The polls are indicating that Canada is poised to elect a Conservative government led by Stephen Harper.
For the rest of you who didn't experience the Harris years in Ontario, here's what you can expect:
- Harper will keep his promises to cut taxes and do other things.
- Harper will drastically downsize and privatize public services (since he will no longer have the tax revenues to pay for them, and because he believes the government should offer only a very narrow range of core services).
- Harper will offload current federal services onto the provinces and municipalities, which will allow him to lower taxes federally. However, you'll pay even more at the provincial and municipal level.
- Expect to pay user fees for just about everything.
- Once the Conservatives are done their hack and slash, don't expect subsequent governments to be able to put the pieces back together too easily. It's much easier to tear something down than to build it.
That's how Conservative government worked out in Ontario, and Harper is cut from the same cloth as Harris.
If you're a disenfranchised Liberal, vote NDP.
If the NDP were a close second in your riding last time, vote NDP.
If you're considering voting Green, vote NDP.
The best hope we have is to get enough NDP MPs elected to force another minority government, but this time with the NDP holding a real balance of power.
Read the NDP platform. I think you'll find they're worth supporting.
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MISTER HARPER: THE MAN WHO COULD NOT COUNT:
Welcome to Mr. Harper, aspirant PM, the “20 Billion Dollar Man.” The thrust of his campaign was that he was a very careful policy wonk, not given to kissing babies or small talk, but a capable man, careful with details ...
Now, just one week before the election, he unveils a five year plan with a “missing” 20 billion dollar gap in it. His one economist who checked it for him, says “Oops! Left out a couple of things, but it balances if you don’t think about them”.
Some endorsement. Some check.
But so what? Harper tours Quebec offering them money for votes: lots of money. We will take it from the federal government and give it your provincial government, he says. Vote for us and we will shovel billions your way.
And Quebec voters warm up to this modern day Santa Clause in a blue suit. Heck, why not elect him as PM; just look at the goodies we will get.
Sorry, folks, but someone has to find the missing 20 billion dollars. Guess who that will be? Perhaps those lazy folk in the Maritimes (after all, Harper told the Americans back in 1997 that you folks living there had a false sense of entitlement and needed to move or do something)? Or those social programs which will have a priority second to the tax cuts designed to favour the very wealthy?
It is clear now that Harper is a follower of Bush. Harper’s economics – given his 20 billion dollar gap is just plain voodoo economics, to quote Bush Snr, and his tax cuts for the wealthy is just slavish copying of Bush Jnr.
Welcome to Bushland, Canada. A PM so smart he cannot add.
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