By all accounts it wasn’t a very good week for Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his minority Conservatives. Losing two rulings that raise the possibility of the government being found in contempt of Parliament will do that to a party, as does a new report that suggests the Tories’ math was off — way off — on the purchase of new F-35 fighter jets, to the tune of $12 billion. But despite a gloomy week that further raises the odds of a spring election, it’s almost a sure bet that any rain will roll off Harper’s back just before clearer skies emerge on the horizon.
Harper has shown remarkable resiliency to withstand the political storms that have become a frequent occurrence during his successive minority governments. Like other politicians from Alberta he doesn’t let a political odour linger long enough to stick — not quite to the extent of a Ralph Klein, whose Teflon coating was nearly indestructible — but close. Klein could say or do almost anything without worrying about turning off the electorate, such as throwing loose change at the homeless, but Harper is precise and calculated about crafting an image for Canadians, all too aware of the cloaked right-wing agenda accusations that have dogged him since his days in opposition. That’s why every election season Prime Minister Steve goes out of his way to show he’s a good guy, whether it’s donning blue sweaters, playing a piano or pulling out a hardhat for carefully staged announcements for Canada’s oft-advertised Economic Action Plan.
Harper isn’t about to let political fires tarnish the image and messages he’s so carefully concocted, even if it means being found in contempt of Parliament for flouting the rules of democracy. That’s a distinct possibility after House of Commons Speaker Peter Milliken ruled the Conservatives withheld information from a parliamentary committee — namely the true costs of his government’s crime-and-punishment bills — and that International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda might have misled the House about funding cuts to a foreign aid charity. It’s expected these findings will be upheld in committee next week and subsequently by the House, giving the Harper Conservatives and Oda the distinction of being the first government and cabinet minister ever found in contempt of Parliament. And while most folks would take a few steps back if a job performance evaluation included the word ‘contempt,’ Harper was nonchalant, chalking it up to “debates in Parliament,” as if such rulings happen all the time. “The Speaker rules, you win some, you lose some,” he told reporters Thursday.
The roll-off-the-back response comes from a man who’s used to downplaying controversy, from firing cabinet ministers over political and bedroom indiscretions to a continued disregard of Parliament and using prorogation to save the government’s neck. Through it all, the Conservatives have emerged relatively unscathed, buoyed by Canada’s economic performance that’s avoided a lingering, crippling recession like in the United States, and the government’s adeptness at stickhandling in the face of weak opposition.
Polling shows the Tories where they’ve been all along — just shy of majority territory. Changing that will take a considerably strong performance from the Bloc, NDP and Liberals — a label rarely attached to Michael Ignatieff — or a kink in Harper’s scarred but battle-ready armour. Otherwise, Canadians can expect a similar result at the polls and several more years of parliamentary indifference from the prime minister’s office.
- St. Albert Gazette
