(The following article is from the January 16-31, 2010 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St., Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

People's Voice Editorial

It's nice to see Stephen Harper caught between a rock and a hard place - both largely of his own making. The minority PM, loathed by millions of Canadians, has clung to power in part by turning politics into a blood sport, heaping abuse on his opponents and critics. The Tory strategy is not to reach out to Canadians, but rather to hold their narrow base while driving millions of non-supporters away from any desire to vote or take part in political action.

     It's a ploy that brought some Tory gains in the 2008 election, which saw a record-low voter turnout. But now this approach is backfiring. Having harangued the public for many years about the evils of overpaid, lazy politicians (remember his vicious record as head of the so-called National Citizens Coalition?), Mr. Harper has now incurred the wrath even of his own supporters by casually shutting down Parliament for a two-month holiday. The vast majority of Canadians who understand the daily hardships of working for a living have little sympathy for this cynical maneuvre. Popular anger may well rise a few more degrees as Tory cabinet ministers enjoy the Winter Olympics rather than stay in Ottawa to deal with the economic crisis.

     Anger is the right response to Stephen Harper's utter contempt for the norms of Canada's stunted form of democracy. Long-time Communist leader Tim Buck warned that if fascism ever came to Canada it would be installed by the Conservatives. Buck's words seem prescient these days, as a far-right prime minister with no popular mandate schemes to shift power from the elected Members of Parliament into his own hands. For example, what would happen if Parliament was divided next year over the promised troop withdrawal from Afghanistan? Does anyone doubt that Harper would consider another prorogation to keep Canadian troops in Kandahar? Think about it, and join us at the anti-prorogation rallies on January 23rd!