Canadians cannot take democracy for granted

[Oscar]

Stephen Harper and restoring faith in our democracy: Hepburn

[ http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commenta ... pburn.html ]

Since he became prime minister in 2006, Stephen Harper has approved decisions that have undermined our democratic traditions and institutions. Canadians are wondering how he gets away with it, Bob Hepburn writes.

By: Bob Hepburn Politics, Published on Sat Jan 10 2015 (Bob Hepburn’s column appears Thursday. bhepburn@thestar.ca )

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QUOTE: But Canadians cannot take democracy for granted. . . . . For all Canadians, the stakes are huge. That’s because this election may be the last real chance for years ahead to restore faith in our democracy."

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EXCERPT:

Over the years, Harper has taken advantage of Canadians’ waning interest in federal politics to implement his anti-democratic initiatives and to run roughshod over Parliament and campaign rules and practices.

How does Harper get away with dismantling the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development, which promoted democracy and human rights around the world for 24 years?
How does Harper get away with cutting funding for organizations such as Kairos, a coalition of church groups that advocated for human rights?
How does Harper get away with introducing a fair elections act that was so unfair it should rightly have been called the anti-democratic elections act?
How does Harper get away with slapping gag orders on public servants and scientists, preventing them from speaking to the public?
How does Harper get away with letting cabinet ministers restrict freedom of speech and information tenets, withhold and alter documents, and launch personal attacks on whistleblowers?
How does Harper get away with slamming the chief electoral officer for doing his job?
How does Harper, who loves to tout federal-provincial relations, get away with openly snubbing the premier of Canada’s most populous province for more than a year?
How does Harper get away with blissfully ignoring Conservative election scandals, from the infamous anti-democratic robocall affair to voter fraud and election spending violations?
How does Harper get away with shutting down Parliament not once but twice for partisan political reasons?
How does Harper get away with spending more than $100 million in tax dollars on a series of TV ads about “Canada’s Action Plan,” with the newest ads boasting about tax breaks for families that had yet to be passed by Parliament?
How does Harper get away with praising a $200-million fund announced in 2013 to help struggling Ontario manufacturers for which not a dime had been spent nor a single job created by late last year?
How does Harper get away with unleashing $2.5 million in TV ads to champion a skills training program that didn’t exist at the time the ads appeared?
How does Harper get away with approving the spending of some $12 million to promote Canada’s 150th birthday — which will occur two years from now and for which no actual events have yet been planned.

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