Feb.21, 2004

Stephen Harper wrongly says that telling the truth about the sustainability of our health care system will damage the party. An interesting comment from the person who failed to win 11 by-elections as Canadian Alliance leader. More interesting is this according to Canada Online: "Harper supports...changing the Canada Health Act to allow the provinces to experiment with private health care delivery." (03/22/2002). What will damage the party are the numerous comments Harper has made that the Liberals can use against us during the next election. Here are only some of the "Harperisms" that 308 Conservative candidates will be forced to explain each day of the next campaign:

On Quebeckers:

"The only way we will ever get positive constitutional change is when these people are confronted, defeated, and then work constructively within federation." BC Report Magazine, September 29, 1997.

"The Canadian Dominion is itself safe unless ... Quebec were ever to become a 'have' province." IRPP Choices, September 2000, vol. 6, no. 6.

On Atlantic Canadians:

"There is a dependence in the region that breeds a culture of defeatism." www.cbc.ca, May 30, 2002.

On Gays:

"Regarding sexual orientation or, more accurately, what we are really talking about, sexual behaviour ..." House of Commons, September 26, 2003.

On a Judicial Conspiracy:

"Stephen Harper - the leader of the Canadian Alliance, Canada's Official Opposition - trotted out a conspiracy theory this week so loopy he risks never being taken seriously again." Globe and Mail, September 6, 2003.

Harper's words: "We aren't going to let these guys off the hook ... They wanted to introduce this through back channels. They didn't want to come to Parliament, they didn't want to go to the Canadian people and be honest. They had the courts do it for them. They put the judges in they wanted, then they failed to appeal, failed to fight the case in court."

On Human Rights:

"Human rights commissions, as they are evolving, are an attack on our fundamental freedoms and the basic existence of a democratic society," says Stephen Harper, president of the National Citizens' Coalition. "It is in fact totalitarianism. I find this is very scary stuff." BC Report, January 11, 1999

On Bilingualism:

"And make no mistake. Canada is not a bilingual country." Stephen Harper, "Official Bilingualism: The God That Failed," NCC Online,

Stephen Harper was first elected to the House of Commons in 1993. If Stephen speaks with the voice of experience, then perhaps our party needs more rookies.