A Brief Comment from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper
The passing of Flora MacDonald at age 89 this July 26th is another reminder of what an ugly turn Canada’s Conservative Party has taken since the years she served it, all too many years ago, as a true voice for human compassion and justice.
The late, great Canadian Conservative Party icon Flora MacDonald
Flora MacDonald, who was shattering glass ceilings for women in politics through her years as a leading member of the Conservative Party from the John Diefenbaker and through the Joe Clark years in the late 1970s/early 1980s, was also the first woman to run for the leadership of one of Canada’s three major parties, losing in 1976 to Clark, who is scheduled to deliver the eulogy at her funeral.
She served as the country’s foreign affairs minister under the short-lived Clark government, leaving a lasting mark for, among other things, opening the doors to Vietnamese refugees in Canada and okaying, in 1979, false Canadian passports for U.S. diplomats (depicted in the recent Academy Award-winning movie Argo) fleeing an Iran wracked in bloody revolution against most, if not all things western and secular.
Contrast that record with the stern, steely face of Niagara Falls MP Rob Nicholson, who now serves as foreign affairs minister for the Stephen Harper government, and who seems mainly focused on pouring gasoline on fears Harper is exploiting on foreign terrorist assaults – and far mainly focused on that than facilitating peace or fairer trade agreements, or most any other more positive foreign affairs matter that could be addressed on behalf of the Canadian people.
Indeed, Flora MacDonald’s service to Canada stands in such stark contrast to the politics of hate, divisiveness, fear and the deconstructing of the country’s education, health and other vital services that it makes her that much sadder.
I say this fearing that if Harper and Company wins the upcoming October election to compromise what is left of Canada’s principles and democratic rights for its people, we will never see the likes of another Flor MacDonald in this country again.
(Niagara At Large invites all of you who share your real first and last name to comment on this post in the space below.)
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Niagara At Large 
Different times, different people. I do miss that PC party. Thank you for once again, ‘nailing’ it. Sigh………..
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At one time I proudly supported the Conservative Party. Flora MacDonald and her fellow MPs cared for Canadians Then came Harris and Harper – any faith in the Conservative Party vanished. Wynne seems to be imitating these two – she is doing her best to drive supporters from the Liberal Party.
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Our federal PC Party and even our provincial one were very moderate, big tent parties that were inclusive of ideas and range of political views. At some point in the 1990’s, it seemed that all people running for this party, now tellingly called Conservative, at the federal level and in name only, provincially, compete with one another to see how ruinous they can make their politics and push for more dominance of the upper classes, etc. I never sensed that under Bill Davis, Joe Clark or even Jean Charest … I think those who have brought the Reform movement into the Conservative Party were looking to the Republicrats down south for ideas.
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As a red tory conservative, I want to point out that the current Conservative Party of Canada is NOT repeat NOT the Progressive Conservative Party of the past. The Conservative Party of Canada, led by Stephen Harper, is closer to the old Social Credit Party. Much as I am not a fan of Harper and some of his methods, he is, in my view, a better choice for Prime Minister than that son-of-a-fuddle duddle. Tom Mulcair needs another term as opposition leader before he will be ready to be PM.
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Something I find extremely unsettling and bizarre is that so few women ever reach a position of power in our country and the same holds true world wide. Women in Canada outnumber men yet are often relegated to sweeping up. How on earth do such governments represent all of us? We need more Malala Yousafzai’s in our world. They ARE out there! At least a few Premiers are women now.
As for the “son of fuddle duddle” (disrespectful) and Mulcair, I’ll vote for either before I would vote for Harper. Mulcair has as much experience as Harper and more than Trudeau. The current Conservative attack ads are sickening and crass, no doubt paid for by the Rethuglican right from the US for whom our government is a lackey. Gotta’ love comments like “I GUESS pension splitting for seniors is next”. I guess I might get a free ride on the international space station but I would be wrong. “He wants to send winter coats to Syria, is that how we will defeat ISIS?”. No, but it is called compassionate foreign aid for innocent women and children caught in the crossfire. I doubt ISIS will fit into a child’s jacket. All twisting the truth and false assumptions for political gain. Remember when Canada was respected for its peace keeping and foreign aid as opposed to futile military interference? Obviously Harper is running scared. What he seems unaware of is that I suspect Mulcair is a greater threat than Trudeau.
As for Nicholson, I approached his office about a Canadian citizen, Hana Gan, who had her passport (as far as I am aware, passports are property of the issuing government) and children (also Canadian citizens) taken from her in Israel due to unproven charges by her parents who wanted her to stay there and the response was “Know nothing about it”. This from the Minister of Foreign Affairs. It was all over the internet but he knew nothing? Isn’t he responsible for the rights of citizens abroad? Clueless of willfully ignorant?
We need more women in politics. Some can be as tough as men, a helluva’ lot more sensible, rational and compassionate and the days of women getting “a case of the vapours” is no longer a valid belief. Also invalid is the belief of women being “hormonal”. Who is more hormonal (testosterone laden) than men who won’t consider conciliation as opposed to squabbling? The men have messed things up long enough. Of course I might be a little biased due to my sex, LOL.
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Will
Your comment regarding Mulcair sounds like you know the man??? Where as I did meet the man and was impressed with his ideals regarding Canada…there was no B.S. just honesty and I hope you agree honesty is missing in this country….?????
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Mr Somers: In no way did I cast any aspersions on Tom Mulcair or his honesty. I happen to agree, he is an honest man. I think though, that he needs another round as Opposition Leader.
I would hate like hell to see the NDP win the next election and then disintegrate the way the Ontario NDP did under Bob Rae!
Mulcair needs to be sure he has the “bench strength” lined up and ready to go. Another term in opposition will help that.
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Flora MacDonald was indeed a ‘class act’ and will be missed at a time when we sorely need people like her in our elected governments. The Federal party in power today is mean spirited and intent on dismantling the social services and environmental policies built-up during the past 50 years with the help of our current Ontario government. Our foreign policy marches in lock-step with the US and on some issues is further to the right. All of this makes most Canadians very uncomfortable and is likely to require that Mulcair, whom I favor as our next federal leader, and Trudeau form a coalition to force a change; sooner rather than later.
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Mr. MacKenzie
I apologize if I made that mistake regarding your assumptions that Mr. Mulcair needs another round as opposition Leader …..BUT what I certainly do NOT agree is that Canada can afford another “ROUND” with HARPER and his GOONS in control. How he has got away with the almost total destruction of all that CANADA was and reduced us to third nation status must be galling to a true believer in the ideology of the Old and once venerated “Progressive” Conservative Party. I had an uncle on P.E.I. who
once almost had a stroke when Mulroney introduced Free Trade and who now must be turning over in his grave as HARPER corrupts the very soil he is buried in. You speak of Bob Ray who unwittingly inherited a province and country that was in the trows of a deep recession, a time when the citizens of Ontario became totally disgusted with the TWO Corporate Parties who were willing to sell our souls to the company store and elected a labor Party.
The people were suffering but NOT the Ontario Civil Service who were secure in income, perks and pensions…YET they refused to give up a day’s pay so that another union brother or sister, a civil servant would NOT be laid off . Yes the Unions fought his decree “RAY DAYS” and the Corporate Parties along with the Corporate media made it seem like Armageddon, the end of the world. The sorry part was the brainwashed Corporate Party membership like sheep followed suit. I am NOT an NDP card carrying member but I believe in honest and that we must be our brothers keep if this planet has any hope of surviving. Union have a need but some have become as powerful as Corporations and these hypocrite union executives are more about their own status then the people of the unions and the welfare of the peoples of Canada. We all have a right to an opinion and I am just stating my Opinion as a Canadian who once enjoyed the right under our Charter,….That is before HARPER and his goons who are now using tax payers money to get themselves re-elected ….regardless of lies, half truths and downright thievery… Thank you Will for your informative summation.
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