Dear Editor:
The Canadian political system has experienced an incredible shift of political power – away from the people – to the back rooms of the Prime Minister’s Office.
In eight short years Harper has gutted the federal MPs of every ounce of political power that belonged to them.
He has achieved this simply by taking control of the Conservative Party’s nomination process.
Harper will sign your nomination papers, in return for absolute control of your vote in the House of Commons.
There is no longer any meaningful debate on proposed legislation, and budgets are no longer presented and debated before adoption, they are ‘bundled’ with dozens of other pieces of legislation, and rammed through Parliament by our elected MPs under severe duress.
Harper has certainly delivered on this promise: “You won’t recognize Canada when I’m done with it,” but he has made a huge strategic error:
He turned his back on the very people he needs to be able to manipulate all that political muzzle.
He fired his right hand man, Nigel Wright, who went out of his way and spent $90,000 of his own money, trying to clean up after Michael Duffy.
Then he turned his back on Senators Michael Duffy and Pamela Wallin, who both were travelling the country and in good faith working their hearts out, campaigning for Harper and the Conservative party.
Cabinet Ministers and MPs are now leaving him like rats leaving a sinking ship, while our federal government has become a one man show, vulnerable to Harper’s random ambitions.
Andy Thomsen
Peachland