Here are the facts, as they pertain to this entry:
- These are my personal opinions.
- I am not a political science student, nor do I have any extended knowledge about politics.
- I accept that news broadcasts are highly biased, and thus cannot be taken completely to heart.
People always ask me, "why do you support Stephen Harper and his Conservative party?" My answer is fairly simple, or at least it's simple to me. I understand that many Canadians believe Mr Harper to be the anti-christ. They believe his views align more closely with those of President Bush than is healthy for our country. They believe the Tories seek to restrain Canada's growth by imposing conservative values on the rest of the country. And finally, that the Tories have only the Western provinces' best interests in mind.
I support Mr Harper and his Tories for these reasons:
1) He promised to lower the GST by one percent immediately and by another percent in the near future. By God, we're now at 6% instead of at 7%. For those that don't know, GST was never intended to be a permanent thing. It was only supposed to be temporary, and its reduction inevitable. That the Tories actually did something about it, is impressive. The lowering of GST benefits all Canadians right away. Additionally, as an Albertan (who doesn't need to pay PST), the drop from 7% (in total) to 6% (again, in total) is fabulous.
2) He's getting rid of the costly and ineffective gun registry. The fact that this program is costing Canadians millions of dollars every year for very little return is reason enough to shut it down. We need a government that will recognize when an initiative is failing, cut the losses, and run. "Nip it in the bud" as they say. That the gun registry was supposed to help prevent incidents like the Dawson shooting is further proof that the system does not work.
3) He's pushing the opposition to explain themselves. Why should they oppose the tougher anti-crime legislation? Why would the opposition vote in favour of allowing arsonists, thieves and muggers to serve their sentences at home (under house arrest)? These kinds of people should be behind bars, where they belong.
4) The Conservatives have introduced the Clean Air Act. This piece of legislation has reasonable goals and objectives in mind. There will be consultations with the major players in the various industries which contribute most heavily to the green house gas emissions, and then goals will be set. The Clean Air Act has been coupled with the Energy Efficiency Act which will strive towards reducing wasted energy (in the form of heat).
5) Harper is pushing to put more police officers on the streets of Canada. I don't know about you, but I feel much safer knowing there are cops out on the streets watching us. They are there to serve and to protect. How can they protect the public if they're all sitting around in police stations doing paperwork? This is pursuant to the fact that street racing has become an even larger problem in recent years. Many deaths have resulted from street racing in Canada's major metropolitan cities, like Vancouver and Toronto. This rampant style of crime has to stop. We are all in danger if such things do not cease immediately.
6) Mr Harper has put Canada on the international stage with a more proactive role in peacekeeping missions and anti-terrorist activities. The Prime Minister has done nothing but support our troops in our military missions since he came into power. We have been embarrassed one too many times by failing Sea King helicopters that kill our own troops before even reaching the war zones. Investment in our military is important if we are to become less dependent on the United States for protection. Harper has also disallowed the press from creating media circuses out of the military funerals. By preventing them from using the footage to argue against the war, he has done our soldiers a great service. They voluntarily offer their lives to serve and protect us; all Canadians should be mindful of that. Yes, there will be casualties, that is the price of war. But we have been slow to realize this fact, that soldiers have in no way been coerced into doing things they shouldn't be doing. We don't employ conscription in Canada, and thus there is no argument in saying that soldiers are dying for a war they didn't want. They volunteered for Christ's sake! If they didn't want to go overseas to defend our country and the safety of our citizens, then they simply wouldn't go. Or better yet, they wouldn't sign up for service. The media has shamelessly used the deaths of our soldiers to wage a more subtle war against Mr Harper and his Conservative party. To turn the valiant sacrifices of our men and women fighting overseas into fodder for use against the Tories makes me sick. It really makes me sick.
7) Stephen Harper is the Prime Minister of Canada. It is his job to represent all Canadians and to do what is in their best interests. He cannot govern this country with the support of only the Western provinces. He simply cannot. It is not possible, when the largest concentration of Canadians lies in Ontario around the Greater Toronto Area. And therefore, it is illogical to think that he would do things which only increase his popularity in the West. If anything, he's done everything he could to improve things equally for all Canadians. He wants what's best for us, all of us.
And that is why I support Stephen Harper. I invite you to criticize and comment on these seven points. Bring it on.
Labels: Government, Politics
