Lawrence Martin summarizes Stephen Harper’s central problem very succinctly: The Prime Minister’s problem is that ethics is taking over from economics as the dominant issue in the public mind. That’s a trend he has to reverse; it’s poison. So far, he has ignored the problem. His strategy has been to
Continue readingAuthor: Owen Gray
Northern Reflections: He’s Perfectly Clear
Those of us who are old enough to remember, recall that one of Richard Nixon’s pet — and pat — phrases was “perfectly clear.” And, therefore, it is particularly ironic that Stephen Harper — who appears more Nixonian with each passing day — has adopted that phrase. As evidence, I
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Democracy and Efficiency
Corruption is always rooted in human character. But these days — at least in Canada — Robert Sibley suggests that it might also have something to do with the cult of efficiency: Indeed, our culture of expediency is in some ways the consequence of a technologically-minded attitude that regards efficiency
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Follow The Money
Deep Throat advised Woodward and Bernstein to “follow the money” — because that trail would lead them back to the White House and the plumbers who committed the Watergate burglary. Greg Weston has done that — and the trail leads back to the PMO. Tom Walkom writes in today’s Toronto
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Things Fall Apart
Humpty Dumpty is teetering on his wall. Michael Den Tandt writes in the Postmedia papers: Edmonton MP Brent Rathgeber’s resignation from the Conservative caucus, which dropped inside the Ottawa bubble like a little concussion grenade late Wednesday, represents more than the loss of a single MP among the 164 Tories
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Rebellion On The Right
Stephen Harper’s most loyal supporters are deserting him. Tom Walkom writes in The Toronto Star: The latest stress point is a damning critique of Harper’s economic policy by the head of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, a right-of-centre organization that is usually friendly to, if not always onside with, the federal
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: It’s All About Money
The standard narrative on Nigel Wright seems to be that he is a straight arrow who took one for the boss. But Linda McQuaig suggests that narrative is what the Harperites would like you to believe. The truth is more complicated: Less attention has been paid to Wright’s role as
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Stepping In It
All political parties have their own manure machines — propaganda shops, whose task is to sell their program. But, under Stephen Harper, political propaganda has been redefined. It’s now all about ad hominem attacks; and it’s non stop, all year round. The Harper brand of manure relies on several carefully
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Where’s The Outrage?
That’s what Bob Dole trumpeted almost twenty years ago, when he was running against Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinski. Try as he might, Dole couldn’t generate public outrage against Clinton. Susan Delacourt wrote last week that Conservatives can’t seem to generate any outrage over the fact that their top security
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Do What You’re Told
In a recent interview, Noam Chomsky returned to a subject about which he has said a lot over the years — consumer culture: The advertising industry is a huge industry, and anyone with their eyes open can see what it’s for. First of all, the existence of the advertising industry
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: What Does Mike Duffy Know?
That’s a legitimate question, Michael Harris writes. It’s curious: Mike Duffy is still a senator, but Nigel Wright is no longer the prime minister’s chief-of-staff. One man tried to put out the fire; the other, who allegedly set it, is still toasting publicly-provided weenies in the flames. In the past,
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Broadcasting Despair
It is tempting to enjoy the downfall of the Ford Brothers — most particularly, perhaps, because their troubles are of their own making. But, Paul Saurette warns in today’s Toronto Star, progressives need to understand the danger inherent in the Fords’ ruination: Even progressives who regret the damage the Fords
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Looking The Other Way
Over the last two days, Stephen Harper has tried every trick he knows to distance himself from Mike Duffy and Nigel Wright. But, Andrew Coyne writes, the quagmire in which Mr. Harper finds himself is about much more than those two men: The government’s multiplying, metastasizing scandals — from Duffy’s
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Harper’s Perfect Storm
It’s easier to deal with returning chickens — or kids — if they don’t all come home at the same time. During the Mulroney years, Michael Den Tandt writes, scandals had the good sense to occur annually: It’s not like it was in the Mulroney years, when the government parceled
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Now Is The Time
From the day he took power, Stephen Harper — like Rob Ford — has viewed the parliamentary press gallery as maggots. Edward Greenspon writes in the Toronto Star: When he came into office, Harper threw out long-held rules of government-press engagement. He sowed fear and showed favouritism. Access was severely
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Dr. Freud Would Be Fascinated
When historians sit down and — with the advantage of hindsight — evaluate the Harper years, they will certainly mention the Wright-Duffy Affair. They may conclude that it was the beginning of the end for Stephen Harper. But they will also point out, as does Lawrence Martin, that Wright-Duffy was
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Selling Their Souls
The Harperites have always pushed the envelopes of campaigning and governance. The Wright-Duffy Affair has provided us yet another example of how the govern. But, last week, Mr. Justice Richard Mosley reminded us yet again of how they campaign. Tom Walkom writes: A federal court judgment on the so-called robocall
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: The Fords Hit The Fan
The day after Rob Ford publicly denied using crack cocaine, The Globe and Mail runs a story claiming that his brother Doug used to traffic in hash: Ten people who grew up with Doug Ford – a group that includes two former hashish suppliers, three street-level drug dealers and a
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: The Phony Conservative
For anyone who has been paying attention, it’s been evident for a long time that Stephen Harper is a phony. There has always been a chasm between what he says and what he does. The Duffy-Wright Affair has once again illustrated that chasm. Michael Harris writes that Harper is no
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Michael Corleone In Ottawa
Stephen Harper says he knew nothing about Nigel’s Wright’s cheque to Mike Duffy. That’s probably true. But Harper’s plea of ignorance does not preclude his giving Wright instructions to make Duffy an offer he couldn’t refuse. Harper learned long ago that, like any good don, he had to insulate himself
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