2015-11-22

Measuring Harper: (Too) Old Conservatism

As I've discussed through the years, I never saw much wisdom on how the Conservatives handled social policy. In fact, I found it downright grotesque. In an age where law enforcement across the continent have finally figured out there are better ways as Texas discovered (in link), Harper decided to go full blown absurd with 'tough on crime'.  

Economically, the record was marginally better but overall nothing to get riled about since the economy was decent all things considered. Lest we forget he was forced to open the purse strings because of the threat of the Liberals and NDP merging thus somewhat skewing his spending record. I don't expect the Liberals to be marvels of economics.

Le Quebecois Libre:

"By far the most appalling measure introduced by the Harper government is Bill C-24, an odious piece of legislation that empowered the government—without judicial review—to strip certain persons convicted under the Criminal Code’s terrorism provisions of their Canadian citizenship. While treaty obligations prevent Ottawa from rendering people stateless, the list of those at risk is long indeed. It potentially imperils anyone with access to a foreign citizenship, which would cover virtually everyone born abroad, anyone with foreign-born parents or possibly grandparents and even all Jews (given their entitlement to citizenship under Israeli law)."

On economics:  

"...One of Harper’s first actions in office was to roll back an income tax cut enacted by the outgoing Liberals, in order to instead cut the Goods & Services Tax by one point (with another one-point reduction following in 2007). Since raising the cost of a thing causes there to be less of it, if the government must raise funds it makes far more economic sense to tax consumption rather than production. And yet the holder of a postgraduate degree in the field chose to do precisely the opposite."


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