Nonsense! The CPC will tell us, if they tell us anything. Then they'll yell fire and cast aspersions on someone else. Clearly, they may tell us, there's no way on earth Duffy's allegations could be true. Listen to teacher and only to teacher; that's the only narrative that matters.
The Harper Conservatives have a simplistic, push-button narrative, and they'd like you to follow it. Without deviation. Put your blinders on, Canada, and listen to father.
That narrative goes something like this - Liberals and Lefties are evil incarnate and must be kept from the levers of power. Lord knows what shenanigans they'd get up to should they form government.
Government, by the way, should be smaller - like, wholly concentrated in one office kind of small. That's what's best for democracy.
Oh, and that office? It's occupant, one Stephen Harper, can do no wrong. He's a saint with impeccable political judgment.
Throw in some troubling seas, tough-on-crime rhetoric and much chatter about economic fundamentals and that's pretty much it.
Clearly, the CPC can do no wrong. And when it does, well, the wrong-doers were never real Conservatives in the first place. Under the bus they go - the strong-judgement leader remains blameless.
Of course, if you deviate at all from that narrative, you can see rather spectacularly what a sham that narrative is.
Smaller government has really translated into increased concentration of power in the hands of a few - a few, worth noting, that are chosen by the PM and his impeccable judgment. The promised increase in transparency has turned out to be the exact opposite. Government hasn't gotten smaller, nor has it become more effective - in fact, if anything, it just seems like less is getting done.
As the inconsistencies and questions start to mount, it's only common sense to look beyond the narrative path to see what Team Harper isn't including in their soundbites.
So, back to Duffy - he says the PMO (and the PM himself) gave him permission to abuse his taxpayer-funded expense account, but then told him to repay it when the going got tough - and then summarily threw him under the bus when the road became even bumpier.
Why on earth would Team Harper do such a thing? What rationale could there possibly be to act in such a blatantly self-serving and short-sighted manner that shows nothing but poor judgment? Is there any precedent that could shed some light on this?
Funny you should ask. When you look at Team Harper's modus operandi, there's really no surprise at all.
Harper has made it clear from day one that his objective is to win, at pretty much any cost. The nature of that cost has simply escalated over his tenure.
Parliament has become Partisan-ment under Harper moreso than any previous government (and all have played at this game). His Members are instructed to use their speaking time strictly to give props to the government or to bash the Opposition, with nary a consideration to the people who actually voted for them. Disruption manuals were distributed to gum up the works of Committees. FOI requests are stalled, the military is speaking in "political truths" and the media is stonewalled.
These aren't behaviours designed to make government work better - they're designed to make the New Conservative Government's job easier. That job? To keep winning, of course.
Then there's the external stuff. Misleading calls to Irwin Cotler's constituents are justified as fair game in politics. Robocalls are frequently employed by the CPC, often questionably. Partisan messaging has crept into official documents and fake-cheque props. Every single opportunity to squeeze the Tory base for dollars (to fuel their massive, continuously-running War Room) is taken.
A scandal within the Conservative Government's health department? Blame someone and ask for money! A tiff with the Free Press over exclusionary behaviour by the PMO? Send out a fundraising letter!
It's pretty much a given that Mike Duffy and Pamela Walin were recruited to the Senate (doing what Harper pledged never to do) so that they could serve as fundraisers. They have done just that. Being Conservatives and all, they are surely rational actors that aren't going to do extra work without appropriate compensation - what form would that take?
Duffy's story is believable because there's a track-record for it and for that, Team Harper has no one to blame but themselves. But they all take marching orders from just one person, don't they? The ma with the impeccable judgement, the self-professed strategic wizard who is shocked, shocked to find out gambling with the people's money has been going on under his watch.
Be shocked, PMSH - nobody else is. Thanks to the past ten years, we already know to question your judgment.
When it becomes about winning, not achieving, you're done for - it's just a question of when the leaf drops.
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