Harper's new religious order: Canadians must trust

During this festive holiday season, many people take the time to reflect on their family and faith. So it is only appropriate to reflect on the brand of religion that is being proselytized by Stephen Harper. It’s called faith based government. Faith based government allows its practitioners to be free of any of the daily worries of accountability or transparency. Mere assertions of “tax loopholes” and other spiritual symbols are taken utterly for granted. There can be no questioning harbored in this religion. Utmost faith and trust is required, lest we expose the truth for the ugly blasphemy that it most assuredly is. Here was my personal spiritual call to order from Stephen Harper, that I along with hundreds of thousands of Canadians devastated by the income trust would have received, once the PMO got their messaging just right, three and half weeks after the fact:



Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2006
To: Brent Fullard
Subject: Office of the Prime Minister

Dear Mr. Fullard:

Thank you for your e-mail message regarding the government's decision on income trusts. I am pleased to have this opportunity to respond.

I understand your disappointment with this decision. We recognize that Canadian investors, including many pensioners and seniors, have made important investments over the years and benefit from the current income trust structure. However, Canadians must trust that their government is watching out for them and is upholding the values that define us, like fairness. They expect us to fix problems, right injustices and close loopholes.



Evidently this brand of faith based religion holds it to be more sacrosanct to right injustices and close loopholes than to provide any documentary evidence whatsoever about alleged tax leakage and keeping their solemn election promises.

Meanwhile, do you suppose the following fine upstanding citizens were more concerned about slaying the mythical dragon called tax leakage, or feathering their own stock option nests? I believe you will find that many of these unnamed folks are, in fact, the high priests of Harper’s faith based religious order, called influence for sale or rent. Democracy for the highest bidder. Accountability and Lobbyist Registry Acts be damned.

After all, we have a country to sell.


Income-trust crackdown: The inside story
Globe and Mail
November 2, 2006

High-profile directors and CEOs, meanwhile, had approached Mr. Flaherty personally to express their concerns: Many felt they were being pressed into trusts because of their duty to maximize shareholder value, despite their misgivings about the structure. Paul Desmarais Jr., the well-connected chairman of Power Corp. of Canada, even railed against trusts in a conversation with Prime Minister Stephen Harper during a trip to Mexico, and told him he should act quickly to stop the raft of conversions, according to sources.