By Christopher DeMarcus (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: October 23, 2013
After years of snubbing the media, the Harper government allowed cameras to come record the PM’s speech to his caucus – but no reporters were allowed. The Harper plan backfired, and the major news networks did not send cameras or reporters. That evening, Harper’s speech was absent form the evening news broadcast, with the exception, of course, of Sun News.
Despite this setback for Mr Harper, the recent throne speech has activated an extensive media campaign by blue tories. But don’t let their leftist language confuse you. Pundits for the party of big capital are using language from the left to make them sound more centrist.
As rhetoric hit the airwaves and internet on Wednesday, almost every talking head from the Harper government was kicking out phrases like “against the status quo” and “reasonable and responsible.” They want you to think that they are not the cause of status quo problems, and they want you to forget about that thing called the Senate.
A quick lesson about the job of the Senate. The Senate is appointed by the Prime Minister. They’re a bit of a glorified rubber stamp, but they have a purpose: to examine and double-check the bills made over in the House of Commons, the guys and gals that we vote for.
When we have a majority government, like we do today, most bills slip right on through. But the stamping process by the Senate does allow time for public reflection. The Senate is a kind of check-point to ask, “Are we sure about this?” before the bill can be put into law.
It’s been a long-time running joke that senators get their cushy appointments as a reward for serving their party. They take little time analyzing bills and spend most of their days on beaches in Tahiti.
Well, that joke became real last year when four senators got busted for claiming housing and travelling costs for which they were not eligible. They were skimming. Stealing from you, the taxpayer. How much? Senator Mike Duffy paid back $90,000 to try and make amends. So at least that much.
The senate scandal made the Harper government, one which runs on the platform of a clean fiscal policy, look like a pack of dirty Liberals. So, our PM prorogued parliament. Harper says he did it to focus on economic growth – most think it was to get people’s minds off the Senate scandal.
Now here we all are, a democratic government back in the saddle of law-making. And being a democracy, Harper’s new message is all about you, the consumer. He promises to make cable and cellphone bills lower and concert tickets cheaper. Something that was already in the works from industry regulators.
What is going on here with the “consumer first” talk and the pretend rebellion against crony capitalism is pure propaganda. What the Harper government wants is economic power. For them, all quality of life is tied to one thing: commodities.
The promise of cheaper stuff is like candy being thrown to children at a Canada Day parade. We’re excited. We feel like we’re getting something. But that sweet taste of cheaper trade with the EU will run out. The overspending on prisons and security will have dire consequences.
Don’t let the human face of the Harper government fool you. What they want is expansion of the status quo. They will work tirelessly, hand-in-hand with robo-calls and the oil industry to put all of our economic eggs in the same resource extraction basket.
