Comments on: Preston Manning and Stephen Harper, uneasy alliance

by: Margaret

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:50:53 +0000

This is what many people sense about Harper; that he is not genuine, not truthful, and that he is completely self-absorbed. He doesn’t care about Canada any more than he cared about Preston Manning. I was not a Reform Party supporter, but I always knew that Preston Manning was exactly what he said he was. Harper to me was an opportunistic parasite looking for a place to lodge, and launch his quest for power.

by: dirk

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 02:48:53 +0000

Seems to me Harper is just another example of how cynical the political systems is,i.e honesty and conviction are not required.This type of behavior is is definitly not an aberration or something unique to Harper,should anyone really be surprised ?
Least we forget Mulroney,or the Liberals(masters at playing the cynical game that is politics) for that matter
No wonder 40-45 % of people chose not to vote.

by: Ryan

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:39:39 +0000

Dennis,

Listening to you on CBC Radio’s The House. Insightful as always!

by: Stephen

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 06:29:13 +0000

It’s interesting to note the contradiction between Harper’s reported distaste for the grassroots populism of the Reform party and his cynical, even deceitful exploitation of the same populism in his criticisms of the Coalition a few months ago.

Rejecting Canadian constitutional traditions of parliamentary democracy, the Harper ‘Conservatives’ threatened to go ‘over the head’ of the GG directly to the Canadian people, arguing–falsely–that Canadians had elected Stephen Harper PM, as though there had been a US-style election for president.

Harper seems to be a fair-weather friend of Reform-style grassroots populism: reject it when the grassroots can’t be trusted to do what the backroom elites know is best, embrace it when stirring up political anger with false arguments can benefit you politically.

by: aa

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:17:13 +0000

HArper has a history of betrayal longer than the incidents you descirbe. Harper was a legislative assistant to MP Jim Hawke. HAwke nurtured Harper’s career and Harper rewarded HAwke by resigning and running against Hawke, twice. He defeated Hawke the second time. Nice guy.