(March 19, 2013) Though it’s been said, it bears repeating: Stephen Harper owes his political existence not to talent or popularity, but to the political exhaustion and enfeeblement of the opposition Liberal Party. After three majority governments under the strong leadership of Jean Chrétien, the Liberals spiralled into dissension and irrelevance under a succession of weak stewards—Paul Martin, Stéphane Dion and Michael Ignatieff—and became co-opted.
Yet, despite the pervasive gloom that has hung over this country for the last seven years, a recrudescence of democracy could soon brighten the political landscape. Next month, the Liberals will choose a new leader, but this time the party will emerge as the long-awaited governing alternative. Does that mean that Harper will soon join other deposed fascists on the dungheap of history? There are three reasons to think so. Justin Trudeau
Does this mean that Justin Trudeau is Canada’s saviour? No. It just means that a Trudeau-led Liberal Party could defeat Harper and that’s all that matters—governments are voted out, not voted in. In a critical column last October, political analyst Murray Dobbin pointed out that Trudeau, Pierre et fils, are not the same poiltical animal. Justin is a product of the same political culture as every other Liberal politician and is not the intellectual giant his father was. Specifically, Dobbin depicts Justin Trudeau as an unknown commodity and wonders: • How far would Trudeau go toward undoing the horrors committed by the Harper régime? Dobbin’s concerns are perfectly sound, but not definitive. Trudeau could well turn out to be a capable prime minister, and at any rate, come election time such concerns likely won’t matter much. Trudeau is young, energetic, and has a last name that hearkens to a pre-fascist era, a time when Canadians could feel proud of their country, and when federal spending was not anathematized. That whiff of nostalgia may be enough reason for voters to reclaim their country from Israel’s arrogant satrap, who had no useful experience when he was chosen as party leader. Given that elections are mostly popularity contests anyway, Trudeau can be expected to defeat the increasingly loathed Harper. Harper—obnoxious and oblivious
Harper’s creation of an Office of Religious Freedom, to be run out of the Foreign Ministry on a $5 million budget, has been rightly lambasted as politically inept and a sop to right-wing Christians. The office’s “ambassador,” whose name is unimportant, has no accreditation to any country, and therefore has no standing. The stated aim of “promoting freedom of religion or belief as a Canadian foreign policy priority” is not only politically corrupt, but also a demonstrable lie. Muslims and Christians in Israel are openly singled out for persecution, and in Canada and the U.S., Muslims’ religious, and personal, freedoms are routinely violated. This Orwellian farce is obviously meant to impose pro-Jewish/pro-Christian propaganda on other states and curtail liberties. As proof, Don Hutchinson, vice-president and legal counsel for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, told the Globe and Mail he hopes this new unqualified “ambassador” will help formulate immigration policy. It is standard procedure for tyrants to focus on external matters as they abuse their own people. That fact will not be lost on voters. Donning the knee-pads for lawlessness Leaving aside the fact that none of the abovementioned qualities applies to Israel, Baird declared in his speech that the Palestinian government would suffer consequences if it used the rule of law against Israel in the International Criminal Court. I imagine that the vast majority of Canadians would rush to reclaim their country’s international reputation from an Israeli stooge who has no sense of shame or concept of self-parody. Muzzling the messengers Such overt politicization of the civil service is unknown in Canadian history. What’s worse, snitch lines have been established for anyone to report on any librarian that contravenes the code. This form of intellectual terrorism is identical to the civilian spying apparatus that existed in Soviet Russia. Under Trudeau, some renaissance of intellectual freedom can be expected. NDP—back to reality
The Naively Delusional Polyannas have mistaken their massive gains in Quebec and status as the Official Opposition as some kind of nationwide validation of their party. In truth, their success was a fluke. In the previous election, a sizable portion of Liberal voters could not stand Michael Ignatieff, whereas they felt positive toward the avuncular and popular Jack Layton. Now that Trudeau is set to become the new leader, the votes that were parked with the NDP will revert to Liberal candidates, at least in sufficient numbers to put the NDP back into third place. The NDP will also likely lose votes to the Green Party. Elizabeth May, who leads a party of one, has been the strongest, most energetic voice of opposition in the House. She is almost certain to retain her B.C. seat and her example could lead to other Green Party victories. The NDP is caught in a vise between the Liberals and Greens and will be squeezed from both sides. Therefore, the danger of Liberal/NDP vote splitting is minor. Whether Trudeau brings in a minority or majority Liberal government, voters will at least celebrate the fact that the Harper dictatorship will be in the hands of its enemies—Canadian citizens. 
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