Stephen Harper Version 1.0:
OTTAWA – Conservative leader and Leader of the Opposition, Stephen Harper said today his first piece of legislation as Prime Minister will be to introduce a new Federal Accountability Act designed to end the influence of big money in Ottawa and crack down on a lobbying culture that has thrived under Paul Martin.The current government works with a culture of entitlement. No public official is entitled to use taxpayer’s money for their own purposes. “We propose to clean up government and give hard working Canadians a government they deserve,” said Harper. “Government exists to serve Canadians; government must serve the public interest, not personal interests.”
Stephen Harper Version 2.0:
OTTAWA (Reuters) - New Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Wednesday dismissed widespread unhappiness with his Conservative cabinet as "superficial criticism" and said he had no regrets about giving top jobs to an unelected aide and to a recent defector from the Liberals.Newspapers and media commentators condemned both decisions, saying they flew in the face of Harper's promises to run a more accountable government after winning the January 23 election.
"I expected some of the superficial criticism I've seen," Harper told the Vancouver Sun in an interview.
"Superficial criticism." That's got to sting a bit for these folks. And these folks:
OTTAWA — Members of the Conservative caucus squirmed in public and seethed in private yesterday, trying to come to grips with Prime Minister Stephen Harper's two controversial cabinet appointments."This looks like expediency, even hypocrisy," a veteran Conservative MP from Western Canada said of the appointments of David Emerson, who was elected last month as a Liberal, and Conservative campaign co-chairman Michael Fortier, who didn't run but will get a Senate appointment.
"This is shocking. It's just unbelievable. Who was Stephen talking to? We campaigned against this kind of stuff," the MP said.
A rookie MP said: "I'm not sure how I'm going to explain these appointments to my constituents. It's bewildering."
All right, so democratic accountability has taken one on the chin, but how about that clean-up of lobbying practices? Oh. Not so good, then.
OTTAWA — Canada's new Defence Minister, Gordon O'Connor, was involved in lobbying the armed forces to buy military transport planes that are now at the centre of the hottest military-supply controversy in Ottawa -- one that he will have to settle.Airbus, which dearly wants to sell its A400M tactical airlift planes to replace the Canadian Forces' aging fleet of Hercules aircraft, has been pushing for the federal government to delay the process so that its plane, which has yet to roll off the production line, can compete.
Mr. O'Connor was a lobbyist for Airbus from 2001 to February of 2004, four months before he was elected as an MP, according to the Lobbyists Registry. His former firm confirmed that he was involved in early efforts, roughly 2½ years ago, to interest the Department of National Defence in buying what became the A400M.
All right, so lobby reform is a bit wobbly too. But still, he's going to be sending out some positive political signals pretty soon I'm sure. Sorry? His cabinet is meeting where? Meech Lake!? Wow. Good political antenna, there, Mr. Harper. No symbolic baggage at that site.
What everyone seems to be forgetting in the rush to point to eight years of lobbying, is BGen (R) O'Connor's 30+ years of distinguished service in the military.
Given the undeniable fact that O'Connor is the most knowledgeable MND in at least twenty years, I think it's a bit unfair to declare him a cheap corporate hack. I, for one, will not question the man's integrity unless I'm given good reason to. You've provided none here.
At no point did I refer to O'Connor as a "cheap corporate hack" (although I did take a poke at him in my parody below), nor have I questioned his abilities. However, it is interesting that in his first couple of days in office, a potentially serious conflict of interest arises. It is especially interesting given the emphasis the Conservatives have placed on lobby reforms.
In general, the Conservatives have had a bowser of a first week. They're not inspiring confidence so far, and I am not alone in believing that.
You're right Tim. Not inspiring confidence indeed. Harper looks downright arrogant. And Jean Charest is ready to read him the riot act if he renegs on the $1 billion + transfer for childcare. It will be a rocky ride.
Jean Charest AND Dalton McGuinty, you mean.
And if you saw the footage of the arrival at Meech, that whole "party of the people who arrive to work in minivans" sure went out the window in a hurry too.
But then again, it wouldn't be fiscally prudent to let all of those limos go to waste either I guess......
I like that a former general is going to be managing defence. The electorate wanted to see some results and this certainly guarantees there will be some military spending down the road. Anybody who thinks military spending isn't completely necessary at this point is either a hippy or "hopelessly partisan". I fully support Chretien's military cutbacks, as they were necessary in reducing the deficit, but its now time for some spending and the Martin Liberals had failed to deliver.
I am already dissapointed in this "so called new governing" that has been Harpers platform, action speaks louder than B S that we were stupid enough to believe. I still do not hear the press coming out against these actions.
It is no wonder we Canadiens are fed up with political leaders who talk out of both sides of their mouth, one lying and the other telling us what we want to hear.