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"The Harper Record": New Book Puts Conservative Harper Government Under Fire
Contributed by macdonald on Tue, 2008-09-23 21:15.
In sections:
The Conservative government’s record comes under fire in new e-book
September 23, 2008 - Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
OTTAWA—Today the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) released The Harper Record, the most comprehensive analysis of the Conservative minority government’s record to date.
“Scheduled for broad release in early October, we are releasing the electronic version of this book today, to help Canadians make informed choices about the future of their country,” says CCPA Executive Director Bruce Campbell.
Edited by Canadian Labour Congress Researcher Teresa Healy, Ph.D., with contributions from 47 policy analysts and economists, "The Harper Record" documents in exhaustive detail the Conservative government’s performance over the last two-and-a-half years.
“Contrary to the general perception that this has been a moderate government, this book reveals that it, in fact, has taken significant steps to transform Canada in a very short time. Harper's very conservative vision has been advanced across a broad range of policies. It is a deeply troubling prelude of things to come,” says Healy.
Similar to previous CCPA evaluations of previous governments, this publication evaluates the Harper track record through a progressive lens.
The analysts find the Harper record falls woefully short when measured against the great challenges of our time: climate change, inequality and poverty, peace and stability, educating our children, protecting our health, and managing the economy.
The Harper Record is available for free download from the CCPA website [as a PDF file]: http://www.policyalternatives.ca/Reports/2008/09/HarperRecor...
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For more information contact Kerri-Anne Finn, CCPA Communications Officer, at 613-563-1341 x306.
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"The Harper Record" is a "Must Read"
For anybody planning on voting in the upcoming federal election, the CCPA's The Harper Record is a "must read". More importantly, if you know anybody who is even thinking of voting Conservative, email them a copy of this book (the CCPA is also going to be selling hard copies for around $24.00, I believe).
Stephen Harper and his neo-conservative ilk want nothing less than to turn back the clock on all (or most) government services and programs, at least those which do not benefit the affluent and corporate sector. While speaking to an American audience, Harper called Canada a "second rate European welfare state". Under a Harper majority, it is likely that the various health, welfare, housing and other social programs which were brought in under various Liberal (and Conservative) governments from 1945 to the early 1970's would either be drastically cut back or eliminated entirely (or the responsibility for providing such services would be "downloaded" to the provinces and municipalities; national standards, a long-time irritant of the Harper gang, would be a thing of the past).
Neo-Cons despise what they consider to be "entitlement programs" (otherwise known as social services that mainly benefit workers, the poor, migrants, the homeless and people with disabilities). They believe such programs have eroded Canadian's "self-reliance" and "personal responsibility".
A number of year's ago, current Conservative "Public Safety" Minister Stockwell Day said at a party gathering that the reason he was a [Neo] Conservative is because "Conservatives don't try to be all things to all people".
Indeed, they don't. The Harper Conservatives are not troubled by social problems like homelessness or poverty as they view these as problems of the individual: if your boss treats you like shit, well then, stop your whining and get another job! Homeless? That's your problem.
Under a Harper majority, Canada would also become a virtual appendage of US imperialism, even more so than we are now. After the US and Britain invaded Iraq, the Conservatives put full page ads in US newspapers "apologizing" for not supporting "our US allies" in the invasion. A Harper majority government would have had Canadian troops fighting (and killing) in Iraq, at least initially.
More could be said about this reactionary man and the Republican-like party that he leads. Luckily, however, we have a book that takes a long, critical look at "the Harper record". If you want an idea about where somebody is going, you should look at where they've been.
But don't take my word for it; check it out yourselves by clicking on the link above!