The Conservative Party’s Canada – where, if you are a businessman who can afford to own two Canadian Football League teams and to make large contributions to the Conservative Party, you can procure a seat in the Canadian Senate.
Not really surprising in light of the Conservative Party’s oft demonstrated policy of increasing the Wealth of wealthy Canadians via policies that transfer resources not to Canadians and Canadian children in poverty, homelessness or need but to those Canadians in Greed. Whether it is by regressive tax policies, being ‘unable to afford’ housing or anti-poverty programs while being able to afford bailouts, subsidies, exceptions, grants or Senate appointments for businesses and the wealthy
Before we leave the subject of the Conservatives lack of ethics and the Senate, it is surprising Mr. Harper did not suffer severe whiplash from his abrupt change vis-à-vis the Canadian Senate.
Mr. Harper called for abolishment, for an elected Senate and condemned the Liberal government’s appointment and use of the Senate when Conservatives were not in power and the Senate was not of any use or advantage to the Conservatives.
But as soon as it was to the advantage of Mr. Harper and his Conservatives we were treated to the spectacle of Mr. Harper, who came to office stating he would never appoint senators, appointing 33 senators – to date
True Mr. Harper made several excuses for his massive about face on this matter; just as he did when, after having attacked the Liberal government on MP pensions when in opposition, Mr. Harper and his Conservatives bellied up to the trough to pig out on the same taxpayer funded golden pensions for MPS.
Interesting lack of an ethical center.
These are the same Harper Conservatives who recently tried to engineer a quick vote on Bill C-304, a private member’s bill calling for “secure, adequate and affordable housing for Canadians.”, in order to scuttle the bill.
The disappointing behaviour here is that of the three other parties in parliament in not getting behind and supporting this bill and a gravely need national housing strategy.
After all this is a Conservative government that, while it claims it has ‘no money’ for a national housing plan (or addressing child poverty), has unlimited millions (hundreds of millions?), for an advertising campaign promoting the Conservative party and paid for by Canadian taxpayers.
There is nothing wrong with political parties blowing their own horns – that’s part of the political process. But the cost of a party blowing its own horn is a cost that should, no must, be paid for out of the coffers of the party, not out of the coffers of the federal government and thus the pockets of Canadian taxpayers.
Sticking a label such as “Canada’s Economic Action Plan” on the spending does not change the fundamental nature of what the advertising campaign is about – promoting the image and fortunes of the federal Conservative party.
No money for housing or child poverty but the Conservatives can find seemingly unlimited taxpayer $$$$ to pay for advertising to promote the Conservative government.
Interesting set of priorities and rather malleable ethics – ethics that shift to accommodate the circumstances the Conservative government finds to its advantage.
Given that that the Conservative Party likes to hold itself up as the judge and defender of moral behaviour and morality in Canada one has to wonder just what kind of definitions they are using for ‘moral’ and ‘morality’. Clearly whatever the definitions the Conservatives are using do not include pesky concepts such as ethics, honour, character or the distinction between right and wrong.
While this type of unprincipled behaviour is behaviour as usual for Mr. Harper and his Conservative Party, I was somewhat surprised, based on what I knew of Mr. David Braley from his ownership of the BC Lions, that he allowed himself to be appointed. Although I suppose, upon taking time to consider his $$$$ support of the Conservatives and their behaviours and policies, it really is no surprise.
True ethics are not something that change when convenient. Indeed, true ethics often are inconvenient because they get in the way of what would be a convenient action or behaviour.
Ethics that change when convenient are many things – but they are not ethics.
Lack of ethics is a behaviour that results from seeking to govern simply to push an ideology or to be the party in power. Because in either case, the operating principles and behaviours of the parties involved are about winning power and holding power. Ethical or honourable behaviours are tossed overboard in favour of whatever it takes to win. Actually any behaviour, such as MPs listening to the constituents they represent instead of mindlessly obeying the Prime Minister, that interferes with winning are rejected.
Yet the moment one becomes unwilling to lose on a matter of principle or ethics, that ones ethics become malleable or that one justifies doing whatever is necessary to obtain or retain power by claiming it is ‘for the good of the country’ one’s actions have ceased to be about delivering leadership and effective governance and one becomes part of the problem.
The current focus of governments and politicians at all levels in Canada is about advancing an ideology, being in power and winning at any cost, about divide and conquer, pitting differing interest groups against each other; it is not about good government, building a strong Canada or a fair, balanced, understanding and cosmopolitan society.
None of our current politicians and political parties have promulgated an ethos of what it is to be Canadian or articulated a vision for Canada and Canadian society.
It is time for a discussion of what it is to be Canadian, the type of society we want to have and how we as Canadians will achieve that vision.
It is pass time to stop allowing politicians to tell us why we cannot bring about the Canada we want and to support leadership that is about bringing the Canada we want into being.
Or most Canadians will find themselves entitled only to the rights and freedoms they can afford to buy.
