As I keep thinking about last week's events I can't help feeling like an old grumpy crank. I want to like this Budget and Throne Speech, but it would be an undeserved compliment. Flaherty's buzzwords for cuts in the public service aren't convincing, the estimates are a politician's ones and the spending freeze at 2010 levels is like climbing to the top of Everest and saying "we shall climb no higher".
In a minority government anyone's radical policies and vision need to be watered down. I appreciate this quirk of democracy, yet it doesn't oblige me to cheerfully lead choruses of praise.
The most bitter aspect of this saga is the O Canada wording fiasco. As we discover the Tories never intended to change the words of the national anthem we understand the callousness of the Throne Speech tactic: throw the media a juicy bone and distract everyone while the Budget is tabled and leaves the "fresh news" shelf. Burying potental sources of criticism is nothing new. Did we really need to use the Governor General to do so? When did Harper receive advice that such an unclassy move was OK?
Such desperation to divert the public's and media's attention betrays a deep insecurity about whatever is being buried. As a Tory I deduce that the Government is not confident its own budget can stand the test of scrutiny by its base and the opposition. It needn't be that way. It's a spending binge that was promised last year and will result in large cuts in the coming years. What's wrong with saying so?
Loyal party activists and conservative commentators have classified Harper as a big-government conservative for times on end. He has nothing left to hide, so he might at least have the courtesy of being honest and calling this budget for what it is: delaying the headache of a hangover.
5 comments:
You would prefer the CPC follow the REFORM is downsizing in their minority status in hopes the media and opposition will be fair minded?
Why would the gov't fall on their own sword?
They are holding the centre and centre right voters who believe the CPC are better in handling the Economy, Jobs, Deficit. Between 70-80% of his base is politically astute to understand the long game.
Did you expect the current leadership to repeat the mistakes of the Reform refusing to adapt to the conservative Ontario voters?
I'm not angry that thge Budget isn't conservative enough. With what we have it's the most we could do.
I'm just a tad annoyed at the pretence of actually being fiscally conservative and the use of the GG to play petty media politics.
Obviously there were enough people asking for a review of the anthem in the past.So we got it in and out of the news in 2 days.BRILLIANT not stupid like you,the opposition and the press are trying to portray it.Would the Liberals have brought it up democratically like this???I think not,the cowards would not have the guts to let Canadians have a say.It takes balls to put this type of issue up front and center and let the Canadian people decide.And to think PM Harper started and ended this in 2 days should be applauded not frowned upon.Get with it and stop being so negative for gods sake.That's the job of the opposition and the PRESS.
Given the amount of comment about our 'sexist' anthem BEFORE the throne speech, this was probably a good ploy. At the very least, it had ordinary Canadians looking at their anthem and at those who want to change it.
Incidentally, if it is so sexist, why were the Canadian women singing it so lustily after winning their hockey gold, while the men - who are supposed to feel more represented by it - were rather lackadaisical in their rendition.
I know some really classy losers. They are all about the pretense of nobility. Too good to get dirty and get the rewards.
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