This is only the first two months of a four year term....

What Canadians are experiencing is a four year "Amateur Hour" of self-serving CONServative ignorance and arrogance. What follows is only two months' worth of sleazy politics....

1. May 2, 2011 – Conservatives win a majority government. Now starts the slow shift toward the Conservative "hidden" agenda that gives added privilege to the privileged and further oppression  to the oppressed.  Much was mentioned that the throne speech did not belie any "hidden agenda" - yet "hidden" means exactly that - not apparent! The hidden agenda is now what is said, but HOW goals are achieved. The CONServative methods are underhanded, self-serving, "entitled," disingenuous, narrow-minded and simply sleazy. Within two months, there are several examples - over four years, most assuredly, there will be hundreds forming a deep pattern. No wonder this government was found guilty of contempt of parliament - not through some "pesky" opposition manoeuvres, but because the government lied and withheld information from the House of Parliament and, therefore, from Canadians.
2. May 18, 2011 – Harper names 38 cabinet ministers to form new cabinet; the second largest cabinet after – only after another Conservative cabinet of Mulroney in a time of “austerity”
3. May 18, 2011 – Harper appoints 3 Conservative senators to the Senate – these three were recently defeated by the population’s vote in the election of May 2, 2011 doing an end run around democracy. Harper has been saying he wants to reform the Senate to make it, too, an elected House – great first step! And it’s been 120 years since a senator quit to run for political office and then rehired them when they failed to gain their seat. And then these same newly minted senators resist Harper's attempts to implement Senate reforms! The ingrates!!
4. May 29, 2011 - Prime Minister Stephen Harper was asked by Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu to block G8 leaders from supporting a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders, an Israeli newspaper said on Saturday. English-language newspaper Haaretz said that Netanyahu phoned Harper on Tuesday following the Israeli prime minister's speech to U.S. Congress, where Netanyahu insisted his country would not return to the "indefensible borders" that existed before the 1967 war. And Harper was the only hold out at the G8 Conference in France – he disagreed with the rest of the G8, including Obama, at the behest of Israel, highlighting Harper’s anti-Palestine and pro-Israeli stance. A position he has maintained.
5. June 6, 2011 – Elimination of the per vote subsidy for all parties with representation in the House of Parliament. Creates an undemocratic approach whereby the wealthy have an easier time of maintaining power because of huge coffers smaller parties can’t generate.
6. June 9, 2011 – G8/G20 Auditor General’s Report about the spending on these summits made public. Scathing response to the lack of a paper trail regarding to the 50 million that was spent on “legacy” spending. Parliament not informed about spending. Parliament was told that 50 million was for border infrastructure/security; however, the government intentionally siphoned off 50 million from border security to build summit legacy projects. Why the bait and switch? No public servants were a part of this process, removing any accountability or transparency. They knowingly lied to Parliament to they steal from one dept to cover for something else. And they had to hurry – to build toilets 70 km away and for the fake lake in Muskoka, of all places! Auditor General says this is a violation of the rules. The AG wants a paper trail! Imagine that!! Baird says they didn’t mislead Parliament – which begs the question why would the government follow the AG’s recommendations??? Tony Clement is now the minister in charge of making government cuts to find 11 Billion in cost savings – to get rid of governmental waste. So, during the G8 Tony benefits from a 50 million slush fund for pork barrel projects in his riding to getting rid of government waste! Such irony!
7. June 11 – Conservative convention in Ottawa – has affirmed as party policy that marriage is between a man and a woman. Thankfully, this is not government policy – yet! Also, interesting when electing a leader there is a move to make ridings proportional so that larger ridings get more votes than smaller ridings – essentially undermining any leadership hopeful from smaller ridings. For now, it’s one member/one vote – sounds like democracy to me!
8. Harper and James Moore fly down on an armed forces jet at $10,000/hr to watch the Vancouver/Boston Stanley Cup game in Boston (assuming 2 hours each way – not including having jet in Boston over night – that’s $40,000!). Moore and Harper, after taking some public heat agree to each pay $500 for borrowing the jet!!!
9. June 14 – Harper Government refuses to attach any sort of warning to asbestos sold internationally in order to protect the asbestos industry in Canada and protect 200 jobs in Asbestos, Quebec. Despite asbestos being a known carcinogen.
10. June 20 – Harper government set to pass back-to-work legislation against Canada Post workers despite negotiations ongoing. Last week the Harper government, within hours of an Air Canada strike, decided it was going to pass back-to-work legislation against front line Air Canada workers despite ongoing negotiations. This approach puts the federal government in the position of labour arbiter rather than legislation. Further, this kind of approach undermines fundamental labour laws in this country, allowing both sides to negotiate a settlement among themselves rather than the government impose legislation.
11. The Afghani detainee issue is back in the media when 40,000 documents are released publicly - BUT many of these pages are completely redacted making the documents useless. Such silliness. Such petulance. Such arrogance. It is unlikely that Parliament will ever get the full picture on the Afghani detainees and torture. Because of the amateurish foot dragging and stalling of the CONS government, it's not unreasonable to assume that there was Afghani detainee torture. Otherwise, why not simply come clean? Another example of CONS contempt for Parliament and the Canadian people.
12. The Canada Post back-to-work legislation highlights the not-so-hidden agenda of the CONServatives. Despite the long-fought negotiations between Canada Post management and the CUPW union, Harper and his government decided to impose a wage rate below what Canada Post management had offered and had also included in the bill that an arbitrator will choose either the entirety of management's position or the union's position without negotiation. This back to work bill is simply an attempt to bust the unions by a so-called non-interventionist, neoliberal government (apparently that's the case only when it serves the CONServative interests). Here are the key issues that arose during this bill:

•  Harper and the CONServatives are defacto working as Canada Post management by overriding the wishes of Canada Post by writing in a lower wage rate than management was offering. If Harper wants to truly cut costs, he could just get rid of Canada Post management and continue to run Canada Post directly. They're doing that now with the back to work legislation.
• Harper likes to suggest that the market should resolve itself under the auspices of neoliberal and conservative management principles, yet unilaterally interferes with the market mechanism of labour negotiations.
• Free labour negotiations are a constitutional right in this country - something Harper, through this back to work legislation - and some of the terms in the bill - have completely trampled. I bet a constitutional challenge will be made against this legislation, as there should be. I suspect the legislation is inherently illegal - but Harper simply doesn't care as long as he gets his way.
• Harper and the CONServatives are utterly utterly naive if they think that the back to work legislation is going to make labour/management relations all warm and cozy - if anything this legislation has made things far worse and there will be a new militancy arise.
• The NDP as opposition and as a party has always been supportive of union rights. The CONServatives have always been supportive of wealthy/corporate individuals. For Harper and John Baird to rise up on their hind legs to proclaim the CONServatives support and be here for ALL Canadians. Well, we know that's not true. The CONServatives party policy has recently affirmed that marriage is narrowly construed as being only between a man and a woman - so gays and lesbians are excluded. Women's centres and programs have been cut under this party, so women are largely unsupported. First Nations are hugely ignored by this government. And, of course. workers' rights have been completely underminded by this government. Easily, that's more than half of citizens in this country are being unsupported and ignored by this government, so Baird is an utter liar. Harper is an utter liar. The CONS have the right name for their party.
• That the Harper Government is concerned about the Canadian economy. Really? Well, CUPW was carrying out rotating strikes to help minimize the effect on postal delivery. It is Canada Post Management, presumably with some input from the Canadian Government (the owners of Canada Post) who locked employees out and completely shut down all postal delivery. The CONS are hypocrites and liars and are in complete contempt of Canadians.

Finally, the filibuster is over and the CONS can go home to plan new manipulations of the Canadian government, media and people. Over the summer, as things pop up (as they most assuredly will - this is amateur time with Harper and his key puppets: Baird, Clements, Kenney, Oda and the rest ....