Harper's Conservatives: As Classless As Ever

Yesterday I wrote a brief post about the federal government's decision to stop defending the export of asbestos from Quebec, not on the basis of morality, but political expediency, as the newly-elected Parti Quebecois stands opposed to it.

A story in this morning's Star reveals that, as ever, the Harper regime is both as graceless and incapable of admitting error as ever. In reference to newly-elected Quebec Premier Pauline Marois, Federal Industry Minister Christian Paradis had this to say:

“Mrs. Marois’ decision to prohibit chrysotile mining in Quebec will have a negative impact on the future prosperity of the area."

Paradis said he did not want to spend any time debating the issue when his constituents are out of a job, but he made sure to remind everyone that it was Marois who had moved to finally end the dying industry.

“Our region will have to live with the consequences of Mrs. Marois’ decision, but we will continue to work together on the economic development of the community,” Paradis said.

So there we have it. No acknowledgement that maybe there is a greater good to be served than parochial politics in the decision to stop exporting death.

Just a continuation of the politics of division and derision, something the Harperites have repeatedly proven their adeptness at.

So we are left to ponder a crucial question: Is this really the kind of government that best serves the aspirations and ideals and interests of Canadians?

Canada's Export of Death to Cease

The Harper government is throwing in the towel on Quebec’s internationally-maligned asbestos industry now that the Parti Québécois is poised to take power and prohibit extraction of the cancer-causing mineral.

Industry Minister Christian Paradis said Canada will stop defending asbestos mining in international circles and no longer oppose adding chrysotile asbestos to the Rotterdam Convention, a global list of hazardous substances.

This report, carried in the Globe, is yet another searing commentary on the banality of evil infusing our federal 'masters.' Despite numerous past appeals to stop this indefensible export of death, the Harper government was unmoved by moral considerations and now is simply yielding to political expediency.

Definitely not something to be proud of.

Rick Salutin On Teacher Unions

We seem to be in the constant throes of anti-union sentiment during a time they are most needed. The right wing, including Ontario Conservative leader young Tim Hudak, seems to be especially enamored of the phrases "union bosses" and "workplace democracy," both thinly-disguised anti-union euphemisms. And now that teachers are taking their fight against Dalton McGuinty's theft of their collective bargaining rights into the schools, we can expect more self-serving pontifications from the usual suspects.

Amidst all of the hysterical propaganda, in his column today Rick Salutin offers a timely reminder of why teachers, who he describes as the only ones who can save our schools, need their unions to speak on their behalf.

Well-worth the read as a timely reminder to those who like to respond exclusively with their hearts instead of making a little room for their heads as well.

Registering My Disgust

Just a note for anyone looking to express their disgust at the award being given to Stephen Harper as World Statesman of the Year. I sent the following very brief note to Appeal of Conscience Foundation:

I just want to register my disgust with your decision to bestow on Stephen Harper the World Statesmen of the Year award. If you knew anything about the contempt that he has shown for democracy and the democratic process in my country, Canada, you would realize what a cruel insult the award is to the people of Canada.

I hope you show better judgement in the future.

Their contact form can be accessed here.

Why Harper's Award as World Statesman of the Year Is An Insult to All of Us

I cannot help but think that it is the Harper regime's unqualified and uncritical support for Israel that accounts for his being named World Statesman of the Year by the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, founded by an American rabbi in 1965.

The state of Israel, which trumpets itself as some kind of democratic beacon in the Middle East despite its shameful treatment of the Palestinians within its occupied territories, must indeed be grateful to a Prime Minister who, even as I write this, has made it easier for Israel to bomb Iran by cutting off diplomatic ties with the theocracy, something that hardly seems wise since we are always told that engagement is better than isolation.

How else can one explain this award to a man who has shown such deep and abiding contempt for democracy in his own country, behaviour that grossly violates the principles of the foundation which, according to its website “believes that freedom, democracy and human rights are the fundamental values that give nations their best hope for peace, security and shared prosperity.”

In today's Star, Bob Hepburn offers compelling reasons that all Canadians should be outraged by this 'honour' being bestowed on our rogue head of government.

Among the reasons:

In April, his government killed the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (Rights & Democracy), which for 24 years had promoted democracy and monitored human rights around the world.

In 2010, Harper slashed funding for the Canadian Human Rights Commission so deeply that the agency had to close its offices in Toronto, Vancouver and Halifax.

In 2009, the prime minister approved cutting funds to Kairos, an organization of church groups that advocated for human rights, after it criticized Israel for bombing a Gaza health unit. In 2006, Harper’s government severely chopped funding to Status of Women Canada, resulting in the closure of 12 of the agency’s 16 regional offices. Also in 2006, the Conservatives shut down the Court Challenges Program, which had worked on behalf of the rights and equality of women, immigrants and gays and lesbians by helping to fund court challenges to discriminatory laws.

At the same time, Harper orchestrated two controversial prorogations of Parliament in less than a year, became the first prime minister ever to be found guilty of contempt of Parliament, and approved the distribution of a handbook on how Tories can disrupt committee hearings, such as by barring witnesses with potentially damaging testimony.

In addition, Harper and his cabinet have flagrantly ignored freedom of speech and information tenets by muzzling senior bureaucrats, withholding and even altering documents, launching personal attacks on whistleblowers and lying to voters.

Also, there’s the anti-democratic robocall affair in the 2011 federal election, with allegations of voter suppression by the Conservatives. The Federal Court of Canada will start hearings into the allegations on Dec. 10.

All of us should do whatever we can to voice our outrage over this insult to the values and traditions Stephen Harper shows such egregious contempt for.

Do What I Say, Not What I Do

For a country that seems to have a messianic zeal for exporting its freedom and democracy to other countries, the United States doesn't seem to care too much for those values domestically.

When Parents Get The Upper Hand in Education

Yesterday I wrote a post about the Hamilton parent suing the school board for its refusal to notify him when a range of topics objectionable to his beliefs was being covered in the classrooom. His intention was to withdraw his children each time topics such as marriage, environmentalism, evolution, gay people were mentioned, these subjects somehow anathema in his religious world.

Today I came across an article dealing with the consequences of giving parents too much power, as has happened in Alberta, already not the most open-minded member of our confederation:

For over a year now, parents in Alberta have had the right to compel a teacher to defend herself before a human rights tribunal for discussing topics such as gay marriage or aboriginal spirituality in the classroom.

It’s caused quite a chill — reluctance on the part of many teachers to include anything in the curriculum that might upset a parent and provide the basis for a complaint to the HRC.

The piece goes on to discuss the impact the legislation has had on education:

“Teachers started to change how they taught, with English teachers realizing they’d have to send letters home for almost any literature they studied. The quality of English education started to fall — and has continued to fall in the two years since (the legislation was passed),” [former English department head Dale] Wallace writes in a recent issue of Alberta Views Magazine.

Wallace asserts that it’s almost impossible to teach high-school English literature that doesn’t have references to sex, homosexuality or religion. Canterbury Tales has a religious theme; The Merchant of Venice includes homosexuality; Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale has sexual content as does Timothy Findley’s The Wars.

“As a result, challenging novels such as 1984 are replaced with safer ones, like Pride and Prejudice ... provocative, thoughtful films such as Apocalypse Now are replaced by films with different themes altogether, like Cast Away,” Wallace says.

I hope you will check out the entire brief article to learn of the consequences that can ensue when the intolerant are given power.