The Harper Government's Values

 

The truth is that I only picked out a few incidents involving the Conservatives over the last two months. I could have literally added dozens more that occurred over that time frame; and if I was to go back over the last few years, I would have hundreds of dishonest and disingenuous acts by the Tories to choose from.
 

 

The Harper Convervatives have values, of a sort.  They believe that might makes right and that those with power make the rules, but aren't beholden to them.  They see themselves as an empire, now, and look down in contempt at those rooted in what Karl Rove called the reality-based community.

 

Team Harper has no respect for Parliament.  They have no respect for process.  In the words of John Baird, they think nothing of going over the heads of Canada's duly elected representatives and even the Governor General to get what they want.  The only judges they say they respect are Canadian voters - yet they routinely misinform Canadians or withold information, trying to ensure that the only message that gains traction is their own.  Anyone who disagrees with them is at increasing risk of being branded an enemy of the state.

 

Team Harper has even taken to disparaging the Parliamentary Budget Officer, Kevin Page - a man they appointed to a position they created. 

Conservative operatives provided false claims against an MP of unquestionabler character, Irwin Cotler.  They have questioned the commitment to Canada of a man who risked much in the name of unity, Stephane Dion.  In their quest for power, the CPC have even attempted to bribe a dying man.

 

Harper attempts to convince us that Canadians don't care about such matters - that integrity, honesty and the will to find shared solutions don't matter in today's worlds.

 

You can argue that these are values, the sort of values that elites have always emposed upon those they sought to rule.

 

I would argue, though, that the Harper CPC's values aren't the same as Canadian values.  Not by a long shot.