A simple political question: do you want a new PM?

PM Harper is now resorting to desperate racist tactics in a bid to keep his job.
He is now appealing to "old stock" Canadians- whatever that means.

The "old-stock Canadians" remark, instead of going unnoticed, immediately unleashed an onslaught of questions over what "old stock" meant, whether it had racist overtones and whether it was part of an overall Conservative campaign to engage in identity politics or stoke fears against other groups.

Stoking fear and racism is a common tactic of Republicans. The "silent majority" was a Nixon meme. I thought we were different here than Americans? Fear politics or politics of division is a society shattering way to hold onto power.  It distracts happy productive people with fear and uncertainty about their neighbors.  It is a tactic of dictators and oligarchs. It is undemocratic.

Harper is counting on a left split of votes to hold power; he is using fear, uncertainty, and doubt to keep a minority of votes.

The single biggest question Canadians need to ask themselves is this: on October 20, when the election is over, do you want to see Harper as prime minister again? If you don't, then you need to decide which opposition politician has the best chance of winning in your riding and vote strategically. You can't let him win through fear and racism.

Judge Harper on Harper

If you want to consider who is best for the job of Prime Minister, then judge the incumbent on his entire record:

Here is what he pledged in 2004 entitled: DEMANDING BETTER

Demand Better Accountability:

End waste, mismanagement and corruption in Ottawa.

We will direct the Auditor General to audit all federal granting programs and recommend changes to reduce waste and fraud.

We will create an independent Ethics Commissioner appointed by Parliament not by the Prime Minister 

We will hold elections to fill vacancies in the Senate

We will increase the power of individual Members of Parliament

We will give Parliament, not the Courts, the final decision on issues like marriage

We will cooperate with the provinces and respect the principles of confederation

Demand a Better Economy:

 

Lower taxes, control spending and create jobs

 

We will reduce the Federal tax rate on middle-income Canadians by more than 25 percent

 

We will introduce a $2000 per child deduction to reduce the fax burden on families with children

 

We will reduce premiums to eliminate  the annual surplus in the Employment Insurance account 

 

We will invest in infrastructure by transferring at least 3 cents of the gas tax to the provinces

 

We will introduce a new Registered Lifetime Savings Plan that allows Canadians to withdraw their money tax-free 

 

We will control government spending and pay down the national debt

 

We will cut wasteful  corporate subsidies in order to reduce taxes for all businesses

 

Help all businesses, not the favoured few

 

We will invest in research and development especially medical and scientific research

 

 

At page 22, I stopped copying out promises....Thanks to Poltext for the stored political manifestos

 

 https://www.poltext.org/en/part-1-electronic-political-texts/electronic-manifestos-canada

 

 

 

 

Harper government poor at business decisions.

Separate documents tabled in the House of Commons show the federal government paid out approximately $ 31$-million in severance and separation pay to political staff in all ministers’ offices between April 2006 and February 2014. That's $3.875 $million a year for 8 years.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/pmo-has-paid-more-than-4-1m-in-severance-to-departing-employees-since-harper-took-office 

 So the Conservatives would rather pay for administrative staff at $4million per year than pay for doctors that do research and can help the country in a medical crisis.They are cutting the Ph.D. / M.D. program that makes doctors that can research an illness and treat people.  The kind of person you need in a medical epidemic.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/cuts-to-md-phd-funding-greeted-with-horror-by-medical-scientists-1.3190215

Dr. Norman Rosenblum is associate dean of physician scientist training at the University of Toronto. Two years ago, Rosenblum was asked by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to chair an expert committee to study patient-oriented researchers in Canada.
The expert report concluded Canada needs a major increase in the number of health clinician scientists, because the country is missing key expertise needed to address urgent health-care questions.
Rosenblum was surprised and dismayed to receive a letter from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in June announcing the end of funding for the MD/PhD program.

Dr. Norman Rosenblum says a mixed message is being sent about the value of patient-oriented research. (CBC)

"The reaction has been horror, to be honest," Rosenblum said. "My colleagues across the country have been mystified as to how this decision would be taken when they were not specifically consulted."
The letter stated "budgetary constraints" as the reason.

Harper is out to gut science but waste taxpayer money on administration. Is that a more efficient business organization? Does that seem like an effective government?

This is what it costs for a Ph.D / M.D program the student at the University of Ottawa:

Year 1		Year 2		Year 3	Year 4
Fall and Winter (Sessions 1 and 2)	Spring / Summer (Session 3)	Fall and Winter (Sessions 4 and 5)	Spring / Summer (Session 6)	Fall, Winter and Spring / Summer (Sessions 7, 8 and 9)	Fall, Winter and Spring / Summer (Sessions 10, 11 and 12)
$ 19,500.00 / session	$3,000.00	$19,500.00 / session	$3,000.00	$3,000.00 / session + stipend	$3,000.00 / session + stipend

This is a total of  ~$100,000 per student to have a Ph.D. with a M.D. that can do both. Or you could have office staff.

So for the cost of PMO staff PER YEAR severance we could have had 38.75 Ph.D / MD students that would lead to 39 doctors more per year in the country all for the cost of the PMO, Harper's office staff turn over year after year. That's not the whole government that is one office in Ottawa. Can you justify claiming that the conservatives are good with business operations after this? They would rather pay severance than for specialized doctors.

I think Russell Brand owes Stephen Harper an apology

+Russell Brand  was completely wrong on +Stephen Harper 's speech to the nation and Michel Zehaf-Bibeau.  He claimed that the Canadian government would immediately clamp down on civil liberties and impose laws similar to the UK and USA. The parliamentarians didn't knee-jerk impose a police state. There was dissent and alternate viewpoints on how to change the laws for security.  Everything carried on without hysteria.

Michel Zehaf-Bibeau was motivated by jihad.   Another false claim in that video.

For using Fox-News like drive-by tactics: playing loose with the facts, jumping to conclusions lacking evidence, and using emotional opportunism to hike his own viewership, I think Russell Brand needs to apologize for his Trews vlog: ▶ Ottawa Killings: Who Wins? Russell Brand The Trews (E174) - YouTube

Russell Brand, if you do hold to your beliefs about fairness and compassion for all human kind, then I believe you owe Stephen Harper an apology.