Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Monday, April 08, 2013

Half of Canadians think Stephen Harper has a ‘hidden agenda’: poll

Two-thirds of Canadians believe Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government is too secretive and has failed to govern with high ethical standards, a new poll has found.

The national survey conducted exclusively for Postmedia News and Global Television by Ipsos Reid also finds that after seven years in office, half of the country still believes that Harper has a “hidden agenda.”

The polling results offer some politically disconcerting news for the Conservatives as they approach the midpoint — May 2 — of their majority mandate and as the Liberals enjoy renewed popularity associated with Justin Trudeau.

In the coming months, Harper will embark on a significant effort to refresh his government’s persona. He will conduct a major cabinet shuffle in the summer, dropping weak ministers and bringing in fresh blood from the backbenches.

There will likely be a Throne Speech in the autumn, with an emphasis on promises to cut taxes, balance the budget, get Alberta’s oil products to foreign markets, and enhance trade throughout the world.

The goal is to be well positioned for the next election, in 2015.

Ipsos Reid CEO Darrell Bricker said in an interview that while Harper is maintaining support from his base of supporters, there is increasing public fatigue about the way the prime minister governs the country.

“There’s not a lot of objection to what Stephen Harper is actually doing in terms of public policy, given that the preoccupation of his coalition is on the economy,” said Bricker.

“This is as much of a style problem as it is a substance problem. They see him as secretive. They see him as still having a hidden agenda. They see him as somebody who is not particularly nice.”

The poll found that 54 per cent of Canadians believe the country is on the “wrong track,” versus 46 per cent who believe it is headed in the “right direction.”

Fifty-eight per cent of Canadians disapprove of the Conservative government under Harper’s leadership, compared to 42 per cent who approve.

Canadians are especially troubled by the government’s actions in one area — secrecy and ethics.

The poll found that 69 per cent of people believe “the Harper Conservatives are too secretive and have not kept their promise to govern according to high ethical standards.” Thirty-one per cent believe the Tories have kept their promise.

Similarly, the poll found that 63 disagreed with the statement the “Harper Conservatives are living up to the promise they made when first elected in 2006 to provide an ethical, open and transparent government.”

Thirty-seven per cent did believe the government has met their commitment.

In recent months, the government has faced mounting criticism.

Former parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page and former finance officials have complained of excessive secrecy surrounding budgetary matters.

Government scientists and librarians have complained they are being muzzled. Even some Conservative MPs have complained to House of Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer that their own party leadership has imposed unreasonable restraints on their freedom of speech.

On ethics, the Tories came to office in 2006 promising to clean up government after the Quebec sponsorship scandal devastated the reputation of the Liberal party.

But this year, Harper has faced his own problems: Finance Minister Jim Flaherty was told by the ethics commissioner that he broke conflict of interest and accountability rules by writing a letter to the CRTC on behalf of a firm in his riding; John Duncan stepped down as aboriginal affairs minister for writing a letter to the Tax Court of Canada two years ago; and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Peter Penashue quit as an MP, to run in a byelection in the riding of Labrador, after ineligible donations to his 2011 campaign were revealed.

On Sunday, Harper announced the byelection will be held May 13.

Bricker said public concerns about the Tories’ style of governing could cause problems for Harper in the next election as he nears a decade in office.

“It’s the cuts and bruises of governing that have caught up to him,” he said.

“When you’re 10 years into it, it’s pretty tough to make yourself appear fresh and new.”

Bricker said that despite the Liberals’ rising popularity, Harper is “still very much in the game” as he looks to the next election campaign — in part, because 30 new ridings will be located in areas where the Tories are strong.

“The truth is that Harper is holding to that consensus. He is holding on to his coalition. He has split Ontario. He is still doing really well in the West with the exception of B.C. where it’s somewhat more challenged.”

He said Harper’s “strong suit” is economic management and competence, while Trudeau will promise hope and change.

Bricker said Canadians regard Harper’s competence the same way they regard Buckley’s Mixture — “strong medicine that you need but hate the taste of.”

“There’s got to be a way that sugar can be put into this so that people can actually learn to appreciate what he has achieved and what it is that he’s trying to do on their behalf. As opposed to just making it seem like it’s got to taste bad because you need it.”

The pollster found that 50 per cent of Canadians believe Harper has a “hidden agenda,” while 26 per cent felt that way about NDP leader Tom Mulcair and 25 per cent felt that way about Trudeau, who is expected to be crowned Liberal leader next Sunday.

Harper has consistently said he is being honest about his plans for the country and Bricker said he is surprised that public doubts are so high.

“If there’s a hidden agenda, I don’t know what it is. If he’s hiding something he should have brought it out by now.”

The poll found the government’s recent budget barely made a dent among Canadians.

Thirteen per cent said it was a good budget, 22 per cent said it was bad, and 65 per cent said it was neither good or bad.

The poll was conducted between March 28 and April 3. A sample of 1,053 Canadians from Ipsos’ online panel were interviewed.

The margin of error is 3.4 percentage points for the national figures.

Original Article
Source: news.nationalpost.com
Author: Mark Kennedy

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