In his election campaign, Stephen Harper played down his radical views, presenting himself as a moderate mostly interested in restoring honest government.
Still, Canadians were aware when they elected Harper — giving him a weak mandate — that he favours tougher crime laws, less generous social policy and more tax cuts.
What they didn’t know is that he’s also secretive and arrogant. Another thing Canadians might not have known because it didn’t come up much in the campaign, is that the Prime Minister is bent on refashioning Canada’s role in the world, bringing us closer in line with Washington.
Harper’s secrecy is disturbing. We need more transparency and accessibility in government, not less. Yet already Harper is strangely inaccessible to the media, which, for most of the public, offers the only window on government.
Of course, Harper readily uses the media when he wants to publicize his trips abroad. Yet he’s taken the unusual step of refusing to reveal when his cabinet is meeting, thereby shielding himself and his ministers from being questioned by reporters — one of the few opportunities for such questioning.
As for arrogance: Harper’s refusal to co-operate with an investigation by ethics commissioner Bernard Shapiro, on the grounds that Shapiro was appointed by the Liberals, reveals a tendency to see himself as above accountability. Opposition critics have noted that this is equivalent to Harper refusing to co-operate with the Auditor-General because she, too, was appointed by the Liberals. Harper apparently regards the rules of Parliament as optional, to be followed only when it suits him.
Then there’s foreign policy. Is it just me or does anyone else find it ominous that Harper says “God bless Canada” and vows not to “cut and run” — deliberately aping the most unsavoury president in U.S. history?
The refocusing of Canada’s military from peacekeeping to an active warmaking role in the U.S. “war on terror” was set in place by the previous Liberal government, but Harper is embracing this regrettable change with gusto.
Then last week Canada became the first country (following Israel) to cut off aid to the new Palestinian government, despite the fact that it was democratically elected by the Palestinian people. Canada has always tilted toward Israel, but has also worked hard to be an “honest broker,” maintaining a dialogue with the Palestinians.
The ostensible reason for Ottawa’s aid cut is that the new Hamas government refuses to recognize Israel. But Hamas has agreed to “accept” Israel (within its pre-1967 borders) and to permanently honour any peace agreement the two sides work out, according to John Sigler, professor of international relations at Carleton University.
In practical terms, this is as good as “recognition.” It should at least be regarded as an opening, to be encouraged by governments like Canada.
By cutting off aid instead, Canada is signalling that Israel can proceed with its plans to permanently annex Palestinian land in the West Bank — and can count on silence from Harper’s Canada.
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