| | | No banks failed
when have they ever in canada?
reasons why i don't like harper .... how's this for a start?
- Americanization: Easily the most right wing asshole Canada ever produced, with a ton of eerie parallels with the GOP nearly across the board on policy. [26]
- Silencing dissent, knowledge, and democracy, bit by bit. [27]
- Police State fan: Taking cues from the Patriot Act, Harper introduced several bills that entrench the powers of the intelligence-security apparatus to such an extent that, due to their broadly phrased wording, would cause untold thousands of people being arrested and detained without due process. First off, Bill C-30 allows the Canadian government to monitor online activities of its citizens; without warrants, of course. Bill C-44 expands the surveillance powers of CSIS to NSA-levels (not just Anglophone countries would be affected), while granting anonymity protection to CSIS informants and allowing for new conditions under which Canadian citizenship can be revoked. Bill C-639, introduced on Dec. 3, which impinges on the Constitutional right of assembly and would criminalize people exercising their democratic right to public protest. Bill C-51, the Anti-Terrorism Act 2015, contains draconian measures that protect "critical infrastructure," namely private property that is owned by wealthy plutocrats or corporations. Even those who, for example, protest Israeli wars on Gaza, those same civilians would be arrested on the basis of "supporting terrorists" (ala Hamas), and have their citizenship revoked. Workers who begin striking at, say, oil companies in Canada, would be arrested for potential "damage" done to "critical infrastructure." [28] [29]
- Anti-Sex: He introduced and legalized a December 2014 bill that criminalizes the purchase of sex, while keeping it legal to sell sex, which effectively prohibits prostitution for no good reason other than to piss on the little guy again.
- Unacceptable Cowardice: When a crazed gunman went on a rampage in Ottawa, and came within ten meters of over 200 members of Parliament as well as the Prime Minister and both Opposition Leaders, Stephen Harper—the Prime Minister—hid in a closet. By contrast, the Members of Parliament grabbed flagpoles, transformed them into spears, and held them at the ready within their offices; waiting for the gunman to show up so they could impale him like Ancient Greeks in a phalanx formation. [30]
- Anti-LGBT: Specifically and successfully blocked protections for transgender Canadians. [31]
- Anti-Citizenship: Introduced a bill that, if passed, will make it harder for immigrants to earn Canadian citizenship and easier for current Canadians to lose it. [32] New immigrants will have to wait longer before they can apply for citizenship. Older and younger people will now have to pass language and knowledge tests to qualify for citizenship. The citizenship application fees have been tripled. There will be no right of appeal for those who are refused.
- NAFTA wannabe: He pushed for the pending passage of CETA, a NAFTA-esque trade deal that gives priority to investor and intellectual property rights above environmental and consumer regulations.
- Considers science an inconvenience: He shut down a "groundbreaking" freshwater research station, because fuck it. [33]
- Chickenhawk envy: Despite having no military experience, he blindly supported the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, [34] regardless of the consequences, illegality or the unpopularity. Harper pushed Parliament in 2006 to extend Canada’s mission in Afghanistan for an additional two years, successfully, at that. In 2007, a Liberal motion to end Canada’s Afghanistan role in 2009 was defeated by a voting coalition led by Harper’s Conservatives. He did the same in 2011. In 2014, he put Canada into a state of war with ISIL while his Conbots laughed, cheered, clapped and did a few thumbs-ups, so basically made a circus of the motion. In other words, being euphoric over the possible deaths of the children of others Canadians, as well as civilian casualties in the area ISIL occupies. [35]
- Americanization of Canadian government: His policies emulate much of those perpetrated by the GOP, like having his soldiers trained by Blackwater, [36] torturing prisoners for information, [37] and supporting Israel "whatever the cost." This includes pushing Canada to become the first country to cut off financial aid and diplomatic relations with the Palestinian Authority after Hamas took power following Palestinian elections. In the summer of 2006, as Israel warred with Hezbollah, Lebanese civilian deaths led to calls for a ceasefire from other Western countries, except Canada, as Harper supported the vicious response from Israel. He even directed Canada to abstain from UN resolutions singling out Israel for its violations and abuses. [38]
- Socially regressive behaviour: Attempted to reinstate a gay marriage ban[ wp] immediately after taking office, [39] shut down 12 out of 16 federal Status of Women offices, [40] fired most non-Christian chaplains from Canadian prisons, [41] and has funneled money into a headscratcher of an initiative called the "Office of Religious Freedom," seemingly created to pander to Catholics. [42]
- Witch hunts on opponents: McCarthy-esque crackdowns on government dissenters [43] [44] and liberal university professors [45]
- A dismal record on global warming, [46] [47] [48] [49] " muzzling" climate scientists [50] [51] and calling Kyoto "a socialist scheme to suck money out of wealth-producing nations." [52] He then formally withdrew Canada from its commitment to the Protocol, making it the first country of the 191 ratifying signatories to do so. [53]
- Restricting the press: He regulated the Ottawa press gallery in a really bad way, by limiting the amount of questions they can give him and only approving softball queries by pro-Harper reporters [54] [55] thus effectively limiting (or even silencing) journalists from asking questions
- Prorogued Parliament to cover his ass: He dismissed Parliament twice in two years, the latter in fear of facing oppositional criticism over the Afghan detainee scandal[ wp], the former when facing a vote of confidence that he would have lost as a minority government, while the Liberals, NDP and Bloc had signed an agreement to form a coalition government. He ironically claimed that the coalition was "something nobody voted for" and "undemocratic", while the parties in the coalition carried 54% of the vote to his 38%. In the next election in 2011, the Conservatives were elected to a majority government with 39% of the vote, which is truly undemocratic and something for which nobody voted.
- Hates being questioned: Harper wanted to prevent a CTV camera from boarding his plane to Malaysia because he wanted to ask him a question. [56]
- Careless spending: Wasted almost $1 billion in three days for security and other costs during the 2010 G20 Summit in Toronto. [57] The resulting protests[ wp] became the largest mass arrests in Canadian history, making the the 1970 FLQ crisis under Pierre Trudeau look like Quebec never wanted to separate from Canada (just watch this). If you're not raising pitchforks yet, G20 military records were found to equate "embarrassment to the Canadian government" to terrorism. [58]
- Tried to steal ballot boxes and make stimulus plan signs permanent. [59]
- Massive ego: Filled the government lobby with photos of just himself, [60] continues to have the Government of Canada listed as the "Harper Government" in official communications, [61] and used Fox News lookalike Sun News to concoct an act of propaganda worthy of Failblog mention. [62] In Canada Day festivities on Parliament Hill, he insisted on accepting the Royal Salute ahead of the former Governor General. Illegally, even, because heads of state should be greeted at Rideau Hall, not Centre Block. Hell, the red carpets and flags in the main hall of Parliament are completely contrary to Canadian tradition, and using Centre Block as a stage for pomp and ceremony for visiting presidents is contrary to their Constitution.
- Was influential in halting a UN resolution to declare water as a basic human right, [63] has pressed to maintain the freaking asbestos industry [64] reluctantly ended funding for the Chrysotile Institute in May 2012 after international condemnation [65] (plus a good mocking by Jon Stewart), drastically cut foreign aid to Africa, [66] and literally wants the poor to starve [67]
- Negligence over the $7 million Bev Oda scandal [68] and the "In and Out" scandal[ wp]
- Let the Treasury Board President take $50 million from the G8 fund to spend on gazebos in his own constituency [69] and allowed the Defence Minister to use a search-and-rescue helicopter as a personal limo [70]
- In a terrifying hilarious move, fully copied one of Tim Pawlenty's 2012 presidential ads [71]
- Allowing the military junta in Egypt to detain Canadian journalists who filmed military brutality indefinitely, with no signs that he'll even attempt to pursue their release.
- Blatantly lied about the cost of 65 F-35 fighter jets (you know, the ones loved by John McCain [72]), expected to be tens of billions of dollars more than official projections. [73] Oh, and they also have a nasty habit of losing communication in the High Arctic. Good thing Canada isn't trying to enforce its ownership of the North!
- Is in the process of imposing American 'tough-on- crime' laws, while all evidence points to the current system working since the 1970s. [74] And fibbing about the cost. [75] Shocker!
- Apparently stuffed the ballot box[ wp], using robocalls to send Liberal voters to the wrong voting locations, in the very election where Stevie 'won' his majority government. [76] [77] And then had the audacity to use robocalls to manipulate public opinion against changing Saskatchewan's rigged electoral boundaries. [78]
- Brutalizing the environment unconstitutionally: Used his majority to ram a 400-page "budget bill" through Parliament, damaging everything from the environment to social protections and opposed by almost every scientist and constitutional expert in the nation. [79] [80] Once the Harper-instituted budget office realized it was probably illegal, they were told to fuck off. [81]
- Presidential Prime Minister: He rules the Conservatives, and by extension, the government with an iron fist. Nothing happens in his party without his approval and every policy imposed by the government has Harper's influence, regardless of what Parliament has to say. Now, in this case, it's technically legal, because Prime Ministers are still sitting members of the legislature, so they're allowed to shape policy so openly and directly. As a result, the PM’s words carry especially great weight—they signify the legislative direction the country is likely to take. On the other hand, he goes about it wrong, like when he offered to bribe the family of a cancer-stricken MP if said MP would vote with a bill Harper supported.
- Disdain for Opposition: He insists that the Opposition is not truly part of the government, excludes local Opposition MPs from announcements in their ridings, barred local groups from holding events at which federal dollars are involved with their own MP (unless that MP is Conservative) and refusing to grant information to Opposition MPs in case they wanted to change or implement a fiscal policy out of line with Harper's vision.
- Emboldening Crooked Government elsewhere: It's one thing if Harper, for example, tries to prorogue Parliament before they could sniff him out. It's another when the Premiers of provincial governments act the same way in Ontario, British Columbia (both Liberals) as well as that of Quebec. This includes blocking evidence-based arguments, the use public data and government funds for partisan purposes, and claiming that their critics are out of touch with the "silent majority". [82] Lord knows how successive governments will act after Harper inevitably leaves.
- Filtering Refugee Applications By Religion: A few months after images flooded the world of dead Syrian children washing up on the shores of Europe's beaches, it was revealed that Harper's office had directed the Citizen and Immigration bureau to send all asylum seeker requests to him personally so that he and he alone could judge whether they were worthy, even in cases where the UN had already deemed the refugee's situation untenable. [83] If you're a government employee you'll know that communicating with one department is not a simple process, and as a result, Harper's insistence of micro-managing a complex asylum process delayed desperate people's applications too long, resulting in deaths. Worst of all, there are also accusations that Harper sought to only approve asylum cases with minorities that could be courted for votes, and instructed officials not to consider Shia and Sunni Muslim cases because these would be harder to present in a future campaign. [84] In short, Harper's response to the Syrian Civil War was to effectively put up a "Christians only" sign at Canada's ports.
...and finally, after all of that:
- Being the first ever PM to be held in contempt of Parliament, something never before seen in the British Commonwealth. [85] Enjoy, eh.
|
|
