Parliamentarians of the Year 2012 — Stephen Harper, most knowledgeable
MPs agree it’s reassuring to know a policy wonk is in charge
by
macleans.ca on Wednesday, November 21, 2012 7:31pm -
Here at Maclean's, we appreciate the written word. And we appreciate you, the reader. We are always looking for ways to create a better user experience for you and wanted to try out a new functionality that provides you with a reading experience in which the words and fonts take centre stage. We believe you'll appreciate the clean, white layout as you read our feature articles. But we don't want to force it on you and it's completely optional. Click "View in Clean Reading Mode" on any article if you want to try it out. Once there, you can click "Go back to regular view" at the top or bottom of the article to return to the regular layout.
CP/Adrian Wyld
His speech to the Reform party’s founding convention began with what biographer William Johnson described as “a parade of statistics” and when Stephen Harper was done speaking, Preston Manning apparently knew who should be in charge of the nascent party’s policy platform.
Harper’s reputation as a wonk has not diminished any in the 25 years since then. It has even become a key part of his public profile. Amid the much-noted attack ads, the Conservatives introduced a minute-long ad a few months before last year’s election that presented the Prime Minister poring over paperwork long into the night.
Apparently, at a time of economic chaos, it’s reassuring to know a policy wonk is in charge.
