Beyond The Commons

 Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

The politics of disaster (III)

by Aaron Wherry on Monday, January 25, 2010 11:01am - 48 Comments

The Globe considers the day’s optics.

Today is the day Stephen Harper’s decision to shut down Parliament should have come back to haunt him, as opposition parties gather in Ottawa to draw attention to what would have been a back-to-work Monday for MPs. Instead, the eyes of the world will be drawn to Montreal, where global dignitaries including Hillary Clinton and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner are gathering as guests of Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Lawrence Cannon, to plan the rebuilding of earthquake-ravaged Haiti…

“It has allowed the Prime Minister to remind [Canadians] of how strong a leader he is, how decisive he can be when it comes to doing something,” Conservative strategist Goldy Hyder said, adding that “Quebeckers particularly like decisive leadership … even if they disagree with it.

“From that old Chinese proverb, which I use with the greatest of respect, crises can be opportunities as well,” he said.

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  • Pat

    What are you gonna do? Attacking Harper for politicing the disaster is as bad as politicizing the disaster.

    Sure, it is sickening to see him gain advantage on the backs of this tragedy, but the tragedy is more important than anything else right now.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Nich Nich

    One anomaly in a litany of a petty, unaccountable government won't distract me.

    Good job on Haiti.

    Bad job on Canada.

    And today we should recognized both.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/psiclone psiclone

    What a strange world canadian politics is … on the one hand we have the oppposition parties falling all over themselves to get their picture on the news and proposing things they already know won't fly – Jack knows better but hey sounds good and Iggy .. well his response to jack is .. and I quote … an interesting idea we should explore – in otherwords NO we lib's will leave everything as is (no doubt) and then the villian of the piece evil meanie stevie who is so undemocratic that he plays by the existing rules (some canadians won't have any of that thank you very much) .. then we have a real situation whereas good governance can be truly measured and harper is light years ahead of anyone else when it comes to response .. poor frustrated left wing nuts rendering their garments and crying ululululu at the House.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Jack_Mitchell Jack Mitchell

    "From that old Chinese proverb, which I use with the greatest of respect, crises can be opportunities as well"

    Uh, no, sorry, that's tasteless.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/lgarvin lgarvin

    Uh, no, sorry, that's tasteless.

    No, no, Jack he said "with the greatest of respect" which is a free pass…

  • ABD

    Yes, that quote is so crass that if publicized, it might actually tarnish Harper's statesmanship (such as it is).

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/lgarvin lgarvin

    "…poor frustrated left wing nuts rendering their garments…"

    I bet that smells just awful!

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/jolyon jolyon

    I think it depends on what 'crisis' he is referring to. If he is talking about prorogue rallies, than it's ok, if he is talking about Haiti than it's in bad taste indeed.

    What is it with pols and their crisis. Obama's chief of staff said something about not letting a crisis go to waste also.

    Pols and their consultants are far too cynical and people notice.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/SeanStok SeanStok

    Obama's chief of staff was talking about opportunity for Haitians, not his boss.

  • ABD

    Though to be fair, I suppose it only really reflects on the worldview of Conservative strategist Goldy Hyder.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Dennis_F Dennis_F

    How is he politicizing the disaster? It's Wherry who threw the word "politics" into this, and you seemed to jump right in.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Dennis_F Dennis_F

    Bad job on Canada, eh? Is that why he's been elected twice and the opposition keeps propping him up?

    • Andrew (not Potter or Coyne)

      Except for when he shut down Parliament for two days while not enjoying the confidence of the House. You know, when he hijacked the government,

      • http://intensedebate.com/people/Dennis_F Dennis_F

        It's this kind of nonsensical over-the-top rhetoric that in part helps explain Harper's continuing success.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Nich Nich

    I haven't given many kind words or flattering euphemisms to the opposition parties either, if that makes the slight taste any better.

  • kcm

    “It has allowed the Prime Minister to remind [Canadians] of how strong a leader he is, how decisive he can be when it comes to doing somethingit.

    Hmmm, i thought he was busy recalibrating. Apparently he can multi-task..pity about Parliament. Something had to give i suppose?

    “From that old Chinese proverb, which I use with the greatest of respect, crises can be opportunities as well,” he said

    With stratagists like this who needs an opposition…or facebook?

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/Dennis_F Dennis_F

      Exactly. The opposition has been so ineffective that Harper's people have to provide fodder for them. You're right. And Canadians keep yawning at one faux scandal after another.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/jolyon jolyon

    "Therein lies the opportunity for President-elect Barack Obama. His plans for an activist government agenda are in many ways being given a boost by this crisis atmosphere and the nearly universal call for the government to do something fast to stimulate the economy.

    This opportunity isn't lost on the new president and his team. "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste," Rahm Emanuel, Mr. Obama's new chief of staff, told a Wall Street Journal conference of top corporate chief executives this week." WSJ Nov 21 2008

    I was living in England when 9/11 occurred and I remember there was a mini-scandal because one of Labour's PR flaks suggested that it was good day to leak bad news because no one would pay attention. Using crisis to benefit is normal now in democracies, apparently, and it is despicable.

    And don't get me started on Obama/Haiti – interesting that Obama/Americans have invaded Haiti with much less moral and legal authority than Bush had to invade Iraq but no one says anything – they call it an 'opportunity' for Haitians.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/Nich Nich

      Wouldn't the difference be that the American invasion of Iraq WAS the earthquake that required immediate international help, whereas Haiti was a natural disaster?

      I think Haiti and New Orleans are better analogies.

  • kcm

    "And don't get me started on Obama/Haiti – interesting that Obama/Americans have invaded Haiti with much less moral and legal authority than Bush had to invade Iraq but no one says anything – they call it an 'opportunity' for Haitians"

    Please tell me you just borrowed that one from Beck or Limbaugh…you're not a stupid individual, so i know it didn't come from you, right?

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Dennis_F Dennis_F

    Or maybe it was from a more plausible source, like a French minister?

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/jolyon jolyon

    You are not helping my argument!

    I would rather be lumped in with Rush or Beck than a French minister. I rethink things if I find myself agreeing with the French. I will just have to go with idea that even broken clock is correct twice a day. :)

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Dennis_F Dennis_F

    Well, it's basically the kind of over-the-top rhetoric that's par-for-the course from opposition and Harper basher types. That's all. You know, the kind that come on here and click thumbs down to anyone who dare defend Harper every once in a while, even though I think it's quite clear that Canadians are fine with our PM – for now.

  • ABD

    I will just have to go with idea that even broken clock is correct twice a day. :)

    I'm not sure this is always true. What if the problem with the clock is that it runs fast?

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Dennis_F Dennis_F

    Or I might have been pointing out the fact that what kcm considers "stupid" actually comes from his ilk.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Nich Nich

    I think what is clear is that Harper's party was elected with just over 20 % of eligible voters votes while his support has slid since the last election.

    That is a system in a legitimacy crisis more than a clear opinion on how fine people are with the Prime Minister.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Dennis_F Dennis_F

    I honestly think that if Canadians believed Harper was running Canada as badly as you do, there would be more voter participation. Apathy can sometimes mean that things aren't that bad. And, judging by the fraction of people that showed up to these Harper bashing prorogue gatherings, I don't think Canadians will be storming the gates any time soon.

    Is our democracy perfect? Far from it. But I'm not one of those types that says it has to be, and it's certainly better than all the other forms of non-democracies out there.

    I just think that some perspective is needed when viewing these things sometimes.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/ChrisInKW ChrisInKW

    [youtube KL76A5jUq1k http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL76A5jUq1k youtube]

    You mean this sort of over-the-top rhetoric?

  • kcm

    Well i'll agree to the ineffective part.

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