Harper Government: Honest

[August1991]

You won't read this in the MSM but Harper's Cabinet and caucus are honest.

Since 2006, there has been no scandal of ministers using limousines, or making extravagant foreign trips with chauffeurs. There have been no stories of ministers and extravagant spendings. No minister is borrowing money from some federal bank. We haven't heard of a federal political appointee who had his chalet painted on the public dime. No minister is sleeping with prostitutes, or taking money in thick envelopes.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it happened. Maybe it will happen. But compared to the years before 2006, the personal financial, spendthrift scandals have fallen silent.

Is Harper getting a free ride because the MSM is now impoverished? IMV, the MSM would love to find a scandal incriminating Harper's government. (The CBC loves stories of right wing hypocrisy.) Either the MSM is incompetent (very possible) or Harper's government spend public money the way Harper's father spent his family's money.

Call me naive but I suspect that Harper's father is behind this lack of scandal. Harper's Dad, an accountant, was a typical tightwad WASP.

Edited December 17, 2009 by August1991

[Smallc]

Yes.... They're honest, except when they're lying. As for the rest....

[August1991]

Yes.... They're honest, except when they're lying. As for the rest....

Smallc, they don't steal for person benefit.

[Smallc]

The haven't been in government long enough for anything to come out. There is nothing inherently dishonest or untrustworthy about Liberals or Conservatives. There is something that's inherently untrustworthy of humanity. There will be scandals. Not everyone is honest in government, no matter which government is in power.

[Moonlight Graham]

In comparison to the Liberals since Chretien came to power, the CPC are pretty honest, i'll give them that.

[Smallc]

Are they? Really? How many promises has Harper broken? Too many to be considered honest. He's a good manager, and a good spokesman, but he doesn't seem like much of a good man.

As for Liberals, what did Martin do that was so dishonest?

[August1991]

Are they? Really? How many promises has Harper broken?

Harper cut the GST, as promised.

But Smallc, the thread is about spmething else. It is about personal honesty.

For the first time in a long time, we have federal ministers who are not subject to rumours of being "on the take".

[Smallc]

That doesn't happen all that often anyway. Rarely are federal ministers accused of being on the take while they hold their positions....and I would say that breaking promises has a great deal to do with personal honesty. You're simply picking and choosing things to fit your world view that involves Harper and his government being super.

[August1991]

That doesn't happen all that often anyway. Rarely are federal ministers accused of being on the take while they hold their positions....

Uh, it happened often under Diefenbaker, Pearson, Trudeau, Mulroney and Chretien - to name a few. It is remarkable that since 2006, however much the Left hates Harper, there has been no scandal of personal benefit.

IMV, there are two possible explanations: The MSM is now weak. Harper's Dad keeps him honest.

Edited December 17, 2009 by August1991

[Smallc]

It didn't happen nearly as honest in recent times as you seem to remember it happening. Since I started following the media around 2001, it hasn't happened very much.

[August1991]

It didn't happen nearly as honest in recent times as you seem to remember it happening. Since I started following the media around 2001, it hasn't happened very much.

Under Harper, the worst has been Maxime Bernier and his girlfriend.

So far, there has been no stories of EDC or hotels. No chauffeurs to Paris, no expensive restaurant meals.

And unlike the Liberals who could ask for another chance, the Conservatives are living under an MSM microscope. If only a CBC could find a Conservative minister in flagrant délit... Fortunately for Harper, the MSM/CBC are now incompetent bureaucrats. Like Richard Colvin, they receive their salary every second Thursday. An Iron Rice Bowl.

[Who's Doing What?]

You won't read this in the MSM but Harper's Cabinet and caucus are honest.

Since 2006, there has been no scandal of ministers using limousines, or making extravagant foreign trips with chauffeurs. There have been no stories of ministers and extravagant spendings. No minister is borrowing money from some federal bank. We haven't heard of a federal political appointee who had his chalet painted on the public dime. No minister is sleeping with prostitutes, or taking money in thick envelopes.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it happened. Maybe it will happen. But compared to the years before 2006, the personal financial, spendthrift scandals have fallen silent.

Is Harper getting a free ride because the MSM is now impoverished? IMV, the MSM would love to find a scandal incriminating Harper's government. (The CBC loves stories of right wing hypocrisy.) Either the MSM is incompetent (very possible) or Harper's government spend public money the way Harper's father spent his family's money.

So I take it you believe that not telling the WHOLE TRUTH is not a lie?

IF you are really that honest, let it all hang out.

The BS the CPC has pulled since being voted in, is laughable. Their antics have been nothing more than a sideshow.

That said, for the most part they are doing a decent job. A few policies I am totally against, but there are others I agree with. Not enough to vote for them, but close. Some better behaviour might help. Going a little left on some issues might make me mark that box.

Edited December 17, 2009 by Who's Doing What?

[Shwa]

Except for the Cadman thing. But of course that was before 2006.

I must agree that this government has been relatively free from brutish scandal so far, but I think it is too early to assign that to some functioning tightwad WASP ethic. It could be a function of time: Harper has had a minority government for 4 years now, while the Liberals had 13 years to screw up, and the PC's had some 9 years before them. And both those parties had free reign majorities to work with back in the day.

It could be a function of tight control on the membership, the senior bureaucracy or information sources to the press; or clever methods of screwing that {so far} have avoided detection. Or there are a pile of minor eff-ups that really don't make the news because, you know, the Liberals set the bar pretty high.

If nothing else, Prime Minister Harper is an astute politician who is looking to keep power through a minority government period so the appearance of honesty is a good thing for him. But give it time since appearance isn't everything.

[Michael Hardner]

Under Harper, the worst has been Maxime Bernier and his girlfriend.

So far, there has been no stories of EDC or hotels. No chauffeurs to Paris, no expensive restaurant meals.

And unlike the Liberals who could ask for another chance, the Conservatives are living under an MSM microscope. If only a CBC could find a Conservative minister in flagrant délit... Fortunately for Harper, the MSM/CBC are now incompetent bureaucrats. Like Richard Colvin, they receive their salary every second Thursday. An Iron Rice Bowl.

Although you're right, there are two things wrong with your thesis here:

1 - Since when has "no news" been news ? Do you often see stories in the paper that say "Everything ok, nothing to see here !" ? No. Crisis, dissent, and doom make the news. If it bleeds, it leads.

2 - Who cares if nobody has charged expensive meals ? That's a measure of integrity, sure, but that's like following your mothers advice: taking the ugly girl with "personality" to the dance.

The Harper government has been in "staging mode" for almost 4 years now, which is a normal length of time for a majority government. Canadian voters are slowly getting to trust him, seeing as he's acting like a Liberal with less scandals.

The real Harper - bad or good - will appear after the majority happens.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

Although you're right, there are two things wrong with your thesis here:

1 - Since when has "no news" been news ? Do you often see stories in the paper that say "Everything ok, nothing to see here !" ? No. Crisis, dissent, and doom make the news. If it bleeds, it leads.

2 - Who cares if nobody has charged expensive meals ? That's a measure of integrity, sure, but that's like following your mothers advice: taking the ugly girl with "personality" to the dance.

The Harper government has been in "staging mode" for almost 4 years now, which is a normal length of time for a majority government. Canadian voters are slowly getting to trust him, seeing as he's acting like a Liberal with less scandals.

The real Harper - bad or good - will appear after the majority happens.

I would not take a bet that had any kind of majority any time soon. Harper is now dealing with the HST and prisoner abuse. It is likely he will be dealing with the economy again in spring which will also be when a new budget is due out. There will likely be spending cuts along with program cuts. The debt and deficit will start to become problematic and at that point taxes will have to go up. These are not good things for a minority government and will likely prevent a majority government.

[Michael Hardner]

I would not take a bet that had any kind of majority any time soon. Harper is now dealing with the HST and prisoner abuse. It is likely he will be dealing with the economy again in spring which will also be when a new budget is due out. There will likely be spending cuts along with program cuts. The debt and deficit will start to become problematic and at that point taxes will have to go up. These are not good things for a minority government and will likely prevent a majority government.

Oh, I would. By the spring, if the economy looks to be in reasonably good shape, Canadians will show their thanks in the polls. Keep in mind that the economy is usually the number one issue, and a common measure of a government's success or failure.

[myata]

Of course, that presumably long list of "corrupt" pre Harper ministers is a common, obvious knowledge, and that's why it needed no further description, nor reference.

[Topaz]

Well, here's one on Bernier http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/425992

[Jerry J. Fortin]

Oh, I would. By the spring, if the economy looks to be in reasonably good shape, Canadians will show their thanks in the polls. Keep in mind that the economy is usually the number one issue, and a common measure of a government's success or failure.

I think that by spring the economy will actually be worse than it is now. Real estate bubbles number two and three will be discovered by then.

[Topaz]

Here's another one that had them changing the expense account after the Toronto Star started to ask questions. Today, they are probasbly smarter of how to hide such things. http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/432042

[myata]

True, looks like "honesty" and "transparency" aren't entirely unrelated things - you learn to hide things better, and "dislike" and keep away those nosy media, and all of a sudden, you start looking very "honest".

Again, it's more the matter with the citizens, us. If we care nothing about keeping our government clean and open, we're going to get it near 100% honest simply for the fact that no cases of dishonesty would come to public knowledge, and few would care what happened/s behind the closed doors.

[cybercoma]

I think you may be on to something with Harper's Protestant upbringing and evangelical faith. He likely believes in living an ascetic life and probably keeps his ministers in line under those ideals. His apologies to the Chinese, Native, and Indian communities were also done under the pretense that it was "the right thing to do". Several other Prime Ministers had the chance, but it was Harper, a Conservative, that finally took the initiative to do it. That was also possibly done because of his faith.

[DrGreenthumb]

Since 2006, there has been no scandal of ministers using limousines, or making extravagant foreign trips with chauffeurs. There have been no stories of ministers and extravagant spendings.

I thought you were joking when I read the post title. This government is full of extravagant spending and according to today's paper they spend pleny on chauffers and limosines too. Flaherty and 15 other minister actually refuse to provide taxpayers with the ammount they charged for limosine overtime, citing the privacy act.

http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/columnists/tom_brodbeck/2009/12/17/12185556-sun.html

This government is the least open and honest we have ever had. Plenty of their scandals have not even made it through the courts yet, like bribing Cadman, in and out election cheating, and now the detainee abuse scandal. Harper is supposedly considering proroguing parliament until after the olympics so the conservatives can hide from the committee's investigation. Take off your blue blinders they are making you simple.

Edited December 17, 2009 by DrGreenthumb

[nicky10013]

The PMO has also spent $40 million on partisan polling out of government, not party coffers.

Speaking of lack of transparency, this is a pretty good read.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/democracy-canadian-style-how-do-you-like-it-so-far/article1403148/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%20TheGlobeAndMail-HYPolitics%20(The%20Globe%20and%20Mail%20-%20Politics%20News

[August1991]

This government is the least open and honest we have ever had.

There has been no minister or caucus member accused of taking money for personal benefit. No one claiming their "entitlements".

The PMO has also spent $40 million on partisan polling out of government, not party coffers.

Once again, no one taking money for personal benefit.

No one in this government has hired their brother-in-law, received money in an offshore account or influenced a "water meter" contract.

Such corruption may come to light but for the moment, despite the antipathy of the CBC/MSM to Harper's government (compare this to their treatment of the American Obama), they have yet to find anything.