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Posted (edited)

This is a REAL question but a mod suggested it was a farce and deleted my original post. THIS IS NOT A FRIVOLOUS POST!!!!. Harper has been in office for over decade and I really cannot find any achievement that benefited ALL Canadians - only wealthy businessmen. What will be his legacy - Secrecy? He should come to this thread and personally remind all of us how he helped us live better lives and how. Do YOU feel we have a better life than we did 10 years ago? How has Harper improved education, immigration, and our economy? We still have one of the highest tax rates in the world. Do you feel more or less confident about our economy and future today with Harper at the helm?

In my own personal opinion, PM Harper spent most of his time concealing trade deals until they were already done and gave no time nor space for public debate or review by the House of Commons. In a way he is just a much smarter version of George W. Bush and far more secretive as well. He has put our troops in a precarious situation that basically invites terrorists to come seek revenge in Toronto or Vancouver. To be fair, he did the right thing to embrace refugees from Syria, but one right move does not make for a legacy IMHO.

So those of you who think Steven Harper has done more good than harm for Canada, please step up here and provide a list of 10 achievements that benefited every Canadian and not a niche group of bankers or businessmen. Anyone who does not think this is a damn serious question and topic is simply a biased conservative. Hopefully Admin is more objective. This is a subject quite worthy of a real debate. Am I wrong to expect one real achievement for every year in office?

Edited by Charles Anthony
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Posted

Do YOU feel we have a better life than we did 10 years ago?

I certainly do.

How has Harper improved education, immigration, and our economy?[/b]

The better question, given the world context, is has he maintained those things? He has. On immigration, the focus on economic immigrants is also helpful.

We still have one of the highest tax rates in the world.

No we don't. As a percentage of GDP, Ottawa now takes less money than at any point since the 1950s.

Do you feel more or less confident about our economy and future today with Harper at the helm?

I feel people give far too much credit and place far too much blame on politicians for things largely outside their control.

In my own personal opinion, PM Harper spent most of his time concealing trade deals until they were already done and giving no time nor space for public debate or review by the House of Commons. In a way he is just a much smarter version of George W. Bush and far more secretive as well.

In a way, he's just like a potato...except for the ways that he's not.

So those of you who think Steven Harper has done more good than harm for Canada, please step up here and provide a list of 10 achievements that benefited every Canadian and not a niche group of bankers or businessmen.

Why? Why not 5? 15? 50? This thread is as serious as the moderators deemed it to be the first time.

Posted

Harper has been in office for over decade and I really cannot find any achievement that benefited ALL Canadians - only wealthy businessmen.

The entire post is joke and simply an excuse to bash Harper. I would be surprise if anyone other than HDS sufferers will answer because the framing implies that any good thing Harper has done won't count because you will decide if that thing 'only benefited wealthy businessmen'.

If you wanted to actually have a discussion then get rid of the silly caveat and simply ask: "What good things has the Harper government done?"

Posted (edited)

Nobody needs to bash Harper, he screws up on his own. Can you identify some of his achievements for us here, other than helping China exploit trade policies and increase lumber sales? And yes, he did open the door to Syrian refugees. But he should have much more to show for 10 years in office. What can you list or categorize as a "real achievement" that helped every Canadian?

Edited by Go.Leafs
Posted

Nobody needs to bash Harper, he screws up on his own. Can you identify some of his achievements for us here, other than helping China exploit trade policies and increase lumber sales? And yes, he did open the door to Syrian refugees. But he should have much more to show for 10 years in office. What can you list or categorize as a "real achievement" that helped every Canadian?

Families are doing a lot better

Posted

Here`s a few:

Balanced the budget

Lowered corporate taxes

Introduced TFSA

Lowered personal taxes

And the most impressive part of these achievements are the economic and political headwinds he has faced to achieve them. An opposition that repeatedly threatened to topple his governments without increased spending, a global economic downturn unparalleled in depth and duration other than during the great depression, and a collapse in global oil prices.

In a world where many Europeans and Americans are feeling far worse off today than 10 years ago, Harper has managed to actually improve the economic prospects of most Canadians. He should be proud.

Posted

Lowered personal taxes

When did he do this? Unless you have kids or happen to be a pensioner, we're no better off in this regard than when Paul Martin was in power. Trudeau's plan is better for me, and far better for my parents.

Posted (edited)

And how do you propose to support that theory?

Well I'm estimating I've saved are round 4000$ with all the tax cuts and tax credits combined with the child care benefits. But since my wife earns nearly nothing it helps us the most as she is tax exempte for the first 8000$.

400$ savings from 2% sale tax

600$!saving from activity child credit

160$ tool credits

1200$ income splitting

Child care benefits have increased around 1400$ for my situation with 3 kids

That's 3760$

When your bearly making by as it is, let's say I notice the difference now this year. Where doing much better.

The kids aren't complaining about all the new activities we have been able to do. They are enjoying every little bit of it. And they are exited we finally can start planing a family vacation since we are able to put money away finally.

The op asked who benefits from it the most?

In my case, it's my kids who benefit from Harper being PM.

Some could argu Canada benefits by having more functional families who can concentrate on teaching good manners instead of being stressed out about barely making ends.

Edited by Freddy
Posted

It is not all about us people. That there is what pisses me off, what is in it for me. I live in ONT and harper has tried to help me, but any savings from them is taken by the liberals in ONT. You want to talk about a government that has actually really hurt people and families ,it is the ONT liberal government.

Toronto, like a roach motel in the middle of a pretty living room.

Posted (edited)

The GST was a brilliant idea, which is why the Liberals kept it.

Harper's biggest achievement was dividing the country. I have never been more engaged in the outcome of a federal election.

Edited by SpankyMcFarland
Posted

Got rid the CWB, but since that doesnt benefit all Canadians i guess it doesnt count.

Here is one for the poster, give me a list of 10 things Jean Chretien gov did to benefit ALL Canadians and i think it will be shorter yet.

As for dividing the country, that is the biggedt pile of BS yet. Guess what, this country has been divided since Ontario and Quebec began having a larger say in who gets elected than we do out West. Ever hear of vote buying?

Must really drive the Ontario based Media Party crazy to see the west doing well economically while Ontario continues its path to be like Detroit. I know, whatever is doing well in the west, lets kill it and get some control back.

So what did Chretien do to set your life up so well? For me he cut spending, and started paying down the debt. Should be any easy list based on the premise of your post.

Posted

As for dividing the country, that is the biggedt pile of BS yet. Guess what, this country has been divided since Ontario and Quebec began having a larger say in who gets elected than we do out West.

The phrase "we out West" is maybe one reason people from the east shut down when they hear regional types spewing their conspiracy theories. Nobody here cares. It's a myth that we think Ontario is the centre of the universe; I hear it more often from people in other parts of the country.

Posted

I think Harper era, will remind Canadians and his party ran the House of Commons and how many of the Tory MP's had to leave the party for breaking the rules and how many times has Harper broken the rules. When the seating party is charged with contempt of Parliament, that's not good thing. How many appointees turned out badly and look it the way he run huge Bills that had nothing to do with a budget or advertising for something that never existed. This election is more of getting rid of the Tories than the economy, think about it.

Posted

The GST was a brilliant idea, which is why the Liberals kept it.

Harper's biggest achievement was dividing the country. I have never been more engaged in the outcome of a federal election.

Yet all through that election the Chretien Liberals vowed to repeal the tax the instant they were elected, then renged entirely. It was hardly the biggest lie that Chretien The Thief foisted in us of course. And who can forget Sheila Copps(promoted to Deputy PM eventually) who solemnly promised to resign if the Libs did not axe te tax, reneged on that promise, then sobbed publicly when forced to resign her seat over her lies.

And a bunch of you here look back on that era as a time to be proud of our govt? For shame.

The country was divided first by Mulroney, but mostly by Chretien again. Both felt the need for some extraordinary sucking up to Quebec for votes, and Chretien really got into it when he nearly lost the province in the second separation referendum. Every region in the country recognized that bullying Ottawa worked, if you had the stones and the weight. And that has only gotten worse, it's every region for itself since. The current format of the CPC is largely thanks to Chretiens/Liberal efforts to divide the country on partisan lines. So, Chretien did do one thing of value and substance in his career.

To Harpers credit, his response has been to try and draw a sharp line between what constitutionally is the provinces territory, and what is Ottawas business. Oh, and he gave a sharp and effective kick to Quebecs groin by gaining a majority govt without any help from Quebec. That alone is the greatest boon to federalism and the biggest shot of reality therapy in a few generations of increasingly sordid and partisan fed/provincial relations.. The Bloc is not an effective force any more, the new separatist ventriloquists dummy for Quebec is now the NDP. Harper had something to do with that, for good or bad.

Science too hard for you? Try religion!

Posted (edited)

I like the way he has earned the respect of leaders around the world with a consistent, principled and determined approach. Angela Merkel - de-facto leader of the European Union and Stephen Harper are best buddies. Commonwealth countries admire him - the UK, Australia, New Zealand. And of course New Zealand. Who doesn't like him? Well.....Russia and Putin of course, Iran........

Edited by Keepitsimple

Back to Basics

Posted (edited)

The country was divided first by Mulroney, but mostly by Chretien again. Both felt the need for some extraordinary sucking up to Quebec for votes,

How did Chretien do this?

business. Oh, and he gave a sharp and effective kick to Quebecs groin by gaining a majority govt without any help from Quebec. That alone is the

Ironically, Chretien did this too.

Edited by Evening Star
Posted
When the seating party is charged with contempt of Parliament, that's not good thing.

Yes, that 'contermpt' baloney was engineered by the oppposition parties who outnumbered a minority Harper govt, and could have brought him down anytime they chose. Yet they failed to serve the Canadian public by doing so in several years of easy opportunity. Why is that?

Is it just possible that the contermpt contretemps was just that much manufactured political bullshit, fashioned to manipulate those so very anxious to be easily manipulated?

Science too hard for you? Try religion!

Posted

I like the way he has earned the respect of leaders around the world with a consistent, principled and determined approach. Angela Merkel - de-facto leader of the European Union and Stephen Harper are best buddies. Commonwealth countries admire him - the UK, Australia, New Zealand. And of course New Zealand. Who doesn't like him? Well.....Russia and Putin of course, Iran........

You seem to forget to include Obama and the US at the end.

Posted

This election is more of getting rid of the Tories than the economy, think about it.

Yes, now that I think about it, I would rather get rid of the Tories than the economy. ;)

"We always want the best man to win an election. Unfortunately, he never runs." Will Rogers

Posted

Harper has been in office for over decade and I really cannot find any achievement that benefited ALL Canadians - only wealthy businessmen.

What has he done which has benefited only wealthy businessmen?

"A liberal is someone who claims to be open to all points of view — and then is surprised and offended to find there are other points of view.” William F Buckley

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