Keeping it Real…

I’m worried.  And I think you should be too. Because the latest polls suggest Stephen Harper is heading towards a majority government …  and he is already showing clear signals of what that will mean for Canadians.

A one-man show; a virtual dictatorship; with strictly controlled cabinet ministers who avoid interviews or even questions; backed by silenced rubber-stamping  MPs … and all protected by a federal police force, who now seem to see their job as extending beyond providing security to actually preventing the press from doing their job … asking questions.

It’s very scary: and too few are sounding the alarm.

And I am no anti-Harper Liberal,  NDP or Green propagandist: in previous postings I have written “Bravo:Stephen Harper”  for his foreign policy stances, which I like, questionned the Liberal leader Stephan Dion’s effectiveness ”Wake Up, Stephane!”  and castigated the NDP “NDP Sells its Moral Compass on E-Bay“  for what I see as an anti-Israel stance in the Middle East,  to sweeten its chances with Canada’s rapidly growing Muslim population.      

I even like Harper’s stronger stance against repeat criminal offenders … although I’d probably be a bit softer on offending 14-year-olds than Harper proposes. And I like the Conservatives’ increased support for the Canadian military and their stand on Afghanistan.

But what particularly concerns me is that Harper is showing what I believe to be his extreme control-freak mania DURING the campaign: when traditionally Canadian politicians (even those who generally disdain the media munchkins) stand still for questions, grant lots of interviews and pretend to be open and prepared to answer.

Interestingly, earlier this week Harper spoke in Surrey at the Guildford Sheraton Inn …  where he also spoke last election … and just before he did it that time, he gave me an exclusive one-on-one sit-down interview … which we aired on Global Vancouver.

I am now retired … but as far as I can discern …  during this visit to Surrey, there was no private one-on-one television interview … just a speech, a rally ..and then POOF …  he was gone …  shielded from pursuing media by the RCMP.

The next day, in Vancouver, Harper did take a few questions … but again mostly from the travelling road show of “national” reporters who are paying to accompany him. Is that what we have come to, even during an election, the ability of media to ask questions based on how much they pay? Horrible.  An insult and a danger to a democratic, free society.

Readers will recall how I pointed out right at the beginning of the campaign …”BC to Harper: No Problems  … how Harper visited Richmond BC … took questions from his travelling national media entourage, but only two puffball questions from local community newspapers… and then had the media ushered away by party officials, and backed by the RCMP to boot!

Apparently that was the first signal of what kind of campaign Harper intended to run (except in Quebec, where I visited last week,and where he seemed much more open to questionning … more on that to come) … but almost everywhere else few questions, fewer real answers, just an announcement, some unchallenged remarks and almost no open discussion on issues … anywhere.

And then he is gone … with the RCMP  IMPROPERLY ACTUALLY PREVENTING  reporters from pursuing with questions or even taking pictures.  Even local candidates, who one would think would crave publicity and attention,  are spirited away … again apparently with the RCMP in a supporting role … helping candidates avoid any questions.

This is all totally unacceptable and should be a BIGGER issue in this campaign because this … more than the speeches and announcements … is showing us exactly what Harper will be like with a majority government: arrogant, unresponsive to questions; severely controlling of his MPs … almost dictatorial!

Is that what Canadians really want?  I don’t think so, but Liberal Leader Stephane Dion’s failure to capture public support, is leading to Harper’s supreme self confidence …  almost arrogance … and disdain for serious questionning by local reporters about local issues or concerns coming to the fore. 

And I worry about what this portends.

Be careful Canada of a Conservative majority: because as the old Chinese proverb goes: what you wish for … you just might get!

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