From Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper
Most media outlets wait until the final days before we vote to declare their position on the parties running in an election.
Stephen Harper has changed Canada, alright – for the worse.
They wait until the final days even though many of them – and I can say this for a fact as someone who has worked for news outlets for the better part of 40 years – had a well-baked position in the oven before the election was even called. So much so that they have readers or viewers saying; ‘I can tell by their reporting that this newspaper has a Liberal bias or that news station has a Conservative bias’, and so on.
There is no such thing as objectivity when it comes to humans doing the reporting, however much we may try to be objective. We’re not recording machines. The most we can hope for out of anyone reporting news is fairness and accuracy
So with little more than eight weeks to go before Canadians go to the polls on October 19th to vote in this federal election, I am not going to leave any you guessing where this online news outlet stands, if you don’t know already. As publisher and the principle writer at Niagara At Large, I’m putting all the cards I have at this point on the table now.
The first and most important card I’m putting down is this – For the sake of the future health and prosperity of Canada, and before any hope of getting back to a Canada that was once a world leader when it came to peace-keeping, health care, affordable access to higher education, environmental protection, civil rights and economic security for its people, the government of Stephen Harper has got to go.
Harper, who tries to sell himself off to Canadians as the most the best leader for the economy, already has the country in a mess with recession or near recession conditions over the last four or five months and a dollar that is sinking like a rock against the currency across the U.S.border.
With his almost single-minded obsession with mining the tar sands – one of the dirtiest and costliest petro extraction operations on the planet – and piping the raw goo to other countries to refine and profit from, he has left all Canadians, including our currency and any investment portfolios we may have, vulnerable to sinking oil prices. And that is exactly what has happened as the price of a barrel of oil has continued to slide below $50 dollars a barrel and several thousand good-paying jobs directly or indirectly related to the tar sands have disappeared.
Harper can say that the economic slump Canada is in is due to global forces all he wants but as so many economists across the country have already said, the world-wide slide in oil prices would not have hit us nearly as hard if his government didn’t put almost all of its eggs in the tar sand basket.
And in a hell-bent drive to fulfill his dream of Canada as an ‘energy superpower’, Harper and company tore to shreds world-class environmental legislation like the Federal Fisheries Act and other regulations that might place the building of tar pipes under scrutiny. He slashed more funding from an already under-resources Environment Canada and muzzled its scientists.
Environmental groups were branded by his government as a threat to Canada’s national interests and all but placed in the same box as terrorist groups.
Meanwhile other countries, including the United States, China and most of the nations in the European Union are moving forward with real plans to cut carbon gases and shift to solar, wind and other greener, more renewable sources of energy while the climate change deniers in the Harper government have their heads buried in tar. It’s about as crazy as some government in the first decade or two of the last century staking all of a country’s fortunes on selling buggy whips and kerosene lamps when the rest of the developed world was moving to cars and electricity.
Four more years of that could put Canada in a place where it loses any claim to newer energy technologies promising to drive economies in other parts of the world. We could very well end up buying solar and other 21st century energy systems from China, the United States (where right across the border in Buffalo, one of the largest solar technology plants in that country is now under construction) and other nations while even more Canadian jobs sink in the tar sands.
What kind of leadership is that?
In the days and weeks ahead, I will have more to say about this and about how little the Harper government has worked with provinces and municipalities in other key areas like health care, education and infrastructure renewal.
As for the other two mainstream parties –the Liberal and the NDP – unless polls clearly begin to show one party or another drawing enough support to win a majority, I will argue for people voting strategically. In other words, vote for whatever candidate has the best chance of beating the Harper Conservative.
If that results in a minority Harper win, at least NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair has indicated his willingness to consider forming a coalition government with the Liberals. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has so far said no to the idea, but if enough Canadians put pressure on him, he might be persuaded to change his mind.
Short of the NDP or Liberals winning a majority, a coalition could be a good thing. In 1980 in Ontario, the province’s Liberals and NDP reach and accord to defeat a minority Conservative government and for two years the two parties worked together, they passed some of the most progressive legislation in 50 years for protecting the environment, and for health care, education and other services for the province’s residents.
So that’s where this writer at Niagara At Large stands as this election ends its fourth week and I welcome you to share your own views challenging my position if you like. NAL will be pleased to post your comments as long as they are civil and you share your first and last name with them in keeping with our comment policy.
I will also continue to post media releases I receive from all the parties, including the Greens, and any column others may send this way, whether they agree with positions I take on the election or not.
Visit Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for other news and commentary.
(NOW IT IS YOUR TURN. Niagara At Large encourages you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.)
Niagara At Large 
Good article. I so agree with you on all points.
LikeLike
A coalition is out of the question. Trudeau has refused to even entertain the idea. Nor is Canada is the nation it was back in 1980. Far from it. Our politics has become Americanized to a considerable degree. The increasing focus on party leaders not only detracts from serious consideration of the differences in policy platforms, but also makes campaigns nastier and more personal…and that mitigates against coalitions.
LikeLike
The conlibs are helping bomb 75-80% innocent civilians, just like you, and your family, in an illegal war, that began as a lie. We killed 800 IN JULY, with our trainning, and laser accuracy of our weapons. We hit EXACTLY what we’re aiming for. Supporting either is sharing in their blood. Are we too ashamed, to mention it, or doesn’t it matter? Not very Canadian.
Support who you choose. Your reward awaits.
LikeLike
Well said, brother.
LikeLike
Harper said that he would make our Canada strong , well after 9 years , where are the new planes , the new helicopters and the new ships for the Navy ?? answer there are none The ship Athabaskan, had to be towed back to port by the U.S Navy because of engine failure, all of our equipment is old and worn out, needed replacement 20 years ago, The Sea Kings were made back in the 1960s, Jean Chretien wanted to buy some new helicopters, Stephen cancelled that contract the day he took office, we are trying to scare Putin and ISIS, not going to work, we look very silly on the world scene right now.
LikeLike
Those must have been the Sea Kings many members of our military were carrying by hand in groups of them to move them when they were unable to start. This is so laughable.
LikeLike
Well Doug, you summed it up well. I was very pleased to see the NDP ad yesterday listing all of Harper’s cronies currently being investigated for criminal and/or unethical practices, all people HE appointed, yet he claims Trudeau has poor judgement and “nice hair”. Even his “ethics” adviser is in jail. Pretty pathetic. He rules with an iron hand yet, like the Nazis claimed, “I knew nothing”.
Pull the other one. He knew everything. A typical sociopath who will let everyone take the fall for his deeds. We must save the country from his perfidy.
Bay Street and his US backers (all of his political ads are designed by and follow the unethical cut and paste pattern of the US right wing ad agencies).care not a bit about 90% of Canadians. Even if he goes down in flames, he’ll just move on to a nice, cushy job and rake in millions including the pension paid by OUR taxes. Now he’ll promise us the moon until the election comes.
It will take years if not decades for our country to recover from the destruction he has caused to our environment, economy and reputation.
LikeLike
Doug, I shared this on my FB wall yesterday and it has subsequently been shared another 35 times and I have no way of knowing who else shared the shares. All comments were positive. I have a list of atrocities that the Harper government has done and continue to do so daily.
I oft times enter into conversation with strangers and wait for an opportune time to bring the subject of Harper into it. At times, I get answer that “look at the other parties, not much to choose from” and that opens up the avenue to define to them what 4 more years of Harper would do to Canada. When I inform them, I get a ” I didn’t know that” response. Too many people that have yet to be affected by his incompetence, his agenda and his desire for power, still think he is a great man. We have to get to the streets, much like the lady in Winnipeg (81 years young) did and let it be known how evil this man is.
Great articles as usual and I personally am very happy to see you back at the “keyboard”. Don’t stop. I will continue to share your writings because they come from the heart and not from the wallet of an editor that pays you to write what he tells you. Many kudos to you.
We will win on October 19th, come Hell or high water.
LikeLike
To be fair, a state seldom in evidence here, one should take a balanced look, including the examination of a notable list of “positives” which Harper’s crew brought about, since it is always the “atrocities” reminiscent somehow in the minds of hate-mongers eager to compare the PM with history’s most profoundly abusive ogres and imperialist dictators, which make the news and are so amplified for those predisposed. http://cotmblog.com/2015/04/20/in-canada-100-reasons-to-vote-conservative-oct-19-2015/
LikeLike
I will never vote Conservative. Harper changed Canada from a country where acceptance and human rights were the norm to one of ableism, exclusion, cuts, divisiveness, etc. Four more years will bring further cuts to health care, which will only lead to more services de-listed from OHIP and further hospital closures, etc. Four more years will continue the trajectory Harper started against disadvantaged and minority Canadians by making it acceptable to deride, banish, promote hate against, attack, target and ridicule people by race, religion, ability, gender, sexual orientation, etc. and not be held accountable for it, as well as by cutting further programs that assisted persons with disabilities and others in enforcing their rights through the courts and the CHRC, as well as cuts to post-secondary funding for many … Harper also cut an important home repair and upgrade program for homeowners that are low income and cannot afford essential renovations to one’s home and replaced it with a tax break for those that can afford to do the renovations anyways with or without the tax break. This is only a short list of what Harper has done to turn me full swing against him.
LikeLike
I am demonstrative of change, contrary to the stubbornness of the Conservative oppositions’ stance. I am actually willing to vote Liberal, in light of the promise of change. But, I am still in search of fiscal responsibility, contrasting with a typical left-wing philosophy of spending and hand-outs. I still prefer a common-sense Liberal initiative ahead of the socialist tax-and-spend characteristics of the NDP, where corporations are inhibited from flourishing in Canada. The Liberals are showing a progressiveness while the Conservatives are missing the boat, and therein lies the key to possible success in October. The last time I voted Liberal was when Trudeau Senior was the man of the hour. Now the heir with the hair has the mantle. Economic stimulus and prosperity can be achieved from within, if a Party is savvy enough to recognize it and be bold enough to embrace it.
LikeLike
SIGH. I do get tired of saying this. The NDP is not about tax-and-spend — if you want to see that, you have only to look at Ontario’s Liberal government. Nor are we a “socialist” party — that word was dropped from our constitution over two years ago. The ill-fated Rae government aside, provincial NDP governments in this country have not run deficits. And corporations HAVE been flourishing in Canada, thank you very much — multinational corporations. That’s why our economy is in the toilet, because former federal governments, Liberal as well as Conservative, have made Canada a branch-plant nation, rather than one with our own industries. Multinational corporations are the architects of Free Trade Agreements, which give them the right to make obscene profits at the expense of our workers and our environment. Under the Investlor-State Dispute Settlement provisions (modelled on NAFTA’s Chapter 11), corporations have the power to ignore or override federal, provincial and municipal laws in the interest of profit for themselves and their shareholders. Canada has suffered under a succession of Liberal and Conservative governments devoted to a globalized neoliberal agenda that has completely neglected the small and medium-sized companies that are the backbone of this country’s economy. We should be an agricultural power-house, for example, but we input far more food than we export, thanks to the fact the the federal government only supports huge agribusiness and allows foreign governments and companies to buy up arable land, while small farmers go out of business and are obliged to sell to developers. Vote for Mr. Hair if you like, but I personally have completely had it with both traditional parties. Paul Martin’s austerity budget off 1994 started us on a course that has seen the income gap between the rich and the rest of us grow exponentially, and I see nothing in the current Liberal agenda to convince me that it’s not the same old back-room hacks that persuaded Michael Ignatieff to risk his reputation to come back to Canada who are pulling the strings, just as they always have.
LikeLike
Mr. Tripp as usual you write statements that are so erroneous that, like your die hard obedience to HARPER Ideology they are laughable. Where you get your information about governments and their ability to stabilize an economy is so far out in “RIGHT” it sounds like the TEA PARTY Bu….Sh…of the Koch Brothers…I have a documentary here aired by the CBC’s Fifth Estate and called “The Corporations” that speaks to the ideology of the Fraser Institute and the Right Wing Think Tanks of the country to our South…. It defines a Creed of Greed and Entitlement and it is sickening from start to finish. You like the Republicans to the South are so dedicated to blind following that you can not see anything beyond your own need (I was going to say Greed but relented)
Doug spent over 40 years of his life as a journalist and I use that term with respect as their are very few real journalist left due to the media take over and infinite control by Corporations. Yet you infer that all or most of what is written in this medium leans to the “Left”
Point of Interest Mr. Tripp
Sweden has had a Socialistic Democratic system of Government for decades and this country is rated near in not at the top in caring for their citizens and its economy.
Norway has a similar System of Governance and is rated as one of the best countries in the world in which to live it has put aside with about a $Trillion dollars from Oil Revenues. How much has Alberta Have after 40+ years of Conservative Governance????
Denmark another country that has a similar System of Governance and until recently had a very advance social safety net…Because of too much immigration from the middle east all program are hurting.
I consider the NDP to be a Socialistic Democratic Party and I wonder where you get all your crap about a Socialistic Democratic party’s inability to handle the economy of a country especially one with a population the size of Canada. I am willing to listen tell me when you would like to meet ?
LikeLike
Pierre Trudeau said that NAFTA would devastate Canadian manufacturing. He said that Canada needed an energy program to help shield the people from huge fluctuations in gasoline prices Pierre was so forward thinking he left the Conservatives in his dust. If hisson is just half the man his dad was, we will all be better off that we are with the Harperites in control of our once great country.
LikeLike
But that’s entirely the point: Justin is NOT anything like his father. Not at all. Just think about what he says and does and try to conceive of PET saying or doing the same. It’s not possible. The one was an intellectual; the other is…what? I look at Justin and I see a young man born into privilege and handed his future on a platter. Trudeau should be judged on his own merits, not those of his father.
LikeLike