Mr Harper

Mr Harper

As one of your employers, I am deeply dissatisfied with your performance to date. Before you became Prime Minister, you had a couple of very strong opinions, one being that the senators should be elected and that you would not ever support appoint anyone to it.

What Stephen Harper said:

"Stephen Harper will cease patronage appointments to the Senate. Only candidates elected by the people will be named to the Upper House."

(Stephen Harper Leadership Website, January 15, 2004)

"… the Upper House remains a dumping ground for the favoured cronies of the Prime Minister."

(Stephen Harper Leadership Website, January 15, 2004)

What he did:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is preparing to reward some of his longest-serving and most loyal political operatives with Senate appointments

(Canwest News, August 26, 2009)

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has named a Canadian Football League team owner who gave thousands to his 2004 leadership campaign as the latest Conservative senator.

(CBC News Canada, May 20, 2010)

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What Stephen Harper said:

"I don't plan to appoint senators; that's not my intention."

(Stephen Harper, Cornwall Standard-Freeholder, January 14, 2006)

What he did:

Harper Appoints 18 Senators

(Canada.com, December 22, 2008)

Harper appoints 9 to Senate

(Toronto Star, August 27, 2009)

Ontario’s Runciman among 5 new senators

(Toronto Star, January 29, 2010)

Harper appoints BC Lions owner David Braley to senate

(680 News, May 20, 2010)

Harper a hypocrite for appointing senators, say most Canadians

(Angus Reid poll, July 24, 2010):

Harper takes control of Senate with 2 appointments

(Canada.com, December 20, 2010)

To date you have appointed more than 30 senators. Why have you lied to us?

The other big item you swore against as being undemocratic is Omnibus legislation

In the House of Commons Tuesday Hyer rose to quote a younger Harper: “Mr. Speaker, in 1994 the Member of Parliament for Calgary West spoke in this House regarding a Liberal omnibus budget implementation bill, one that was a lot smaller that this bill before the House today. He said, ‘In the interest of democracy, I ask: How can members represent their constituents on these various areas when they are forced to vote in a block on such legislation? How do we express our views and the views of our constituents when the matters are so diverse?’”

Hyer further quoted Harper: “The Member from Calgary went on to say, ‘I would also ask the government members, particularly those who have spoken on precisely this question in the previous Parliament with precisely the same concerns, to give serious consideration to this issue of democracy and the functionality of this Parliament now.’ Mr Speaker, that Member is now the Prime Minister, and it is time he heeded his own words” Hyer affirmed.

(taken from the Algoma News)

Were you lying about your thoughts then? Or are you following in the foot steps of those you used to criticize? 

You have been quoted as saying that people won't recognize Canada in a few years. In that, at least, you have held to your word