Who is the greatest Prime Minister of all time?

[MiddleClassCentrist]

Thirty years from now historians will unanimously agree on Stephen Harper. And if they don't, the Harper government will crush the puny socialist swine.

CPCFTW obviously has inside information.

Harper plans on becoming a dictator and reigning for 30 years so that his government can crush people who disagree with his greatness.

[Guest Manny]

Harper hasn't done anything to deserve much credit. He will be seen as the buffoon who reinstated the term "Royal" to the Canadian military. Decades of Canada moving in the right direction, all undone. Now back to "WASPs marching to the glorious pipes"

[olp1fan]

Harper hasn't done anything to deserve much credit. He will be seen as the buffoon who reinstated the term "Royal" to the Canadian military.

Canada is still a British Commonwealth nation.. the Queen is our head of state

There are dozens of other things you could criticize him for doing but this is not one of those things

Edited December 17, 2011 by olp1fan

[jbg]

Harper hasn't done anything to deserve much credit. He will be seen as the buffoon who reinstated the term "Royal" to the Canadian military. Decades of Canada moving in the right direction, all undone. Now back to "WASPs marching to the glorious pipes"

I was going to vote for Turner owing to his huge accomplishments. Or Campbell.

That being said, I think restoring Canada's greatness is an accomplishment, as much as the appeasers of Quebec politicians (note I did not say Francophones) has diminished and destroyed Canada's greatness over the years.

[Jack Weber]

I was going to vote for Turner owing to his huge accomplishments. Or Campbell.

That being said, I think restoring Canada's greatness is an accomplishment, as much as the appeasers of Quebec politicians (note I did not say Francophones) has diminished and destroyed Canada's greatness over the years.

(A) Define Canada's "greatness",if you please?

(B ) Define the "appeasers" of Quebec politicians,if you please?

Edited December 17, 2011 by Jack Weber

[CPCFTW]

I hope you're right. He certainly has the potential to be one of the greats, but so far his accomplishments haven't been anything that will have lasting historical significance. Not anything positive anyway: C-10 will be remember as one of the worst pieces of legislation ever drafted. It will be interesting to see how the CWB deal (C-18) pans out with the court challenge because that will either be the greatest thing he has done or it will cost him in the next election.

He's had majority power for barely 6 months...

He will have another 7.5yrs+ to cement his legacy imo.

[CPCFTW]

I hope you're right. He certainly has the potential to be one of the greats, but so far his accomplishments haven't been anything that will have lasting historical significance. Not anything positive anyway: C-10 will be remember as one of the worst pieces of legislation ever drafted. It will be interesting to see how the CWB deal (C-18) pans out with the court challenge because that will either be the greatest thing he has done or it will cost him in the next election.

He's had majority power for barely 6 months...

He will have another 7.5yrs+ to cement his legacy imo.

One thing that is often overlooked is the TFSA. Harper introduced this type of account, and the cap will be around 50k in 6 years. Canadians will have billions of personal tax free investments and savings in the future and people will look back at Harper as the man who engineered this Canadian wealth accumulation (there are already currently about 5 million TFSA accounts holding 19 billion in assets).

[Evening Star]

What are the historic achievements that put him ahead of every other prime minister since 1867?

I like the idea that the answer to this question is "tax-free savings accounts".

[Jerry J. Fortin]

I like the idea that the answer to this question is "tax-free savings accounts".

In truth that was the nicest thing the Government of Canada has done for its citizens in a very long time.

[cybercoma]

He's had majority power for barely 6 months...

He will have another 7.5yrs+ to cement his legacy imo.

Pearson's considered one of the greatest of all time and he never had a majority. Poor excuse. In fact, seeing as he needs a majority to do anything just goes to show that he's not even remotely close to being a great Prime Minister. He's a great when it comes to controlling his own party, but he's a terrible leader when it comes to working together with all the various parts of the government.

Edited December 18, 2011 by cybercoma

[CPCFTW]

Pearson's considered one of the greatest of all time and he never had a majority. Poor excuse. In fact, seeing as he needs a majority to do anything just goes to show that he's not even remotely close to being a great Prime Minister. He's a great when it comes to controlling his own party, but he's a terrible leader when it comes to working together with all the various parts of the government.

Do you seriously expect an answer your argument based on the absurd notion that Pearson and Harper's situations are comparable?

There's not much compromising to do in today's politics... "Compromise" just means "borrow more money from China".

[cybercoma]

You're right. There is no compromising with Harper. I'll let your claim stand on its own.

[jbg]

Pearson's considered one of the greatest of all time and he never had a majority. Poor excuse. In fact, seeing as he needs a majority to do anything just goes to show that he's not even remotely close to being a great Prime Minister.

Wrong.

Pearson had a working majority; Liberals + CCF/NDP. Harper had to go to parties with opposing or incompatible views to prevent a confidence defeat on each bill. Do you consider either the NDP, the Liberals or the Bloc to have been reliable partners for the CPC? If you do I can't afford the drugs you're on. The fact that he was able to accomplish what he did, and only be taken to the polls twice (and yes, almost a third time, but that was the coup attempt by the Gang of Three) is a major accomplishment.

[Wild Bill]

Still no votes for Mulroney!

HAHAHAHA

:lol:

[Jerry J. Fortin]

Still no votes for Mulroney!

HAHAHAHA

:lol:

Well there is a statement for you!

[Evening Star]

Wrong.

Pearson had a working majority; Liberals + CCF/NDP. Harper had to go to parties with opposing or incompatible views to prevent a confidence defeat on each bill. Do you consider either the NDP, the Liberals or the Bloc to have been reliable partners for the CPC?

Uh, yeah, I do think the LPC were effectively partners with the CPC. Do you think Pearson was a Tommy Douglas-style Fabian socialist?

Anyway, "he hasn't had a majority for very long yet" seems like a weak reason to pick someone as the all-time greatest PM, equivalent to "Clark would have been the greatest PM but he just didn't have the chance for long enough".

Edited December 18, 2011 by Evening Star

[Jerry J. Fortin]

Uh, yeah, I do think the LPC were effectively partners with the CPC. Do you think Pearson was a Tommy Douglas-style Fabian socialist?

Anyway, "he hasn't had a majority for very long yet" seems like a weak reason to pick him as the all-time greatest PM, equivalent to "Clark would have been the greatest PM but he just didn't have the chance for long enough".

Joe who?

[Guest Manny]

My opinion, Paul Martin would have been one of the greats, but for the scandal that completely undermined him, and which I dare say, seemed to have everything to do with Jean Chretien.

[bill_barilko]

What kind of an idiot would vote for Harper-someone on dope?

[Bryan]

What kind of an idiot would vote for Harper-someone on dope?

People who wanted the things that he was promising, and are pleasantly surprised that he's actually doing them.

[Guest Manny]

People who wanted the things that he was promising, and are pleasantly surprised that he's actually doing them.

You mean like the part about better transparency? Or the part about accountability, or fixed election dates, or freedom of information, or...

[Guest Manny]

People who wanted the things that he was promising, and are pleasantly surprised that he's actually doing them.

More likely, people who couldn't stand the thought of voting for Ignatieff.

[Bryan]

You mean like the part about better transparency? Or the part about accountability, or fixed election dates, or freedom of information, or...

Absolutely, yes to all of those. He's done a tremendous job.

[Guest Manny]

Absolutely, yes to all of those. He's done a tremendous job.

Suggest that the CPC and its followers move away from such rabid partisanship, into the realm of honesty and good governance. That is what Canada really needs in a great Prime Minister... not more lies.

[Wild Bill]

Suggest that the CPC and its followers move away from such rabid partisanship, into the realm of honesty and good governance. That is what Canada really needs in a great Prime Minister... not more lies.

And how do we do that when it appears to us that all the other choices are much worse?

Every salesman knows, it's never enough to knock your competitor down. You also have to give the customer a reason to think that your product or service is better!

Haven't seen much of that from the "other guys" in a long time. Without it, people tend to stick with "the devil they know".