicate with them without offending their base.
Whoever
the new leader is, I think he/she will continue with the same
strategy of pandering to the conservative base, because, apart from
wanting to give this base a political platform, their base are also
the ones with the money . If they wanted to change from having a
conservative base to having an actual Conservative Political Party
they would have to allow in red and progressive tories. They would
have to stop being primarily a right wing, christian fundamentalist
party. This is who they are. They are not really a political party.
They are a group of people who have no political philosophy, but are
connected together by a shared belief in christian fundamentalism and
neoliberalism. Low taxes, austerity, small government and being born
again does not a political party make.We must never forget that this
group of people, call them what you want, a cabal, a cult, a sect,
were our government for 9 years and we must never forget that the man
at the helm of that government, Harper, wanted to make Canada into a
fascist police state, then feed us to the Global Neoliberal Sharks.
It will be a long time before the christian fundamentalist,
neoliberal conservatives, if ever, get back into power. In the
meantime they will find a new leader and will continue to operate in
their self made bubble, becoming over time, a mere appendage of the
Canadian political landscape. And Harper? He will become the
forgotten man of Canadian politics.
2 comments:
And the sooner we forget him the better in my view, Pamela. We cannot forget the past for it holds that stark warning of what can happen if we do not actively protect our democracy, but we sure can forget the man who brought it about and relegate him to a historical footnote! Let us all look to a brighter future.
The damage caused by the Harper gang will be long lasting. That's an unfortunate consequence of voter apathy and myopia. Unfortunately, with the Liberals elected, there are already troubling signs that things may not prove much better. C-51 and S-7 should be repealed but it appears that the Liberals will only amend the most egregious elements of 51. Trudeau's promise of electoral reform may lean more towards the ranking system than true proportional representation and, finally, one elected MP loudly touted for a cabinet post was, until his election, executive chair of one of Canada's largest human resources companies which has done and still does business with the federal governments. If Bill Morneau does get a cabinet post, will he recuse himself from any vote regarding pensions, insurance and taxation or any other decisions from which his company might benefit? I guess will just have to trust him and the Liberals. But we did that before. I'm glad Harper's gone and I do wish Trudeau well. But as for hope, I have none because it's the same old revolving door of two parties and intimidated voters too afraid to try something new.
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