The below (snipped)shows quotes from Harper which leaves Ontario voters ?????
My muse first though
The choice between corrupt Liberals where ones' Rights are slowly
eroding but can be fought in the Courts versus losing ones' Rights
under Harper and having trouble fighting them in the Courts????
The thought of "but by the grace of god go I" and get left out,
hanging on a limb by an accident, by the government versus the corrupt
Liberals who are willing to spend money in aid de unfortunate?
Oh, the NDP still do not count.
cheers :) majere
Below is snipped.
Stephen Harper In his Own Words
Human Rights Commissions:
"Human rights commissions, as they are evolving, are an attack on our
fundamental freedoms and the basic existence of a democratic society…It
is in fact totalitarianism. I find this is very scary stuff." (BC
Report Newsmagazine, January 11, 1999)
On being ‘libertarian’
“But I'm very libertarian in the sense that I believe in small
government and, as a general rule, I don't believe in imposing values
upon people.” (National Post, March 6, 2004)
Economic conservatism, Harper says during an interview in his Calgary
office, is libertarian in nature, emphasizing markets and choice.
Libertarian conservatives work to dismantle the remaining elements of
the interventionist state and move towards “a market society for the
21st century.” (Toronto Star, April 6, 1997)
Child Poverty:
In 1997, Harper bragged that he was opposed to government programs to eliminate child poverty:
“These proposals included cries for billions of new money for social
assistance in the name of “child poverty” and for more business
subsidies in the name of “cultural identity”. In both cases I was
sought out as a rare public figure to oppose such projects.” (The
Bulldog, National Citizens Coalition, February 1997)
Universal Social Programs:
"Universality has been severely reduced: it is virtually dead as a
concept in most areas of public policy…These achievements are due in
part to the Reform Party…” (Speech to the Colin Brown Memorial Dinner,
National Citizens Coalition, 1994)
Bilingualism:
“After all, enforced national bilingualism in this country isn’t mere
policy. It has attained the status of a religion. It’s a dogma which
one is supposed to accept without question. … [M]ake no mistake.
Canada is not a bilingual country. In fact it is less bilingual today
than it has ever been...As a religion, bilingualism is the god that
failed. It has led to no fairness, produced no unity, and cost Canadian
taxpayers untold millions.” (Calgary Sun, May 6, 2001)
Federalism:
“It is imperative to take the initiative, to build firewalls around
Alberta, to limit the extent to which an aggressive and hostile federal
government can encroach upon legitimate provincial jurisdiction.”
(National Post, January 24, 2001, “Open Letter to Ralph Klein”)
“If Ottawa giveth, then Ottawa can taketh away… This is one more
reason why Westerners, but Albertans in particular, need to think hard
about their future in this country. After sober reflection, Albertans
should decide that it is time to seek a new relationship with Canada.
…Having hit a wall, the next logical step is not to bang our heads
against it. It is to take the bricks and begin building another home –
a stronger and much more autonomous Alberta. It is time to look at
Quebec and to learn. What Albertans should take from this example is to
become “maitres chez nous”. (National Post, December 8, 2000)
“[T]he Liberals still insist on meddling in provincial jurisdiction in
areas such as health care, education, and municipalities ….The federal
government should refocus on its core areas of responsibility, and
allow provinces to define their own priorities for their own societies.
… Stephen Harper would seek to recognize, through federal-provincial
agreements, that areas of jurisdiction such as labour market
development, forestry, mining, housing, recreation, and municipal and
urban affairs are exclusive areas of provincial jurisdiction, and to
adequately compensate the provinces for withdrawing federal spending in
these areas.” (Federalism for All Canadians, Stephen Harper Policy
Paper, oneconservativevoice.ca, March 2004)
“Whether Canada ends up as one national government or two national
governments or several national governments, or some other kind of
arrangement is, quite frankly, secondary in my opinion… And whether
Canada ends up with one national government or two governments or ten
governments, the Canadian people will require less government no matter
what the constitutional status or arrangement of any future country may
be.” (Speech to the Colin Brown Memorial Dinner, National Citizens
Coalition, 1994)
On Atlantic Canada:
"There is a dependence in the region that breeds a culture of defeatism," (CBC News, May 30, 2002)
"I think in Atlantic Canada, because of what happened in the decades
following Confederation, there is a culture of defeat that we have to
overcome. …Atlantic Canada's culture of defeat will be hard to overcome
as long as Atlantic Canada is actually physically trailing the rest of
the country." (New Brunswick Telegraph Journal, May 29, 2002)
"There's unfortunately a view of too many people in Atlantic Canada
that it's only through government favours that there's going to be
economic progress, or that's what you look to …That kind of can't-do
attitude is a problem in this country but it's obviously more serious
in regions that have had have-not status for a long time." (Toronto
Sun, May 31, 2002)
“I've taken my position and frankly it's the same position that I took
all through the [Alliance] leadership race. I delivered [speeches]
everywhere I went, including in the Maritime provinces on several
occasions, about the spirit of defeatism in the country and what drives
it and how we have to address it.” (National Post, May 31, 2002)
On Canadians:
"I think there is a dangerous rise in defeatist sentiment in this
country. …I have said that repeatedly, and I mean it and I believe it."
(Ottawa Citizen, June 3, 2002)
“Canada appears content to become a second-tier socialistic country,
boasting ever more loudly about its economy and social services to mask
its second-rate status…” (National Post, Dec. 8 2000 p. A18)
“Well I just want to assure you that those kinds of security concerns
are widely shared here. Certainly the problems in our porous borders,
our immigration system, there are things that we've been raising in the
Parliament…Make no mistake, Canada, you know, with its limited
resources, our soldiers made an adeq...admirable participation in
Afghanistan…” (Interview with Sheppard Smith, Fox TV, September 13,
2002)
“…there is a continental culture. There is a Canadian culture that is
in some ways unique to Canada, but I don't think Canadian culture
coincides neatly with borders.” (Report Newsmagazine January 7, 2002)
“We've just become increasingly irrelevant to a country [U.S.] that has a lot of priorities…” (CBC Newsworld, July 11, 2003)
“I think in parts of the Prairies we are increasingly seeing similar
views that there is no hope, there is no way forward, all we can do is
negotiate with the party in power. So I think in any region where you
have sustained under-development or lack of growth for a long period of
time, this starts to develop… I'd say frankly, generally the kind of
can't-do attitude is a problem in this country but it's obviously more
serious in regions that have had have-not status for a long time.”
(Toronto Star, May 30, 2002)
On Western Canadian society:
"You've got to remember that west of Winnipeg the ridings the Liberals
hold are dominated by people who are either recent Asian immigrants or
recent migrants from eastern Canada: people who live in ghettoes and
who are not integrated into western Canadian society." (Stephen Harper,
Report Newsmagazine, January 22, 2001)
Regional Development:
"We have in this country a federal government that increasingly is
engaged in trying to determine which business, which regions, which
industries will succeed, which will not through a whole range of
economic development, regional development corporate subsidization
programs. I believe that in the next election we got to propose a
radical departure from this." (Global News, February 24, 2002)
Betty Granger:
Betty Granger was one of three Harper leadership organizers in
Manitoba. She is a past candidate from the 2000 election whose remarks
about an “Asian invasion” created controversy:
“I’m not doing witch-hunts on people’s pasts… If someone does
something wrong, there will be action taken. But if somebody doesn’t do
anything wrong, we’re not going to take any action… I don’t make
volunteer field decisions… but Betty Granger is a riding president, a
member in good standing. She’s somebody that other members I’ve talked
to think very highly of, and quite frankly, she was the victim of an
unfair slur story in the last election campaign.” (Calgary Herald,
January 15, 2002)
“Betty Granger is party president in the Winnipeg area and one of a
large number of party presidents that are supporting this campaign. So,
I think this kind of thing is just kind of a low-level form of
McCarthyism.” (CTV ”Question Period”, February 10, 2002)
Spending Cuts:
Harper incorrectly predicted that the annual cuts of up to $19-20
billion to federal expenditures proposed by the Reform Party would not
be sufficient to eliminate the federal deficit:
“The proposals we made during the election which many people considered
drastic, are probably not now adequate to deal with this problem.”
(Montreal Gazette, November 30, 1993)
“I do not intend to dispute in any way the need for defence cuts and
the need for government spending cuts in general. …I do not share a not
in my backyard approach to government spending reductions.” (Hansard,
May 23, 1995)
On the Iraq War:
“I don't know all the facts on Iraq, but I think we should work
closely with the Americans.” (Report Newsmagazine, March 25 2002)
“We should have been there shoulder to shoulder with our allies. Our
concern is the instability of our government as an ally. We are playing
again with national and global security matters.'' (Canadian Press
Newswire, April 11, 2003)
“On the justification for the war, it wasn't related to finding any
particular weapon of mass destruction. In our judgment, it was much
more fundamental. It was the removing of a regime that was hostile,
that clearly had the intention of constructing weapons systems. … I
think, frankly, that everybody knew the post-war situation was probably
going to be more difficult than the war itself. Canada remains
alienated from its allies, shut out of the reconstruction process to
some degree, unable to influence events. There is no upside to the
position Canada took.” (Maclean’s, August, 25, 2003)
“The world is now unipolar and contains only one superpower. Canada
shares a continent with that superpower. In this context, given our
common values and the political, economic and security interests that
we share with the United States, there is now no more important foreign
policy interest for Canada than maintaining the ability to exercise
effective influence in Washington so as to advance unique Canadian
policy objectives.” (Canadian Alliance Defence Policy Paper: The New
North Strong and Free, May 5, 2003)
“This party will not take its position based on public opinion polls.
We will not take a stand based on focus groups. We will not take a
stand based on phone-in shows or householder surveys or any other
vagaries of pubic opinion… In my judgment Canada will eventually join
with the allied coalition if war on Iraq comes to pass. The government
will join, notwithstanding its failure to prepare, its neglect in
co-operating with its allies, or its inability to contribute. In the
end it will join out of the necessity created by a pattern of
uncertainty and indecision. It will not join as a leader but unnoticed
at the back of the parade.” (Hansard, January 29, 2003)
“While there are Canadians who oppose the invasion, Harper said, they
are a minority, as are those who are anti-American. It certainly
exists. But in fairness, there's an anti-American sentiment among the
American left in the United States itself. We have some of that here.
But that's a minority sentiment.'” only in Quebec, with its “pacifist
tradition,” are most people opposed to the war, Harper said. “Outside
of Quebec, I believe very strongly the silent majority of Canadians is
strongly supportive.” (Halifax Daily News, April 4, 2003)
"we support the war effort and believe we should be supporting our
troops and our allies and be there with them doing everything necessary
to win" (Montreal Gazette, April 2, 2003)
On Taxes
“I will strive to make this not the highest-spending country in the
world, but instead the lowest taxing one.” (Speech at the Conservative
Leadership Convention, March 19, 2004)
“We must aim to make [Canada] a lower tax jurisdiction than the United States.” (Vancouver Province, April 6, 2004)
“They (taxes) can be lower than the U.S. and that should be our financial objective.” (Canadian Press, April 11, 2003)
On being called a Tory:
"It's actually not a label I love. … I am more comfortable with a more
populist tradition of conservatism. Toryism has the historical context
of hierarchy and elitism and is a different kind of political
philosophy. It's not my favourite term, but we're probably stuck with
it." (Hamilton Spectator, January 24, 2004)
http://www.canadiandemocraticmovement.ca/displayarticle378.html
