We are now well into the federal election campaign. However, what really irks me is that once again, we Canadians are being blamed for something that someone else created.
I think that we all remember the 2008 economic worldwide meltdown, and how major banks and corporations were “rewarded” for their incredibly ghastly economic bungling, by the Harper government, with our tax dollars. Fast forward to 2011, and the Harper government is the first, ever, to be found in contempt of Parliament. Not just first in Canada, but the first anywhere in the Commonwealth of 54 nations. Shame on you, Prime Minister Harper.
I keep hearing on the radio and reading in the press, that nobody wants this election, that this election has been blamed on the Liberal and NDP MPs. I’d like to share a few facts with the electorate.
While my list is too long for this letter, I’d like to start with the Bev Oda incident. Put simply, documents were altered and she lied. Fiasco is another word. However, what really bothers me is that the Harper government has lied, and continues to lie to us Canadians. “Jason Kenny lied about Kairos policy on Israel and Tony Clement lied when he claimed StatsCan approved his crusade against the long-form census” (Globe/Mail Feb 18/11). Remember January 2010 and the word of the year – prorogation? Then, Harper made a gross ($21 million) financial decision, to buy stealth fighter jets, without going through standard parliamentary procedure.
Last July Stephen Harper, supposedly on behalf of Canada and Canadians, abstained from voting on a United Nations resolution to make access to water and sanitation a human right. Not only did the prime minister abstain, but the Council of Canadians reported that he approached other countries to do the same. Fortunately, the resolution did pass, but is yet to help those communities, especially in the northern reaches of Canada who don’t have access to safe, drinkable water and sanitation, in the 21st century. To place himself as a privileged class, and above the democratic rights of the people of Canada, I see that prime minister is very much akin to the bully in the school yard, the bully/abuser in a relationship, the bully in the workplace.
I could run from this bully and his minions, or take a stand and get active on the campaign to oust this autocrat and his followers from Parliament. I am choosing the latter, because I see no other choice, for this community or this country.
Brigid Kemp
Penticton