The Harper Doctrine: "Canadians must trust"

Below is a reprise of an blog article that I wrote in December, 2007, entitled "Canadians must trust".

I believe the significance of the point I was making in this piece perhaps resonates with an awful lot more Canadians today, than it did at the time when I wrote it. How could it not, since Harper's "trust factor" has taken a beating, and for good reason!

What with the revelations about Harper's phony fixed election promise, his triple E senate malarkey, his attempted bribery of Cadman, claiming that the incriminating Zytaruk tape (which caught Harper admitting to the criminal attempt to bribe a sitting MP) was doctored when it wasn't, his deceitful assurances that all was well with Canada's economy and his economic update that was more focused on waging war with political adversaries, the rights of civil servants to strike and pay equity for women, while in completer denial about the economy, it's hard to imagine that there actually are Canadians left out there who would be willing to invest any of their "trust" in Stephen Harper?

And yet that was what he was asking income trusts investors to do in the letter referred to in this piece.....after he promised he wouldn't raid their nest eggs......after he nuked $35 billion of their savings.....after he took away an essential investment choice away from them, and after he refused to provide them with one iota of evidence to support his bogus tax leakage claim, whose only purpose was the provide the pretense for breaking his promise to these 2.5 million Canadians, who took him at his word. Canadians must trust? Yeah right:

December 23, 2007
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.

In reading the letter, reflect on what Harper means in his use of the term "Canadians must trust". It can only have one of three definitions:

(1) I have demonstrated to you that I am a trustworthy person and that my deeds match my rhetoric, and having earned your trust, I ask that "Canadians must trust"

(2) I am taking your inherent faith in government for granted, so I will exploit that reservoir of good will and ask that: "Canadians must trust".

(3) I am the guy in charge here, and not you the voters. I and commanding you, as if by edict or by religion, that "Canadians must trust".

Well, one thing's for sure. It most certainly is not (1), and both (2) and (3) are complete non starters. But you decide for yourself:

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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.

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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.