Political Cowardice Rules

The difference between being a leader of a Party or Group, and being a LEADER, comes down to CHARACTER and political COURAGE.

Stephen Harper has just proven that he lacks both.

Harper lied in his first term when he said that he would not tax Guaranteed Income Trusts. He lied again when he said he would not call an election outside of the fixed election dates he himself established. He lied again when he said that he would be responsible with our tax dollars and use OUR surplus money to pay down the debt.

He did pay down some of the debt ($40 Billion), but spent most of the Surplus growing the bureaucracy.

Harper also spent TENS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS buying Quebec votes with Anglo Canadian money. He gave Quebec international status. He declared in an Act of Parliament that the Quebecois people constitute a nation. The nation he referred to was not Canada.

Last Week, Stephen Harper made two proper Conservative initiatives public.

1 – He declared that he will end Political Party subsidies that see OUR TAX DOLLARS pay each political Party the sum of $1.95 for each vote they get in the preceding election, whether they win seats or not.

2 – He also made it clear that in these hard and troubling times, he would not accept the right of Public Workers to strike.

With these two declarations, Harpers Opposition threatened not ONLY to defeat his government. But create a coalition to replace it.

NOT ONLY DID HARPER BLINK, he threw in the towel before the ringmaster rang the bell for the opening round. He surrendered before the first punch was thrown, and refused to step out of his corner.

For this, and this alone, Harper has lost all confidence and integrity to lead not just the Conservative Party, but also the people of Canada.

Harper has proven himself in his first term to be a man of no principles. And in his second term that hasn’t even yet begun, to be a man of no courage or integrity.

I think Harper should step down and allow Jim Flaherty, his Finance Minister to take the reins of leadership.

Then, the Conservatives should call the bluff of the Opposition, and table the end of Political Party Subsidies and No Public Worker Strikes into their (budget) Money Bill, forcing the Coalition of the Socialists and Separatists to either shut-up or put-up.

They should either not be present for the vote, or vote to topple the government by forcing a new election, or by forming a FAR LEFT of CENTER coalition government with the aid of the Separatist Bloc Quebecois whose stated goal is to take Canada apart.

LET THEM! Let the Opposition screw Canada over in a way that would relegate all of them to the backbenches of opposition for the next generation and probably beyond.

The pundits write about how foolhardy Harper was to bring these two issues to the table, especially the Party Subsidy business since it’s ONLY $28 MILLION per year.

ONLY $28 MILLION per year as if that’s somehow chump-change.

Why don’t the pundits expand this ‘chump-change’ over a normal 4-year political cycle where it all of a sudden becomes $112 MILLION? Is that chump-change too?

Why do the pundits think any Party that cannot manage itself by EARNING its own money from people who support it has a right to manage our country?

This is a WIN-WIN-WIN position for Harper and the Conservative Party, but Harper does not have the guts or the integrity to do what must be done.

It’s interesting how tough Harper is with his own Party Members. Either they tow his line or they’re out the door. But, when it comes to showing some steel and backbone in the face of the enemy (opposition), he can ONLY be described as a political coward.

In these challenging times, Canada does not need a coward as its leader.

During hard times throughout history, it has taken great leaders who stood up for their principles in the face of tremendous opposition, even from their own Parties to do what was right.

These great modern leaders include Churchill, Reagan and Thatcher. History will probably prove that George W Bush might one day be counted amongst them too.

But not Harper – NEVER Harper, since he is no great leader.

Canada does not need a political conciliator at the head of our government. We do not need a Machiavellian type who thinks he is smarter than everyone else by sneaking around in the shadows playing cat and mouse.

WE NEED A LEADER OF COURAGE.

Harper picked a worthy fight and ran away before the first punch was thrown. He is not the person Canada needs here and now.

I hope the Socialists and Separatists come together to overthrow Harper’s government to form their coalition. Nothing will ever be better in the long term for Canada. NOTHING!

Best Regards . . . Howard Galganov.