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An Economist At Work: A Timeline of Stephen Harper's 2008 Economic Statements:
1. On Sept. 15, 2008, Stephen Harper said, 'My own belief is if we were going to have some kind of crash or recession, we probably would have had it by now.'
2. On Sept. 15, 2008, Harper said, 'The Canadian economy's fundamentals are solid.'
3. On Sept. 23, Harper said, 'I think when ordinary working people. . .see a gala of a bunch of people at a rich gala all subsidized by taxpayers claiming their subsidies aren't high enough. . .I'm not sure that's something that resonates...'
4. On Sept. 26, 2008, Harper said, 'The only way there is going to be a recession is if they (the Liberals) are elected and that's why they're not going to be elected.'
5. On Oct. 6, 2008, Harper said, 'There's nothing on the horizon - notwithstanding the storm clouds, and they are significant - (that) indicates to me that we should immediately go into deficit.'
6. On Oct. 7, 2008, Harper said, 'I think there are probably some great buying opportunities emerging in the stock market as a consequence of all this panic.'
7. On Oct. 11, Harper said: 'You're asking me to say what would Canada do if our economy went to hell in a handbasket. This government is running the economy so it can't go to hell in a handbasket.'
8. On Nov. 22, 2008, Harper said, 'These are, of course, the classic circumstances under which budgetary deficits are essential.'
9. On Nov. 22, 2008, Harper said, 'The financial crisis has become an economic crisis, and the world is entering an economic period unlike - and potentially as dangerous as - anything we have faced since 1929.'
10. On Dec. 15, 2008, Harper said, 'The truth is, I've never seen such uncertainty in terms of looking forward to the future.... I'm very worried about the Canadian economy.'
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Since taking over as Prime Minister, Stephen Harper has waged a non-stop attack on everything Canadians value. He has repeatedly assaulted Canada's natural environment:
http://thetyee.ca/Views/20
Right down to allowing Canadian lakes to be used as toxic dump sites at no cost to polluters.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/s
http://www.publicbroadcast
Although he promised open accountable government, Harper has lead one of the most secretive, authoritarian governments in Canadian history.
http://www.uofaweb.ualbert
http://www.canada.com/topi
http://www.harperindex.ca/
And while he was elected in part due to corruption on the part of the Liberals, Harper has lead one of the most deeply corrupt governments in recent memory.
From the in-out scheme
http://www.westislandchron
to the Cadman affair
http://www.canada.com/topi
and beyond
http://www.ndp.ca/scandals
http://scandalpedia.ca/Sca
He has waged a relentless assault on the arts from attempts to kill the Canadian film industry
http://www.millsworks.net/
To a copyright bill that is good for big media companies but bad for artists and that would make most Canadians into criminals
http://www.cbc.ca/technolo
to his rejection of a Heritage Committee recommendation that would have strengthened and improved the CBC
http://www.insidethecbc.co
and most recently his cuts to export subsidies for the arts
http://viewoncanadianart.c
He has been no friend to Canadian cities
http://thetyee.ca/News/200
http://www.thestar.com/art
He scrapped a child care plan years in the making and replaced it with a much weaker, watered down credit
http://thetyee.ca/Views/20
He has done his best to erode women's rights
http://www.straight.com/ar
Including cutting off funding to groups that lobby for womens rights
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/s
and closing "Status of Women" offices
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/s
Harper almost, at one point, had a backbone - placing the U.S. and Israel on a 'Torture Watch List'
http://www.commondreams.or
But Harper's spine quickly gave way when the US and Israel were upset, though they presented no counter evidence.
http://www.haaretz.com/has
He has bungled the economy
http://www.thestar.com/New
http://www.leaderpost.com/
There have also been cuts to adult literacy, youth employment and internship programs, Indian Affairs, technology development, citizenship and immigration, apparel and textiles, workplace skills training, the National Crime Prevention Centre, Social Development Partnership Programs, the mountain pine beetle program, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Canadian Volunteerism Initiative, Health Canada's policy research, the elimination of the Canadian Identity Program, cuts to the RCMP impaired driving program, the Museums Assistance Program, the Closing of Commercial Heritage Property Incentive Fund run by Parks Canada
http://www.cbc.ca/news/bac
He reneged on his promise not to tax income trusts, costing many small investors - including retirees small fortunes, because Harper had promised not to tax these trusts many were buying them until days before his announcement.
http://www.caiti.info/lies
Finally he has done considerable damage to Canada's reputation abroad. From refusing to attend the world AIDS conference
http://www.citynews.ca/new
to insulting the Chinese people (and Canadian athletes) by his absence from the opening ceremonies
http://www.canada.com/topi
His administration has interfered in foreign elections by leaking private information
http://www.theglobeandmail
and left classified documents with girlfriends
http://www.canada.com/vict
They have also damaged Canada's reputation as a refuge from wars and war crimes by deporting asylum seekers.
http://www.indybay.org/new
And allowed big business to rewrite immigration policy
http://www.vivelecanada.ca
In short Stephen Harper's government has been inept, corrupt, incompetent and immoral on almost every important issue.
Stephen Harper and his Tories have never enjoyed more than about 37% support in Canada, yet they manage to cling to power. It is time for the Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party to put aside their differences, focus on areas of common ground and at least temporarily come together in coalition.
Michael Ignatieff, Jack Layton and their parties should make it clear to Stephen Harper and the Governor General that they will act in concert and prevent the Harper neo-conservative agenda from going any further, that they can and will form a coalition Government and will block any further legislation by Stephen Harper until given a chance to do so.
