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WARNING: OPINION PIECE: The Canadian leaders' debates

So, so, so... The debate (both anglophone and francophone) between party leaders... I will break it down and analyse it from my point of view, if I may...

1. Economy and government spending

Harper keeps repeating that Canada has emerged from a recession... Yet he is the only one to say this. He essentially keeps repeating that his party is the best... That Canada is one of the strongest and quickest emerging countries from the global recession... In my opinion, he is flat-out lying. Facts are facts: no economist has emerged and actually agreed with Harper; we had a surplus back in 2006 of several billion dollars before Harper was elected and now there is a severe deficit. Yes, we were in a recession, but where did all that money go? When it comes to tax cuts, why are their over 6 billion $ in corporate tax cuts? This just keeps allowing the bosses of big companies to keep giving themselves millions-of-dollars-bonuses. Why are there no regulations like in the U.S. to insure that there *are* job creations instead of what's happening now? Harper insists that his government is good for the economy. Why then did he spend over 1 billion $ in 72 hrs for G8 and G20 summits (including the infamous 2-million-dlr-fake-lake), 50 million of which were illegally approved? How is that good for the Canadian economy? Also, his government was the highest spending government in Canadian history. Better for the economy? Nay, say I, and the opposition leaders.

Harper says Canadians can make ends meet, all other three political leaders present say they can't. Who is telling the truth, here? My money is on the majority.

All Harper does is blame the other parties.

2. Canada's reputation abroad

It is no secret, Harper, in 5 measly years, has destroyed Canada's hard-earned 100+-year reputation abroad. The world used to turn to us for leadership, especially when it came to peace, but we now have a worse reputation then the united-statesians! All thanks to Stephen Harper! What are my facts? In 2008, Harper was late for both the G8 and G20 leaders pictures, and he has continued to shame us since then so much that, for the first time in our history, we have lost a seat for which we were eligible in the international community (the seat on the UN's security council; the seat was instead given to Brazil). 

Now, Ignatieff says that Canada needs to stand up for morality, democracy. He says that Harper has betrayed Canadian democracy at home, because whatever he cannot control he shuts down. Example? Harper pro-rogued Parliament two years in a row when he felt opposition parties might have opposed him in motions of confidence. Ignatieff says Harper cannot stand up for democracy and freedom. You can't believe something abroad if you don't believe it at home.

Layton says that we should get back to original Canadian values abroad: helping the poorest parts of the world. We should pull out of Afghanistan (Harper and Ignatieff oppose this). We've fallen behind as leaders in environment and ecology. Canada (or rather, Harper's governance) has lost focus on aid and peace and development, instead focusing on military [supremacy], much like the U.S. of yore.

Duceppe comes in and says, rather accurately, that Harper's foreign policy is not unlike Bush's administration's foreign policy. 

Harper doesn't take responsibility for his actions, instead shifts the blame on other parties or deflects entirely.

3. Governance and democracy

"How will you work with other parties to make up a government that Canadians can be [finally] proud of?"

Ignatieff says that we need to re-build our democracy, a democracy that Harper and Harper alone has all but destroyed. Harper has shut down Parliament twice, and was found in contempt by the Head of the House of Commons. Ignatieff tells Harper that he needs to earn the majority he repeatedly demands of us, that he needs to earn the trust of Canadians... But how can you earn trust when you don't give it? Ignatieff asks Harper to tell us the truth, because guess what,  we can handle the truth!

Harper's only real bullet is the fact that Ignatieff wants to raise corporate taxes to 18%. That is his only ammo. Everything else is just the same bullsh*t he has been feeding us these past two years.

Ignatieff calls out Harper on his approach to democracy;  it is clear in how he talks of Parliament that Harper thinks little of democracy, that it is an inconvenience to him. He always uses the same word: "bickering". Ignatieff: "You keep saying 'bickering'. It's not bickering, it's democracy!"

Layton says what is clear: Harper doesn't like to co-operate. Layton then says that we need to change the system, to make it more representative. His facts: the Bloc Quebecois received in the last elections approx. 1,3 million votes, and they have 50 seats. The Green Party, however, with 900 000 votes, has no seats.

Harper then tells us that all he does is lie. He says, and I quote: "We don't accept the truth of [these] attacks".

In the french debate, the viewer's question was that, considering the multiple governments world-wide that are run by a coalition, why is it not possible in Canada?

Ignatieff, Duceppe and Layton all say that yes it is a legitimate choice, however they are all quick to say that this is not what they offer currently.

To show Harper's hypocrisy even further, back in 2004, he was ready to form a coalition with the Bloc Quebecois, but since he has been in power, it is not an option, he even goes as far as saying that it is illegal. Sorry, but it is legal, and it has happened before in Canada. 

4. Integration & multiculturalism

Layton and Duceppe agree that the system needs to be changed. Duceppe goes on to say that there are 2 categories of refugees under Harper.

Here, it needs to be said that there is a very negative publicity put out there by Harper's Conservatives: we see refugees from way back in the day, Cambodians arriving to Quebec by boat. Duceppe finds it unacceptable that these people, good Quebec citizens, are being demonstrated as criminals.

One thing is clear: Harper is not the way to go when it comes to integration and multiculturalism.

Interesting thing, three out of four of the party leaders are either 2nd or 3rd generation immigrants. Guess who isn't?

All Harper says, and keeps saying is: 'I'm the best.'

5. Crime prevention

Harper has a rather Republican approach to this subject; well guess what? It doesn't work in the U.S., so why should it work in Canada?

Here is what the other three political leaders have to say on this subject: no to removing the gun registry, no to big prisons, no to using the united-statesian system, no to fear policies (and for this, they meant in general) and they say that suddenly Harper wants to be 'tough on crime'. The opposition, especially Layton, want to focus on *prevention*, and to have a balance in the criminal justice system.

6. Healthcare

Layton, whose party invented the universal healthcare system here in Canada, says we need to improve the system now, to not wait until 2014 to do something. He also says 'What's up with the privatization of the health care?'... After all, that's how its done in the U.S., and Obama is trying to switch over to *our* system.

Duceppe believes it is not Ottawa's job to manage hospitals, it is the provinces' job to manage healthcare; however, it is the federal government's job to provide the funds for the healthcare system.

Harper in this section brings up the economy... Again. Kindof randomly, he adds that the Liberals are a "false choice" in this election.

In this case, I think we can be sure that Layton would be there 110% for the healthcare system if elected PM.

7. Values

Lilianne Plamondon says: "Plusieurs valeurs du [gouvernement Conservateur] semble venir du parti Républicain aux E.-U.". She wonders if the government will continue americanise Canada.

Mrs Plamondon is quite correct. Thinking back on this campaign alone, Harper has shown how much he idealizes Bush and his ways. Six people have come forth saying that they have been thrown out of Torri rallies; two women because they had ties to the Liberals on their Facebook pages, one woman because she is part of an environmental group, one woman who works with Veterans, a Veteran, and a man who had an NDP bumper sticker (which means they knew which car was his!!!). This kind of background check has only been heard of under George W. Bush, but never for a simple rally! It is clear that Harper is a new upcoming dictator, especially if he gets the majority that he so demands of Canadians.

8. Miscellaneous

3 out of 4 parties agree: let's stop wasting money on fighter jets (without an "appel d'offre") and fake lakes, and let's not give the big international companies big tax cuts.

Layton says that if you don't trust the Liberals or the Conservatives, there is an alternate choice: vote NDP.

When you vote, choose a government that respects democracy.

9. Performance review: Harper

Journalists say Harper performed well because he did not loose his cool; I'm sorry, but even at that, Harper sorely lost the debates.

All he keeps repeating are the same lies he's been feeding us for two years now; he never assumes responsibility as he claims he does, instead shifting the blame on the other parties or deflecting completely.

He keeps saying that all manner of bills have been in front of the Parliament for years, but that the opposing parties keep blocking these bills. I highly doubt that; or, if they do, there is probably an excellent reason why they oppose them.

Many times, Harper is asked by opposition leaders to tell the truth; they even get really frustrated him because, obviously, he never does; else they would've stopped asking him. Their continuous outbursts when he talks, especially in the francophone debate, are proof of that.

On more minore details, he always looks at the camera, never his opponents when he's talking (and at time randomly starts talking directly to us, the viewer, when he's addressing an opposition leader), has no idea what to do with his arms, and truly dresses himself like a united-statesian: a pin of the country flag in his lapel (note that no other leaders have one).

10. Performance review: Ignatieff

I don't understand why Ignatieff is so determined that the only other choice besides Harper is him. Like Layton kept repeating, it's a typical attitude from both the Conservative and the Liberal parties.

Ignatieff did well, he's a co-winner of the debate; he kept coming back to the viewers and their questions, he kept the leaders on topic for the most part. 

C'etait clair, par contre, qu'il convoitisait le Quebec.

11. Performance review: Duceppe

Apart from the fact that he was there for some good jabs at Harper (e.g.: "Congratulations, Mr. Harper, for finally answering a question from a citizen for the 1st time in this campaign"), Duceppe was pretty much only there doing his job: defending Quebec.

He did well...

12. Performance review: Layton

Layton did pretty well; he held is own and clearly showed that he was an option this time around to become PM... Even if at times he did exaggerate a bit and gave some bad examples... He is a co-winner of this debate.

13. My opinion... If you want to hear it...

In my opinion, if you don't trust Harper (and you really shouldn't) or Ignatieff, you do have another option (except for Quebec, who have two options), and that is Jack Layton and the New Democrats.

I believe that an NDP government would be a really nice change here in Canada. The Liberals and the Conservatives are two parties that are fraught with economic scandals; the NDP are an option out of that.

So, on May 2nd, vote NDP, if you can! Or, at the very least, for a government that respects you, and that respects democracy not only abroad but at home, and who respects and reflects your values.




C. Pelletier

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