“These comments do not reflect party values”
Friday, 19 September 2008 | 17:37
I open my newspaper with glee, eager to find out what the Conservative Party of Canada has been up to. Each day brings a new gaffe, a new apology, a new round of excuses and platitudes. Our controlling, alpha-male prime minister has been upstaged almost daily by his underlings, who are tripping over their own feet. The man and the party who have tried so desperately to shape the message every day of this election campaign have been repeatedly thrown off message, forced to apologise and draw attention to their (many) weaknesses. It’s entertaining to watch them self-destruct in this manner – and yet it is also baffling, to think they will likely once again form the government in my country.
Let’s review the campaign so far!
September 9:
-Stephen Harper was forced to apologise for a sophomoric Tory website ad showing a puffin defecating on Liberal Party leader Stéphane Dion.
-The Conservative Party admitted that a Halifax candidate resigned after it was learned that she had a criminal record – not because of work obligations, as originally reported.
September 10:
-After threatening to pull out of the leader’s debate if Green Party leader Elizabeth May was allowed to participate, Stephen Harper flip-flopped amid public outrage.
September 11:
-Communications director Ryan Sparrow was suspended for suggesting that criticism of the party by a dead soldier’s father was politically motivated.
-Stephen Harper suggests that a vote for the Liberal Party in the upcoming federal election would threaten national unity.
September 18:
-Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz was forced to apologise after it was revealed that he made jokes about the recent listeriosis outbreak that has killed at least 18 Canadians.
-An apology was issued after the assistant to Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon made derogatory remarks about aboriginal people.
Sources: Photo – globeandmail.com; Info – canoe.ca; thestar.ca
Nice to find out we are not alone in the world to make fools of ourselves during election campaigns. Mais j’ai quand même le sentiment que vous remportez le pompom, là.Et s’ils sont élus? n’est ce pas effrayant?
Unfortunately, the Conservative Party has been our governing party for the last couple of years
They’ve been a minority government, though, which has tempered their actions somewhat. The danger this election is that they may win a majority, meaning they could essentially do whatever they want, which is a very scary thought indeed.
As anyone who knows my values knows, I’m not to the right of the political spectrum, but I do respect those with views that differ from my own. However, I take issue with the Conservatives because they are a mean, small-minded group of people. The prime minister and his cabinet ministers are rude individuals who get involved in petty disputes and engage in nasty name-calling, rather than have intelligent debate with members of other parties – or the public, or journalists, for that matter. Their election campaign has consisted of angry, below-the-belt negative advertisements. They have nothing but disdain for the arts, academia, and social programs. Anyone who disagrees with them is treated to a feast of insults and innuendo, rather than a discussion of the issues. They are immature, mean-spirited and in my view are totally unfit to run this country.
And yet, without a doubt, they will win this election. And then everyone will spend the next several years complaining about them, just as we’ve done for the past few years.