Inkless Wells

Paul Wells on all the latest out of Ottawa—along with the occasional post about jazz. Follow Paul on Twitter: @InklessPW
He also offers his thoughtful perspective of Stephen Harper’s last 10 years in his recent eBook, The Harper Decade.

Categories: Capital Read, Inkless Wells

OK, I'll bite

by Paul Wells on Wednesday, April 8, 2009 3:43pm - 129 Comments

To your keyboards, Inkless Irregulars! Which decision or event of the past 20 years offers the best evidence that Stephen Harper has a moral compass? Serious replies welcome!

Here’s what made the question come to mind.

Tags: Ask a stupid question, Stephen Harper

More by Paul Wells

Wayne

I think a comparison of how leaders treat former leaders is also due. Iggy needs to be asked about his treatment of Dion after all if Iggy can question Harper about Mulroney? fair is fair :Iggy threw Dion under the bus so fast that there wasn’t time to leave a mark on the pavement – the next sound heard was all of Dion’s advisors having their locks changed and then has over the last few months systematically and almost surgically cut away any trace of Stephan’s policies .. poof where did they go? .. now fair is fair folks if Iggy starts opening the big Haaavaaad mouth about Harper’s relationship with Mulroney then the question is due ? Hypocrisy or what!

Elizabeth Montgomery

The ReformaTories keep harping on this — Dion had already stepped down, so I never got what all the fuss was about.
Rae had too much Ontario baggage and stepped aside – and Ignatieff is obviously a better choice than either of them. So what? Is that all you can find?

Scraping the bottom here, looking for dirt.

Jim

Well his stand on 4 year terms and not calling an election basically declared his spots. But what politician doesn’t act with expedience?

His stand on Israel has been consistent (traced through to banning Georgie Galloway) but it seems to be largely as a vote-getter.
http://hellupsidedown.blogspot.com/ HUD

Politicians. Moral compass. Oxymoron. But since you asked I’ve always thought this was an interesting Harper quote:

“My own views on abortion, I’m not on either pole of that and neither of the interest groups on either end of this issue would probably be comfortable with my views.” ~ Stephen Harper
Geoff

I was worried, briefly, that politics had something to do with morality. But I’ve just waded through 80 comments and it turns out that “immorality” is just code for “policies I don’t like”. Big relief.
archangel

“What I have absolutely no sympathy with is the legislator, the man who seeks, for his own profit, to exploit the weaknesses of those who are unable to help themselves and then to fasten some moral superscription upon it. This I loathe so much that I cannot conceivably explain how much it is.”

– Malcolm Lowry

John W

Malcolm Lowry quoted on Maclean’s.ca.
What a wonderful thing.
Thanks archangel.

James Connors

I’m not sure what this says of me but within reach I”ve just found a hardbound copy of Day’s biography and a paperback copy of ‘Under the Volcano.” I’ll carry them around this summer. I bet I get quite a bit read this summer.

I also ran across this while I was reminiscing and roaming around the ‘net looking for Lowry. It ties in with, who posted a current reading list lately? Was it Andrew Potter? Any road:

Modern Library 100 Best Novels

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Library_100_Best_Novels

I’m saying, if you haven’t read at least fifty of these titles you have some reading to do before shooting your mouth off on the Internet. 1/2 marks if you’ve seen the movie, even.

I’m surprised Lowry is eleventh.

John W

You’re way to deep for me Connors I don’t get your point.
But I would put Lowry in the top 10 on that list you provided. Dropping Catch 22, Lolita, Sons and Lovers even. The rest could stay but maybe a different order. Lowry maybe makes top 5???

John W

Sorry too deep!

dan in van

Knowing that there was “some kind of offer” made to a dying MP – oh, is this for print? – and then hiding behind a law suit.
Rushing to curry favour with Mulrooney ah maybe 4-6 years after most of the facts were out that he’d been involved in some shady business; then when public opinion demanded (plus the fact that he had to dance in a minority) an inquiry, quickly pretending that his former supplicant was some kind of cur unworthy of his estimable time and attention.
Bet Harper’s sent more than one ‘Happy Birthday!’ wish to Gwb

Elizabeth Montgomery

Didn’t Harper do a good job of stabbing Preston Manning in the back, to the point where Manning’s wife will “never forgive him”?

knick

Googling Harper+moral turned up 209,000 results but haven’t found anything positive yet – I’ll be reading for weeks to get through them all. Could we get an extension on our assignment?
Chuck VS Macleans

Wells..

Please define moral compas in your view?

I get this is a defend Iggy post(Harper sucks I get it), I just want to know if this is PM Harper,PM Martin or PM Chretien morals we are talking about…
Bridget from Durham

Harper’s lack of a moral compass? Let me count the ways:
1. The unabashed slaughter of Stephane Dion’s image through his ruthless and disgusting ad campaign.
2. Plagiarizing Howard’s Iraq speech.
3. Emerson
4. Income trust
5. Gleefully watching as our public broadcaster flounders
6. Whipping up hatred for Quebecois for political survival during the coalition threat (calling BQ members traitors, etc)
7. Using Mulroney when it is good for him and selling him for 30 pieces of silver when it doesn’t
8. Alligning our foreign policy with a defunct and much hated US regime (China, Middle East, Iran)
9. Taking his message over the heads of journalists time and time again so he doesn’t have to answer the tough questions from Canadian journalists(his media centre, fake interview commercials in ’06 election, only speaking to weak and grateful local media, and going on the road to talk to Fox and CNN)

I could go on . . . . . . . . . . .
etc, etc

Chuck VS Macleans

Number 9…

And Malceans and Wells cheer…

But I have to agree, the super tuff questions from the so,so smart PPG, must make PM Harper not sleep at night..lol

PM Harper going to international media is taking the tuff questions(you actualy learn somthing from PM Harper when he talks to the international press, for or againts), the canadian PPG is gossip. I like both, but let’s be real, the Canadian media is a joke, it is nothing but gossip,..

.

sbt

I think you are being a bit unfair. If it weren’t for the Canadian media we wouldn’t know what type of vegetable Harper thinks he would be.

Me Dere Robert

I agree. If it weren’t for the Canadian media we wouldn’t understand that a carbon tax means a tax on…. EVERYTHING!!!

Thank god for the media’s thorough explanations of party policies or the public might get confused.

PolJunkie

Bridget, I take issue with #1. Yes, Harper’s attack ads against Dion were deplorable but this is politics and all politicians are fair game. In fact, Harper didn’t do anything to Dion that the Libs didn’t do to him when he was in Opposition.

While I’m no fan of Harper, I get annoyed when I see Liberals pointing the finger at Harper when it comes to Dion. Harper wouldn’t have been able to get anywhere near Dion had the Libs circled the wagons to protect him the way they are protecting Iggy. The only reason why Harper’s attack campaign on Dion worked is because the Libs helped him. Harper’s not the one that fed “anonymous” stories to Jane Taber every other day. Harper’s also not the one that wrote columns after columns, savaging Dion (that wasn’t the Libs either but they did very little to counter).

Elizabeth Montgomery

No — Uh Uh. Harper is a bully, plain and simple. You can’t call it “politics”, it’s attack politics at its lowest, and he is one dirty SOB. He is nasty, he’s vengeful, and he’s small-minded. You can’t allow political ads to sink to that level – just as you have to keep ordinary arguing and debating above-board, you’ve got to keep political ads from becoming vicious and dirty – or we’re all sunk. It makes people lose faith in democracy, and makes people cynical.
Harper demonstrates his lack of leadership by indulging in this crap – he has no self-confidence really, he’s a phony, and I think he’s lazy. Not as smart as everyone seems to think he is – he just had enough smarts to get through school, and he’s cunning enough to backstab his way to the top of his organization.

Iggy doesn’t have to be protected. Harper is afraid to attack him the way he has attacked Dion. Dion wasn’t all that good in English, because he just never got the syntax or the rhythm of English. He also has a hearing problem (and he’s colour blind). He’s a very smart man, is Dion – and has a PhD from a U in France, which is a lot more than Harper’s even come close to doing.

No, Ignatieff isn’t “protected” by the Liberals at all. Ignatieff is more than capable of taking Harper on, and Harper knows it. Not only that, Ignatieff does not have to resort to bullying and low tactics the way Harper has done. Harper has kept his mouth shut. I’d dearly love to see a one-on -one between Harper and Ignatieff.

It has occurred to me – just an inkling, but it seems as if Harper looked at Ignatieff and perhaps realized that he eventually wants to be a better person. Maybe it was a bit of an awakening — because really, Ignatieff’s career in life has been far more accomplished and illustrious than Harper’s — and just maybe he wants to shoot for those heights and realizes that being a muckraker isn’t going to get him there.

I find Iggy to be pretty inspirational, really – on my level, like finally – we have a leader, meaning someone who has a higher calling than just getting into power and using Ottawa as a tool to fulfill an agenda. He encourages community involvement – and he walks the walk. He is really working hard – looks like he’s lost 40 pounds, which is more than I can say for Sweater Vest. That guy won’t even carry a cell phone, and refuses to talk to the media. Lazy person, lazy thinker.

Elizabeth Montgomery

That’s a good start. How about the man who’s been tortured in Sudan, and now can’t come home even though he has no connections with anyone criminal? His wife has died, his children are waiting for him, and Harper’s government is so paranoid about something bad being said about the Cons that they refused him entry into Canada. Throwing away Charter rights?

Trying to suppress the press, trying to get rid of CBC

Bullying Stephane Dion with absolutely juvenile heavy-handed, stupid ads – I sent an email to the Cons and told them to Grow Up.

Pretending that he just ‘doesn’t know what’s going on’, when in fact he has iron-fisted control over everyone in the ReformaTory government.

sf

Wow, you are 100% partisan, 100% one-sided, and absolutely incapable of seeing two sides to a story.

John.K

Pot.
Kettle.
Enough said?

William

I must have missed the blog where Wells questioned the value of Iggy wading into the Mulroney membership story. PM Harper rightly criticizes Iggy for his inconsistency once again on this matter—–he probably doesn`t like the pompous preachiness of a man that wasn`t even living in the country when Mulroney was PM. Was he even living here when Chretien and Martin were squabbling ? By the way, if opposition leaders were sending Birthday cards to Chretien, I don`t remember them running to the nearest microphone to brag about it .

Elizabeth Montgomery

Haha — good for Iggy. How the ReformaTories like to threaten Canadian citizenship — notice that?

Joan Tintor

Running for the leadership of the fractured, undisciplined Canadian Alliance in 2002 when no better options were immediately available, despite (probably) having no intentions of ever getting back into elected politics. (P.S. I was a PC at the time).

I’m not saying the guy has been perfect or I’ve agreed with everything he’s done, but he definitely stuck his neck out that time.

Ted

If you read Preston Manning’s autobiography from 2002, you will get a very very different impression of these efforts of Harper being any sign of a positive “moral compass”.

http://ottawahumane.ca/volunteer/fostering.cfm Steph C

He wuvs putty-tats!

LeenieJ (imho)

but they don’t wuvs him! bet the poor darling was anesthetized/drugged to be forced into that guy’s hands.

R Keller

I’m no fan of Harper, but to his credit he was against the Charlottetown Accord when nearly the entire federalist chattering class was for it.

John D

The Charlottetown Accord was immoral? Seems like Geoff was right.

Critical Reasoning

I’d be interested to hear this question answered by someone who wrote a book about Harper. If anyone here falls in that category, what is the best evidence of Harper’s moral compass?

Paul Wells

Your wish is my command, CR. See latest post.

Cool Blue

He called Warren Kinsella’s mother to offer condolences when Warren’s father died.
VJH

Politics is politics and it is a bit rich for the PM to claim that the Liberal leader lacks a moral compass. It is difficult to judge any politician’s moral compass by how they act in public life. Politics makes people do things they otherwise thought they would never do. It is not about the people, it is about winning.

Separating the politics from statecraft, however, my own view is it is hard for a leader to justify morality when making a decision concerning matters of the state. That said, I think the PM’s decision on Indian Residential Schools last year showed he is not totally devoid of morality. It was well received, not to mention long overdue.
Wayne

Hey I have an idea – ask Dion if Iggy has a moral compass (and if you really got an honest answer I think I know what it would be)

LeenieJ (imho)

awake and still dreaming about Iggy huh? thought this article was about PMStephen, son of Nero-Mulroney.

http://MySpace.com/ElectroPig1 ElectroPig™ Von FökkenGrüüven

This discussion is a complete waste of time. Canadians are exactly like those to the immediate south of us. “See-saw voters” at best.

b) REALIZATION! REACTION:
c) “We’re voting Party ‘B’ in now! That’ll show those crooked bastards!”
d) “Party ‘B’ screwed us!”
e) REALIZATION! REACTION:
f) “We’re voting Party ‘A’ in now! That’ll show those crooked bastards!”
g) “Party ‘A’ scewed us all!”
h) STILL not realizing an obvious and inescapable pattern, the idiot masses continue ding the same thing ad infinitum until they STILL DON’T SEE WHAT THEY BELIEVE THEY ARE VOTING FOR!!!

Doesn’t anyone notice that Harper attacked third party funding because he’s afraid that people ARE starting to wake up “just a little bit” and he wanted to quash such “Representation Of The People of Canada” before this could actually take place?

Stop paying so bloody much attention to the criminals who are steadily–and exponentially–destroying Canada, and start paying attention to those people–NOT POLITICAL PARTIES–who are actually trying to make this country a better place to live.

Of course, if you want to slip even further into fascist dictatorship, feel free to return to the “political plan” laid out for you above…obviously, it’s done a GREAT job thus far, has it not?

PS: What exactly happened to Canada’s gold reserves, anyway? We had BILLIONS just 20 years back, and now we have NONE. Why is this not worthy of mention in our alleged mainstream news media?
marta

Moral Compass In capitalism ??? Who is kidding whom?

Terry

Moral Compass in socialism ??? Who is kidding whom?

True North

Which is true north on a moral compass: good or evil? If it is “good,” then Harper’s compass is magnetically defective. If it is “evil,” then Harper has unerring direction. Where to begin … how about, taking a page from Quebec separatists, his musings on building a firewall around Alberta, if only to develop the tar sands. Or, denouncing the party of Clark and Mulroney, then helping to launch Reform, only to resurrect the moribund Tories contrary to the hopes of his mentor Manning. Or, decrying Liberal corruption, then ignoring his own rules of probity and accountability, fleecing taxpayers in the process. Or, legislating fixed election dates, then restarting the clock to suit his partisan purpose. Or, claiming to be a champion of freedom, then trouncing on liberty to get tough on crime. Or, pursuing a war against the Taliban, only to confess they cannot be defeated. There are countless more examples that everything upside down is right side up in Harper world. Listing more of his malignancies would be too painful. Suffice it to say this man needs to be dispatched south pronto.

sf

Instead, why don’t we dispatch you true northwards, and the rest of us will stay where we are?

True North

Yes, please stay where you are, and dispatch me to the true north strong and free. You’re a wee saint, sf.

LeenieJ (imho)

that compass is polarized and reversed where Good is really Evil.
SAB

I agree – afterall, he did not introduce legislation to ban gay marriage, although he easily could have.
jameso

If, qua Harper, Ignatieff has no moral compass because of his supposed flip-flops, then surely Harper can be running the cleanest government in a generation and still be guilty of the same flaw?
Measuring things is all well and good, but it’s surely best to be comparing apples to apples. If so, we’re looking for a case where Harper appears to have changed his mind for political advantage (as he’s accused Ignatieff of doing) , and I think there might be some examples of that.
Dale

How does one quantitatively measure the whored-upness and cleanliness of a government?
Sean Stokholm

You can’t trust a thing they say since Kieth Moon died.
Sean Stokholm

Not to quibble with the resignation counts, but how does that speak to the moral compass of the PM? If anything, one could argue that multiple expulsions are demonstative of a very moral leader – one who does not tolerate questionable or outright wrong behaviour.

And while you’re at it, could you explain to me why con supporters seem to prefer finding fault in opponents over championing their own party/leader’s merits? It’s an honest question, because I’ve noticed this trend (of responding to criticisms by pointing out something about the other guy) increasingly in recent years.
Kenneth

15% drop in GDP?
http://www.jackmitchell.ca Jack Mitchell

He paints with a broad brush.
Kenneth

I am not sure if a commenter needs to use that harsh a number – but that’s GF’s decision.
Critical Reasoning

A 15% drop in GDP is certainly a possibility (who knows if the recession will worsen significantly?). At this point, however, it seems unlikely. Cities are certainly not ” already reeling from a 15% drop in GDP”.
http://www.jackmitchell.ca Jack Mitchell

How should I know, GF, when your nickname changes every day? You’re 0/1 today, though. The article you link to is entitled “Canada’s budget officer sees 8.5% drop in GDP.” Hmm, it’s almost like “15% drop in GDP,” sans date range, means “15% drop in GDP per annum,” not “per quarter.” What did he forecast for the week of May 9th? If that’s over 15%, I’d recommend going with that by way of BS, it’s that much more impressive.
John.K

Said vessel of course produced by Marcel Duchamp.
http://www.jackmitchell.ca Jack Mitchell

“Troll Descending a Staircase” — what vibrancy, what stillness.
SAB

You have to admit it’s entertaining.
John.K

Entertaining as performance art, yes. But if this performance never ends, how can the next begin?
Kenneth

“I am not sure if an economist needs to use that harsh a language – but that’s your decision,” Ted Menzies (Parl. Sec to Finance Minister)
Kenneth

I however, get your joke – A Fish Called Wanda.
archangel

No it’s not:

1946 23 August – Keith John Moon born in Wembley, Middlesex.

Do you have Acquired Inane Doofus Syndrome?
Charles H

Only if you’re referring to Mr. Richards — not Mr. Moon. And last I checked the former was at least technically alive.

(Personally, I think he over-dosed back in the ’70s and they’ve been keeping him animated via dark magics in a Weekend At Bernie’stype thing. Admit it: it would explain the drop in album quality after Exile.)
T.Thwim

Ask Bernier.