Stephen Harper constantly surprises everyone -- because they keep judging him by old standards
Prime Minister Stephen Harper shocked Ottawa by taling a motion, to be voted on next Monday, to recognize Quebec's national character -- in particular, though, it is a recognition of Quebeckers, not the province of Quebec. The move preempts a similar motion put forward by the Bloc Quebecois that would have been voted on next Tuesday (a motion that, of course, omitted any mention of Canada). More importantly, it provides an opportunity for the 10 Tories MPs from Quebec to vote for a resolution in supporting of Quebec's "nationality" without the dangers inherent in the separatist version of the sentiment. The Conservative Party as a whole can campaign in Quebec without the Bloc or the Liberals sniping at the candidates for having voted against a "nationality" resolution.
All in all a brilliant move, if a gutsy and risky one.
What's strange, though, is the amount of ink being used to describe just what a surprise this was. How many times does Stephen Harper have to surprise people before people stop being surprised?
From Chantal Hebert's column:
By moving a government motion to recognize that Quebecers form a nation within a united Canada, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has stepped in to extinguish a fire that threatened to turn Quebec into federalist scorched earth in the next election.
He has pulled the rug from under the Bloc Quebecois, depriving that party of a major club with which to beat the Conservatives and indeed all federalist candidates in the next campaign.
Harper's decision to present his own motion has pre-empted those scenarios. But it is bound to have surprised and indeed stunned many Canadians. Polls show that there is no more appetite to formally recognize Quebec's national character in the rest of Canada today than there was at the time of the Meech Lake accord.
But with the NDP and a strong section of the Liberal caucus on side, the Prime Minister has reason to believe that the issue is largely neutralized and that, once the shock wears off, he will get credit for helping Quebec federalists dodge a bullet rather than stand accused of putting Canada's unity in harm's way.
From Don Martin:
Rather than allow separatists to seize the initiative to elevate their province into a national designation, Harper launched a pre-emptive strike of strategic brilliance, at least in the short term.
I've now officially given up underestimating the Prime Minister's ability to shock and awe with unexpected positions that catch his opponents and the media off guard and leave everybody reeling back on their heels with jaws dropped.
The grim face of interim leader Bill Graham and sagging shoulders on the Liberal bench even as they struggled to their feet to give Harper a standing ovation told the story of a party beaten to the punch and whacked in the head.
The glum look on Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe's red face was also worth the price of a Commons admission. His chance to boost Quebec resentment against the Liberals and put Harper in a deadly python squeeze in the next election evaporated minutes after the Prime Minister started speaking from his presidential-like podium.
From this story by Allan Woods and Juliet O'Neill in the National Post:
The Prime Minister outlined the motion in a passionate speech to MPs following Question Period, leaving the Bloc Quebecois outraged. The unexpected Conservative move undercut Bloc plans to ask the Commons today to recognize the predominately French-speaking province as a "nation" with no conditions attached.
Bloc MPs, who control a majority of the federal seats from Quebec, were sullen as the Prime Minister outlined his counterattack to their motion, which Mr. Harper described as a "clumsy tactic" to advance the goal of establishing Quebec as a separate country.
But Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe became red in the face, and his tone increasingly sharp, as he delivered his defiant response in the Commons. "We are what we are," he said. "Full stop."
Not everyone is impressed, in particular Andrew Coyne, but then the criticism is on the relative risks inherent in this move.
But what I'm struck by is this notion that Stephen Harper is exceeding expectations. Just how low are our expectations for a Prime Minister? Has the short run of Paul Martin as Prime Minister dramatically lowered our opinion of what makes a decent prime minister? I would have thought that we would demand that our top politicians be flexible and nimble, able to deal with moves from the opposition and counter them with astute and intelligent politicking instead of resorting the selling cabinet seats for votes.
From his visit to the troops in Kandahar to his performance at the Francophonie to the appointment of a Liberal MP, Wajid Khan, as his advisor on the Middle East to addition of a Green Party member and former candidate, David Chernushenko, to the government's advisory body on environmental issues, Stephen Harper has shown over and over and over again that principle comes before politics.
Yet each time it happens, the press is shocked and surprised. I suppose the effect of 13 years of Liberal Party rule is going to be hard to erase.
Of all the potential benefits that this country will enjoy from an extended spell of Conservative government -- more personal freedoms, lower taxes, a vigorous presence on the world stage, a vibrant economy based on entrepeneurial success instead of government largesse -- this might be the most important. That Canadians are reminded that our electoral process ought to be selecting the best this country has to offer, and not just the wiliest (Jean Chretien) or the richest (Paul Martin). Unless you demand the best and expect the best, you are likely never to get the best.
We're very fortunate to have gotten better than we deserve in Stephen Harper and the Conservatives. Let's not waste this opportunity. We ought to be getting used to smart and agile governance guided by principles and not by deals. If we reset our expectations to a higher level, it might be a long time before we suffer from incompetent and corrupt government again.
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Comments
PM Harper has made some decision that are clearly to the benefit of Canada not so much the Consevative party.
We are no longer mush on the international scene.
Posted by: at November 23, 2006 06:14 PM
Leadership is a bitch. Sometimes one has to, well, lead. We have forgotten what that means. Whether you agree or not with the Quebec motion, Stephen Harper is demonstrating that he sets the agenda.
Poor Liberals. Their "train wreck" of a convention was going to be exciting in a morbid sort of way. Now, thanks to Mr. Harper, it will just...yawn.
Take the lead, and hold it. Well done!
Posted by: john at November 23, 2006 08:18 PM
A Leader who leads, what a novel idea! To make such a decision on short "notice and getting the NDP and Liberals onside as well is quite amazing.
With this move he stole the thunder from the Liberal leadership yawn-in and took the wind out of the sails of the Bloc.
What could be better than that?
Posted by: Liz J at November 23, 2006 09:40 PM
Uh-huh, except the prospect of Quebec being a 'nation' within Canada makes my skin crawl.
I've seen this movie twice before(Meech and Charlottetown) and I don't like how it ends.
Posted by: Ace at November 23, 2006 10:54 PM
Steve says, "Yet each time it [PMSH's deft political finesse] happens, the press is shocked and surprised. I suppose the effect of 13 years of Liberal Party rule is going to be hard to erase."
It's not just that after 13 years of Liberal rule the MSM has very lowered expectations of the Canadian government, it's very much that Prime Minister Harper is A CONSERVATIVE.
The left-leaning, liberal press think that Conservatives are stupid, lumpen, idiots, out-of-touch not only with the times but with reality--THEIR REALITY, THE ONLY REALITY--so they find it exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, though this is changing, to admit that what PM Harper does, EVER, is clever, effective, and sometimes even brilliant. To give him even faint praise is like shooting themselves in the foot.
Their whole modus operandi, for decades, has been to ridicule Conservatives, to paint them as Neanderthal know-nothings, so imagine their chagrine, their having to eat crow, when PMSH proves them wrong, wrong, wrong.
The Canadian press wants to re-elect the Liberals so they can enjoy their perks and privileges again. No wonder they hate to admit that Prime Minister Harper has done it again: that is, has pulled off a brilliant move. God forbid that Canadians should find out that the Conservatives have actually formed a pretty good government, because if the Conservatives get back into power after the next election, it's bye, bye perks and privileges, bye bye a seat in the Senate, and bye, bye a whole lot of agenda items the left-libbers feel are essential in maintaining "Canadian values."
Posted by: at November 23, 2006 11:32 PM
Sorry. The 11:32 p.m. post is mine.
Posted by: 'been around the block at November 23, 2006 11:33 PM
BATB: You are so right on!
Harper is doing what he has to do, delivering his messages to the people himself, unfiltered and un-spun by the Liberal media hounds and hacks.
It's straight,unembellished information they can criticize but they can't doctor up the message.
When the people get straight messages they are able to make informed choices through factual information.
It may be that the MSM hacks and hounds are worrying about their employment. With their credibility having been damaged badly of late it has to be of concern to them that newspaper sales and TV Political and News program viewer-ship down and dropping.
Add to that the number of Media Liberal A**lickers who have taken jobs as Liberal advisers, Susan Murray and Maria McClintock, come to mind.
Remember too the senate seat for Jim Munson for loyalty to Chretien and the penchant for choosing TV journalists as Governor Generals.
The values the Liberals speak of are values for themselves, how they can con the people into voting for them with bribes and handouts, not values of the ordinary Canadian.
Posted by: Liz J at November 24, 2006 10:26 AM
Yesterday's Globe p. 1: "Nobody saw this coming!"
Today's Globe p. 1: "Here's the Inside Story!"
Right. The inside story. From the Globe and Mail. The people so far inside that they didn't see this coming. Dear Lord.
Posted by: ebt at November 24, 2006 04:26 PM
Ace try to get past the wording 'Nation'.It is the move that Harper made to make Duceppe accountable to the Parliamentary process.Poor Iggy thinks this is all about him...the guy has delusions of grandeur. I'm so enjoying the pace that Harper keeps.The press can't keep up with him. The old method of talking around in circles is past and so is the 'answering silly questions from the ppg.'
Posted by: vf at November 24, 2006 09:27 PM
Mr Harper,May appear to be runnin on a full head of steam,but if an election is called is he going to leave a legacy like Brian Mulroney signing all these contracts for military hardware and than be defeated in an election and have numerous parties sue the new Canadian goverment when those contracts are canceled,much in the same way as Brian whatever his name was.
Posted by: J J at November 25, 2006 05:00 PM
Ace, Meech and Charlottetown were proposed constitional amendments. This is a proposed resolution of Parliament. If you don't know the difference, then you just don't know enough about this country to form opinions on its affairs, and you should get out of the deep end now and stop wasting your time talking nonsense.
Posted by: ebt at November 25, 2006 06:48 PM
 
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