Drone Speech
Posted By Senator McCoy Oct 17 2007 09:44PM
Last summer, the pundits were saying PM Harper had run out of ideas. Yesterday's Throne Speech confirmed their opinion. Not only are there no major new initiatives, the Prime Minister's agenda continues to plow old ground. Bills that had been resolved after lengthy consideration (anti-terrorism provisions, Senate tenure) are to be re-introduced, forcing MPs and Senators to debate them all over again. Various crime bills in final stages of approval before the Prime Minister prorogued Parliament are to be re-packaged. Once again, the lengthy debate process will need to be repeated.
In addition, a number of old promises have been recycled. Many of them continue to keep us dangling, because we have no way of knowing when, or whether, the promises will be fulfilled. GST cuts are mentioned again, for example, as are broad income tax cuts. Whether you support one or the other or both, the government fails to tell us, in either case, just when we might get to reap the benefits promised. Worse yet, other recycled promises fail to acknowledge new information that strongly suggests the promise will never be fulfilled. The most obvious example is the Conservative's climate change plan. Nowhere does the Throne Speech acknowledge that the government's promises of significant greenhouse gas reductions have been soundly discredited both by the CD Howe Institute, and by the National Round Table on the Environment and Economy (an organization appointed by the government itself).
I must say I'm disappointed. I was rather looking forward to a fresh start. In my more optimistic moments, I could imagine Mr. Harper had given us reason to believe he'd grown to understand some of the complexities inherent in leading a great country like Canada. Instead of strong leadership, however, I see only strong gamesmanship.
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Posted On Oct 18 03:30PM
| Bast |
Seems to me the whole thing was a high stakes game of poker. Harper called Dion's bluff. Now Harper knows he holds all the cards, he is going to govern like he has a majority. Harper simply called Dion out. And did I hear that neither Dion nor ignatieff were in the House for the first Question Period after the Throne Speech? Not appropriate. I'd rather have an election, if it's all the same to you, even if it will cost us $300 million....apparently we have a surplus.
Posted On Oct 18 10:45AM
| selim |
Today, Harper is insisting on no amendments to his omnibus crime bill. Is that the true meaning of his continual harping on 'democratic reform'? No opposition, no modifications, no exchange of ideas to come up with the best combination possible? Just do as I say? That's dictatorship, not democracy. And why would we trust him to know what's best, anyway. Crime statistics are down. Not an intelligent approach, to my way of thinking. I don't want my Prime Minister to work with assumptions / beliefs instead of facts. Idealogues and theocrats get along very well believing only what they want to believe. Democrats look to the real world before they formulate policy.
Posted On Oct 18 09:51AM
| crownviccanada |
I could'nt agree more with the Senator. This speech was the most boring, recycled and largely irrelevant thing I have seen in awhile. The substantive policy ideas were mostly bad. We don't need another cut to the GST and don't need to keep our troops in Afghanistan any longer than 2009. The Prime Minister should get on with governing and offering new ideas instead of recycled ones from the campaign or the last sitting.
Posted On Oct 18 07:29AM
| PenGwen |
I have to say that I feel bad for Dion. He is in a pretty tough place right now. This is a Throne Speech he can neither deny or accept.....Similar to the budget in a lot of ways. However I think that he can use this to his advantage. Rather then spend time battling with Harper on the floor of the Chamber, he can use this opportunity to rebuild his party....create good policy, revisit and revatalize Kyoto.....take speech and rhetoric lessons, learn the gift of the gab and grab this nation byt the proverbial behind and get things rolling for the liberal party. He needs to been seen, heard and most importantly repected.
Posted On Oct 17 10:40PM
| olivia |
What I can't believe is how the MSM is covering the Throne Speech, yesterday and today. Like they only have one story line, and that's conflict and who's going to end up on top. Excuse me, but that's not the only, or even the best, dramatic construct.
So just because Harper is standing 'big and tall' hurling imprecations and challenges across the floor, that does NOT make him a hero.
On the other side of the floor, Dion is saying here are all the things wrong with your program, but I'm not going to get into a bloody, physical fight with you over it. That's way too juvenile.
And what do the media do? Fall for Harper's line, is what. Good heavens, are they juvenile or what?
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