Below is a brief attempt to compile and categorize the key reasons why the Stephen Harper-led Conservative Government of Canada must be defeated in the 2011 federal election.
1. Reckless disregard for/destruction of the Environment and (what should be considered) criminal inaction, collusion and obstruction of int’l negotiations to confront the climate crisis
Our shared atmosphere is on an accelerating course to reach a state of potentially unsurvivable, runaway climate extremes during the lives of today’s children.
Only emergency international action at emergency (war time) speed *may be* proportional enough to confront the scale, scope and urgency of what is already the greatest crime against humanity, most life and most future life ever (Climate Change Human Impact Report).
Meanwhile, the Harper-led Conservative Government of Canada has cut funds for climate research, muzzled scientists, ignored scientific studies that show environmental damage from the tars sands, and obstructed international climate negotiations in favour of corporate tax cuts, tar sands subsidies, war jets and prisons.
- Canada’s obstruction, sabotage, tar sands petro state, G. Monbiot, ecoSanity.org
- Harper further waters down Canada’s climate change inaction plan/policy, E. May
- Proposed budget to gut environmental funding, Mike De Souza, Postmedia News
- Underhanded, unelected Senate majority subverts climate Bill, ecoSanity.org
- Gov’t refuses to refinance key climate research group, S. McCarthy, Globe and Mail
- The privatization of Canadian water, Council of Canadians
- Canada’s tar sands most environmentally destructive industrial project on Earth, ecoSanity
- Harper Gov to fund corp tax cuts, tar sands subsidies, war jets, prisons, E. May
- UN rejects Canada’s bid for seat on security council
- Independent head of Cdn Nuclear Safety Commission Linda Keen fired, E. May
2. Contempt of Parliament, scandals, corruption, malfeasance, lack of ethics and integrity
- Scandals, corruption, malfeasance, lack of ethics/integrity, Toronto Star
- Electoral fraud: In and out campaign: The House passes judgement, “…the Conservative Party of Canada’s “in and out” electoral financing scheme was an act of electoral fraud and represents an assault on the democratic principles upon which Parliament and our electoral system are based…”, MacLean’s
- Harper systematically snuffing out democracy in Senate, Globe and Mail
- Elections Canada lays regulatory charges against 4 Tories, including 2 Senators for ‘false or misleading’ expense statements related to 2006 campaign, CBC
- Former Harper Chief of Staff convicted of 5 counts of fraud in past, CBC
- Conservative handbook to paralyze/obstruct Parliament
- Prorogation: 10,000+ ‘No prorogue’ rally, Toronto, ecoSanity
- Bev Oda admits she had CIDA document altered, CBC
- ‘Harper tossed me under a bus’, Guergis, CBC
- Independent head of Cdn Nuclear Safety Commission Linda Keen fired, E. May
3. Conspiracy to conceal elements of highest war spending since WWII, true F-35 war jet costs, $13 billion prison expansion (Already 20 x more spent per inmate than per student.)
- War spending highest since WWII, Study, CCPA
- Unrevealed F-35 stealth fighter jet costs? Globe and Mail
- Canada’s ongoing legacy in war in Afghanistan, Cdn Peace Alliance
- Harper shuts down Parliment over Afghan detainee controversy, CBC
- Canada spends more on prisons than schools, Hazel Trego (Canada already spends 20 x more per inmate than per student annually)
4. Systematic oppression of indigenous and migrant peoples, policies that promote further income inequity, poverty and the dismantling of women’s equity and rights
- The wrongs of the Canadian immigration system, No One Is Illegal
- Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN)
- Harper runs roughshod over women’s rights, Murray Dobbin, Rabble.ca
- Poverty in Canada on the rise, MakePovertyHistory.ca
- Gov’t scraps long-form census, easier to ignore the poor, Linda McQauig, Rabble.ca
- UN rejects Canada’s bid for seat on security council
5. Willful deception of Canadian public with 2008 election promise to maintain budget surplus, then runs up federal debt from $460 to $560+ billion since re-election
- Canada’s federal debt: $560+ billion (up from $460 billion in 2008), DebtClock.ca
- Video – April Fools: Harper lies about future national debt, Enough Harper
6. Conspiracy to compromise Canadian civil liberties, silence/criminalize dissent. G8/G20: “The most massive compromise of civil liberties in Cdn history,” Andre Marin, Ontario Ombudsman
- Elections 2011 and the criminalization of dissent, Stefan Christoff, Rabble.ca
- The silencing of dissent: The Conservative Record, CCPA
- More voices you won’t hear in the election campaign, Gerald Caplan, Globe and Mail
- Harper’s firing range: 87 orgs/people attacked in last 5 yrs, Dennis Gruending, Rabble.ca
- Bev Oda admits she had CIDA document altered, CBC
- Report details ‘shocking’ abuses at G20 Summit, Colin Perkel, Cdn Press
- Climate Emergency, G20 June Toronto compilation, ecoSanity
- G20: The 10 ecoSanity videos (lead up only), ecoSanity
- Harper runs roughshod over women’s rights, Murray Dobbin, Rabble.ca
- Harper’s proposed budget would further cut funding to CBC, Friends.ca
7. Propaganda campaign to mislead Canadian public w $26 million in tax-payer $ for Economic Action Plan ads/snow job + 6,000 pre-election campaign ads (6 x more than other parties)
- Action Plan ad blitz a snow job on taxpayer;’s dime, Globe and Mail
- Video – Rick Mercer Rant: Canada’s Economic Action Plan
- Harper government ad buy cost Canadians $26 million, Bruce Cheadle, Cdn Press
- Video – The impact of pre-election campaign ads, Wendy Mesley, CBC The National: There are strict spending limits once a Cdn federal election begins, but NOT before. During the 2-month lead up (since Jan. 31, 2011), total ad spots per party: Liberal, 150; NDP, 1,000+; Conservatives, 6,000+. The Conservatives also spent $26 million in tax payer money(!) on ‘Canada’s Economic Action Plan’ (brainwashing?) spots.
And here’s a bonus for scrolling this far down!
More
Laundry Lists
- Council of Canadians – Stephen Harper’s assault on democracy
- Climate Action Network – Gov’t of Canada’s climate change record (2006 – 2011)
- Catch 22 Campaign – 12 reasons to defeat Harper – 10 reasons (Rabble.ca)
- Liberals – 10 Harper regime abuses of power in 10 days
- Bloc – Denounces laundry list of Tory ‘disregard for democracy’, Globe and Mail
- Report – The Harper Record, Cdn Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA)
- Article/list – Descent of democracy under Harper’s thumb, iPolitics.ca (Scroll for list)
- List – Stephen Harper’s firing range: 87 organizations and people attacked in last 5 years, Dennis Gruending, Rabble.ca
- Opinion – Changing Canada one backwards step at a time, James Travers, Toronto Star
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