The True North Times
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As the summer draws to a close, I dearly regret that I didn’t get to spend any time by the campfire this year. Alas, work has kept me in the city. However, Prime Minister Harper seems to have decided to give Canadians a chance to live the experience by providing us with some night time horror stories best told by flashlight around a campfire in a densely wooded area (like the Yukon) on his Northern Tour. Instead of wanting us to shiver in our sleeping bags though, Mr. Harper’s intent seems to be to get us to vote for members of his party in the election that is over a year away.

Thursday night, Stephen Harper gave a stump speech in the Yukon at the residence of Conservative Senator Daniel Lang’s family (unrelated to KD Lang). It is unclear if this is the family’s actual “residence,” as in their home, or their “residence,” as in Mike Duffy’s uninhabited cottage on PEI. There were about 150 people there—slightly more people than the number of candidates the Tories already have lined up for the next election.

As with his speech in Calgary some months ago, PM Harper ignored the Leader of the Official Opposition, Tom Mulcair, and spent a significant portion of his time attacking Justin Trudeau. Harper specifically attacked Trudeau’s stance on terrorism (Trudeau wants to find the root cause of terrorism as opposed to the Tories shoot first and shoot later policy), as well as Trudeau’s attitude towards China and his belief that we need a growing economy to help balance the budget. How dare Justin Trudeau want to tackle the root cause of terrorism as opposed to just finger pointing! And imagine his audacity, seeking a friendly relationship with the Chinese government-who Mr. Harper is already seeking a friendly relationship with! Plus, who ever heard of having a strong economy to help balance a budget? It’s simply laughable!

In addition to warning his small number of followers, Harper decried the media establishment, saying it was full of liberal elites, and that liberal media pundits were trying to (apparently yet again) warp the mind of Canadians. By liberal media I’m assuming he means CTV, CBC, National Post, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Maclean’s, Ottawa Citizen, Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald, Montreal Gazette, La Presse, Global, and, of course, The True North Times. Even though most of those papers and at least half of those news stations supported the Conservatives in the Federal Election of 2011.

The revelation of the PMO’s “Enemies List” last year seems to solidify the paranoid streak that runs through Canada’s Conservative Party.  They believe that everyone (at least in Eastern Canada, and Ottawa) are out to get them. Granted, there were vestiges of anti-Conservatism through the 1990’s and into the yearly years of the 2000 thanks to the Mulroney era, but this has since faded. Long periods out of power will do that. And lengthy periods in power will accomplish the opposite.

I guess the Liberals have affected them. Or maybe they’ve just defected from the Conservatives? In either case, it appears that the Harper’s list of ghouls, goblins, and other governing parties are growing. I’m not shivering under the blankets…though he might be!

 

I only see six, where are the other 53 Conservative Senators appointed by Harper? He's a very private person....doesn't play well with others, eh?Graeme MacKay

I only see seven, where are the other 53 Conservative Senators appointed by Harper?
Graeme MacKay