Can you name 10 REAL achievements of PM Stephen Harper?

[Argus]

Let's see. I like the TFSA. He's done a lot to reign in a refugee system which was out of control, and to try, however timidly, to fix some of the more outrageously stupid aspects of immigration. Our foreign policy is a lot more Canadian now. Government is taking a lower share of GDP which, as a conservative, I like. But Harper has never sought any great or visionary policy. He's instead sought to make slow, incremental changes. Which is not the way I'd do it, btw.

Someone mentioned Chretien. I can remember as he was getting ready to leave, how they were desperately searching about for something to make as a 'legacy'. They even talked about doing a long, ceremonial route down the middle of Ottawa. Chretien spent a lot of time with huge budget surpluses doing pretty much nothing. In the end, his only real legacy, ironically, was trying to shaft Paul Martin by banning political donations from corporations.

[On Guard for Thee]

Obama doesn't deserve Canada's respect.....

Oh well, Harper will be having a lot of free time after October so he can maybe mend some fences then.

[Smallc]

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

What leader gets along with Obama?

[Topaz]

By bringing down corp. taxes, corps. on setting, last reported I heard billions of dollars instead of hiring or expanding their business. now, I don't know if small businessmen/persons are wealthy, so are u talking about corp. CEOs?

[ToadBrother]

Let's see. I like the TFSA. He's done a lot to reign in a refugee system which was out of control, and to try, however timidly, to fix some of the more outrageously stupid aspects of immigration. Our foreign policy is a lot more Canadian now. Government is taking a lower share of GDP which, as a conservative, I like. But Harper has never sought any great or visionary policy. He's instead sought to make slow, incremental changes. Which is not the way I'd do it, btw.

Someone mentioned Chretien. I can remember as he was getting ready to leave, how they were desperately searching about for something to make as a 'legacy'. They even talked about doing a long, ceremonial route down the middle of Ottawa. Chretien spent a lot of time with huge budget surpluses doing pretty much nothing. In the end, his only real legacy, ironically, was trying to shaft Paul Martin by banning political donations from corporations.

The mid-90s Martin budgets and the Clarity Act seem like pretty good legacies to me.

[Argus]

The mid-90s Martin budgets and the Clarity Act seem like pretty good legacies to me.

I wonder how much the Left would have applauded those budgets at the time if they'd been Conservative budgets. I mean, they were achieved through massive cuts to health, education and welfare, as well as foreign aid, and those cuts were kept in place through years of big, fat surpluses. Only when the Liberals sensed the gelling of real opposition did they start to open the taps and pour money out. The Clarity Act was something the Reformers had been demanding and is based on a private members bill Harper tried to get passed.

[ironstone]

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?

Can you name any real achievements by the Maple Leafs in the last ten years?Yet you still support them.

I will support Harper in this election because,while he is far from perfect,he is in my opinion by far the best of all the leaders.

[SpankyMcFarland]

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........

Has Harper taken specific action against two oligarchs with Canadian interests, Sechin and Yakunin? They were left off earlier lists.

[SpankyMcFarland]

Can you name any real achievements by the Maple Leafs in the last ten years?Yet you still support them.

I will support Harper in this election because,while he is far from perfect,he is in my opinion by far the best of all the leaders.

Party allegiance should be more conditional than fan loyalty. You can't really change what team you support, no matter how badly they do; although, I do wonder at the constancy of Leafs fans, given the soaring value of their dreadful team.

[CPCFTW]

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.

Read the pbo report (revenue and distribution analysis of federal tax changes). Everyone is better off under Harper, and the cuts have been mostly progressive. In particular there is the WITB, the lowest bracket rate has been reduced, the gst cut, and the basic personal exemption has been increased significantly.

[Smallc]

The basic personal exemption increase on its own every year. In his first year, Harper actually raised the lowest bracket.

[CITIZEN_2015]

I summarize the response to three major legacies:

1 - The Good

He or his government kept Canada isolated from a depression the rest of western world suffered in 2008. Only a mild recession by his timely spending spree.

2 - The bad:

Making the rich richer and the middle class and poor, poorer by his right wing policies.

Edited September 28, 2015 by CITIZEN_2015

[GostHacked]

1- More debt

2- More threats from international terrorism

3- Pissing off Canadians

4- Selling off Canadian assets to foreign entities

5- Crushing citizens rights/privacy

6- Expanding the police state and persistent surveillance

7- Employing corrupt people to his circle (Duffy scandal)

8- Eliminating jobs that protect the environment

9- ?

10- ?

What else am I missing?

[Bryan]

Only Ten? It's really hard to keep the list that short.

1) Lowest federal tax burden since the 1950's.

2) 60% increase in healthcare transfers

3) 35% increase in Veterans funding

4) Universal Childcare Benefit

5) Took big money interests out of politics: Eliminated corporate and union funding of political parties, and dramatically reduced the individual maximum donation.

6) Settled over 800 Aboriginal land claims -- more than all previous Prime Ministers combined.

7) Signed 40+ free trade agreements -- more than all previous Prime Ministers combined.

8) Canadian Wheat Board monopoly ended

9) Removed entrenched gender discrimination from the Indian Act

10) Union transparency act.

[On Guard for Thee]

Only Ten? It's really hard to keep the list that short.

1) Lowest federal tax burden since the 1950's.

2) 60% increase in healthcare transfers

3) 35% increase in Veterans funding

4) Universal Childcare Benefit

5) Took big money interests out of politics: Eliminated corporate and union funding of political parties, and dramatically reduced the individual maximum donation.

6) Settled over 800 Aboriginal land claims -- more than all previous Prime Ministers combined.

7) Signed 40+ free trade agreements -- more than all previous Prime Ministers combined.

8) Canadian Wheat Board monopoly ended

9) Removed entrenched gender discrimination from the Indian Act

10) Union transparency act.

Worst economic record since WWII.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2015/09/17/harpers-economic-record-the-worst-in-canadas-postwar-history.html

[Argus]

]2 - The bad:

Making the rich richer and the middle class and poor, poorer by his right wing policies.

Can you demonstrate in any legitimate way that the middle class and poor are poorer than they were when Harper took power?

3 - The Evil:

The undemocratic, manipulative and secretive manner in which he ran his government.

Did he do something that was against the rules? I mean, if you've got the votes you can ram stuff through the House all day and it's entirely democratic. Nor does democracy have anything to do with secrecy. And by the way, "Evil"? Seriously? If abolishing the census was evil what do you call gassing people in showers? What do you call starving millions of peasants? I mean, are you seriously going to try to equate omnibus budget bills with say, raping little girls and selling them as sex slaves? Using that level of hyperbole is just dumb.

Edited September 25, 2015 by Argus

[Bryan]

Worst economic record since WWII.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2015/09/17/harpers-economic-record-the-worst-in-canadas-postwar-history.html

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/08/stephen-harper-canada-election/401753/

Canada has posted the best economic record of any G7 country through the worst global economic crisis since the 1930s: more jobs, faster growth, and lower public-sector debt.

[On Guard for Thee]

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/08/stephen-harper-canada-election/401753/

Is that how we ended up the only G7 in recession?

[Bryan]

Is that how we ended up the only G7 in recession?

What recession? Canadian jobs numbers tell another story

Is Canada in recession? These numbers suggest not

[Smallc]

Worst economic record since WWII.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2015/09/17/harpers-economic-record-the-worst-in-canadas-postwar-history.html

Just like...every other advanced economy on the planet during the same time period.

[Smallc]

Is that how we ended up the only G7 in recession?

Actually, it looks like we were never in recession. We'll find out in a few days.

[Smallc]

Read the pbo report (revenue and distribution analysis of federal tax changes).

Overall, Canadians are paying less tax. Our tax rates however, really haven't changed.

[On Guard for Thee]

Just like...every other advanced economy on the planet during the same time period.

Except for other members of the G7.

[On Guard for Thee]

Actually, it looks like we were never in recession. We'll find out in a few days.

Oh, did Joe Oliver come out of hiding and convince you of that?

[Smallc]

Except for other members of the G7.

Actually, that is completely wrong. When you average their growth over the time that Harper has been in office, we'e in the upper middle half of the G20 and G7. We're in a bit more trouble right now because we actually have a resource sector, unlike the rest of the G7. Australia is in no better of a position.