Posted on 01/15/2006 6:51:38 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
OTTAWA—If the Conservatives win this election as the polls predict, Canadians will notice the difference almost immediately.
All the signs point to Stephen Harper making changes that would significantly shift the course of federal government in ways that go beyond mere cosmetics, both advocates and critics agree.
The Conservatives' campaign platform, delivered by a relaxed-looking Harper in Oakville yesterday, is a blueprint for an entirely new government — one looking increasingly likely to take over from Prime Minister Paul Martin and his Liberals after the vote on Jan. 23.
The blueprint will form the main contents of a first budget and throne speech for a future Conservative government.
Cast ahead just a few weeks from now, if Conservatives win the election, as pollsters now are starting to predict.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and a team of largely inexperienced, but enthusiastic ministers emerge from their swearing-in at Rideau Hall and sit down to the task of unravelling 12 years of Liberal rule. Governor-General Michaëlle Jean, only months after dancing with Martin in the halls of Parliament at her own swearing-in, reads the new throne speech in a Senate filled with Liberal appointees.
Then the new finance minister — Alberta's Monte Solberg, perhaps, or maybe Ontario's own former finance minister Jim Flaherty — delivers a budget, likely by March so that provinces can get on with releasing their own budgets.
The GST will fall by one percentage point, to 6 per cent and there will be tax credits for transit passes and for children's sports fees. The national network of federal-provincial child-care deals will be scrapped. The gun registry will be dismantled. People in the lowest income bracket will find that their tax rate, just recently cut to 15 per cent, will climb back to 16 per cent and that the basic personal exemption, just increased by $500, will be clawed back by $400.
The measures were months and months in the planning, and now Conservatives are within striking distance of putting their best-laid policy plans into effect.
Tory MPs and candidates, smelling the very real scent of imminent power, are sticking closely to the same, strict script and are resisting any attempts by the media to pull them off their message.
Harper is now in a position to dangle hope in front of them — realistic hope.
"I believe for Canada the best is yet to come," Harper said yesterday.
Conservative candidate Tony Clement, who is running against Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell in Parry Sound-Muskoka, says Canadians can expect visible change from a Harper government — and most visible, he says, would be the law-and-order changes.
A new sheriff is coming to town, in other words.
"The real difference (from the Liberals) is going to be on the crime and justice issue," said the former Ontario cabinet minister.
Clement said the "absolute fiasco" that has been the Liberals' $2 billion gun registry illustrates the government's misplaced priorities.
Gun-control advocates would agree that this will be the most visible — and worrying — change of the Harper regime.
In emails circulating late this week, various gun-control proponents were conveying anxiety about Harper gutting an initiative that they credit for a steady reduction in gun crime in Canada since 1991 — even if Toronto has seen a rash of handgun violence.
Harper is not vowing to do anything beyond the current, loophole-filled handgun ban.
The fact that Harper is now realistically able to envision victory is a product of deep preparation, as was yesterday's platform launch.
While others, especially Liberals, were counting the Conservatives out, the Tories were building a governing machine.
"All of these things have been carefully considered and fully budgeted. We've worked on them for months. We didn't make them up in the middle of a campaign or the middle of a debate," Harper said, taking a jab at Martin's surprise announcement on constitutional rights in this week's TV debates.
"We worked hard on them because we are asking the people of Canada to trust us with their money, to trust us with the results of their own hard work."
Martin lit into the Tory document yesterday, calling it "incompetent" and saying it threatens to undermine Canada's credibility in the eyes of the international community and markets.
Then he attacked Harper for not attaching a dollar figure to major commitments like resolving the fiscal imbalance and refusing to specify where he would trim program spending to achieve his promises.
"It reminds me of the kind of documents that I first looked at when I became finance minister in 1993 and looked at the kind of documents the Conservatives actually circulated," Martin said.
The Conservative's platform, titled "Stand up for Canada," outlines $44.9 billion in tax savings and $30 billion in new spending. The biggest ticket in the platform is the $32.3 billion cost of the Tories' signature promise — cutting the GST immediately to 6 per cent from 7 per cent and eventually to 5 per cent in five years.
Liberals, however, are keen for Canadians to notice what's not on the Tories' to-do list. Issuing what Finance Minister Ralph Goodale described yesterday as a "victim's list," Liberals rattled off a long series of programs and policies that will go by the wayside if they are defeated on Jan. 23.
The "victims," as Goodale put it, include: the Kyoto air quality accord; the aboriginal agreement from the November summit in Kelowna; the personal tax cuts and a range of packages to assist industries such as forestry.
Harper, who has been skeptical of the Kyoto accord to reduce greenhouse gases, announced that his government would seek a "made-in-Canada" solution.
He promised a "clean air act" to reduce the pollutants that cause smog and encourage "new technologies" and public transit to curb greenhouse gases.
The platform also says the Conservatives are committed to meeting the spirit of the November agreement to improve the lives of aboriginal people, but makes no promise on spending the $5.1 billion to make it happen.
The Conservatives say they'll also replace the Indian Act with "modern" legislation and pursue settlement of outstanding aboriginal claims.
To pay for their promises, the Tories will scrap child-care deals signed with the provinces over the last year by the Liberals, a move saving $4.8 billion.
That has sparked concern in Toronto where officials worry about the impact on new daycare centres that are just opening — and relying on the federal funding.
But yesterday, Harper suggested it was the city's tough luck.
"I'm not responsible for the City of Toronto budget ... The agreements the federal government signed are only guaranteed funding for one year," Harper said.
As well, the Tories say they'll go hunting for $22.5 billion in savings from government department and agencies.
Canada's armed forces and the Indian affairs department would be spared any funding rollbacks. Transfers to the provinces, health care, money earmarked for municipal infrastructure and programs such as Canada Pension Plan and employment insurance will also avoid spending caps.
But spending in all other federal departments would be capped at the rate of inflation, plus the rate of population growth.
"It will establish financial discipline and save billions," Harper said. "We have to make choices but I'm telling you there are no draconian measures."
Faced with a political opponent tarred by images of wasteful spending, Harper touted the values of integrity and portrayed the Conservatives as careful spenders.
"We've seen literally billions go to waste, mismanagement and the benefits of a few friends," Harper said.
"Our government must always see tax dollars, not as a large pile of money but as an incredible amount of public trust," he said.
...it smells like... victory. :-D
Re: that $2 billion gun registry:
I've got a funny feeling that there will be some kind of police investigation into that spending, if the Torys get in - how can a simple computer database cost $2000 million?! There's gotta be some padding or waste in there!
I wonder if the Liberals have started shredding documents yet ....
Ping
If you include background checks it can add up.
Was there a secure network set up?
I don’t know the details but you can make something like this as expensive as you want.
But as for the $22.5 billion in savings from government department and agencies they are looking for this is somewhere to start.
Wipe the hard drives and auction off the hardware.
"Re: that $2 billion gun registry: I've got a funny feeling that there will be some kind of police investigation into that spending, if the Torys get in - how can a simple computer database cost $2000 million?! There's gotta be some padding or waste in there!"
They probably got through it halfway before they realized they were doing it without the "W" keys again...
Well, let's see what the Grits -- the Rats -- have up their stinky sleeves. I saw some of a debate on C-SPAN last night. Martin really impresses me as a crooked, vicious, arrogant pryck. He will do anything to win.
If you have any friends in Canada, tell them to vote for Harper and his ridings next Monday, if they live in Quebec and a Conservative can't win vote for the Bloc Quebec candidate. The Liberals and the New Democrats are the 2 parties that need to be defeated.
Posted by kajingawd to Heartofsong83
On News/Activism 11/13/2005 3:47:25 PM PST · 6 of 15
Same as the different mediums in the US, the press, polls and the Libs are trying to sway public opinion...it's not going to work...
With 3 different opposition parties sharing money , energy and time for one thing , and one thing only...The Libs are going down next time around...
i'd bet anything in the world, if i wuz a bettin man.
:-D
Canada Ping!
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Go to "comments," go to "last," and work back for the latest links, quotes, quips, charts, and other useful information about the upcoming Canadian elections.
The Canadian Blogs have led the way investigating, exposing, talking about, and keeping before the public the "scandal a day" nature of Canada's corrupt, incestuous, nepotistic ruling class.
You really need to read all of it to see how bad 13 years of "liberal" government can be.
Billions of dollars missing... censorship... gang warfare ( but you can't mention that... ) and corruption, cronyism, and kickbacks that would shame a Mafiosa...
Read it all, get sick, get mad- and if you are Canadian, go vote.
Be sure to visit our Sister Site, Free Dominion:
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
You should start a pool to guess how soon before the new PM is invited to DC..
Ah yes, the winds of change ... how refreshing. : )
Although, I won't rest easy until after the election.
And I am happy that the CPC is going to cut some fat - there is lots of it.
You have nailed Martin PRECISELY. That is EXACTLY what he is and worse. The truth is, a lot of CANADIANS are seeing the same thing too. I've ALWAYS been a Conservative and had trouble understanding how anybody in their right mind could vote for the Chretien/Martin machine. But NOW knowing what we know, it's IMPOSSIBLE for me to understand how a single person can vote for this man. He's even corrupt in his own business. His fleet of ships are registered under LIBERIA no less, so thate HE doesn't have to pay Canadian taxes or adhere to Canadian Employment laws. HE's CRIMINAL WRETCH. He has no problem NOT paying taxes or treating employees fairly and he has NO problem TAXING our asses off!! I HATE that creep!!
Good luck to you, my friend. With a week to go, you (the Conservatives) may need it.
I look forward to good news on Jan. 23. This time, as last time, I will be watching the results closely.
Sounds like something for the weekend...:)
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