They Want Your Vote
OTTAWA — Stephen Harper's Conservatives hope to redraw the political map by softening the Liberal Party's traditional hold on ethnic communities with the appointment of a new junior minister and recruitment of a Liberal defector meant as symbols of the drive.
Mr. Harper Friday touted the defection of Muslim Liberal MP Wajid Khan as a sign of the new acceptance of the Tories by Canada's cultural communities, but it was Thursday's elevation to minister rank of MP Jason Kenney, the Prime Minister's bridge-builder with ethnic groups, that is more significant in practice.
Stephen Harper is one smart cookie. He knows how to put out a fire as seen by this photo-op taken this past fall in Toronto.
Harper's government is working hard to 'regroup' for a possible federal election that might be forced on his minority government at any time.
But Would That Be Wise ?
1. Canadian voters rightfully kicked out the Liberals in the last election as they were tired of being lied to and robbed. It takes time for forgiveness to kick in.
2. The Green Party just isn't ready for prime time.
3. Jack Layton's NDP party cannot muster enough support to form a government, even a minority government.
4. The Bloc is a localized group that is strong only in Quebec, but seen by many as losing in popularity there after successive failed attempts to seperate from Canada.
The recent defection of
Wajid Khan to the Conservative Party has produced a momentous change to the numbers game on Parliament Hill. The Conservative's minority government is looking a lot stronger and just a little harder to defeat with the support of the NDP. Look for Jack Layton to be putting the screws to Stephen Harper to get things done that the NDP wants done.
But Layton is no fool - he knows that he cannot win an election so he'll play along with Harper and make the minority government work.
The Mississauga News reported:
As rumoured since he accepted a post as a special advisor on the Middle East to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the MP for Mississauga-Streetsville has officially joined the Conservative government. Khan was introduced by Harper at a press conference in Ottawa this morning as the newest Tory MP.
Khan, 60, a former captain in the Pakistani air force, will continue his duties as a special advisor to the Mid-East and will be going to Afghanistan shortly to report on Canada's role there, Harper said.
Khan, who was already nominated as the Liberal candidate in Mississauga-Streetsville, defected after Liberal leader Stephane Dion gave him an ultimatum yesterday: give up his post as special advisor to Harper or leave the Liberal Party.
Harper told the press conference that it was after the arrest of 18 terrorist suspects, several of them from Mississauga, that Khan called him and offered to become a special advisor.
The Prime Minister said he subsequently found that the two shared a common approach on many issues.
The Conservative Party has prospered lately with
Liberal MP's crossing the floor, but Canadians are tiring of such events. Voters are outraged that their elected representatives are changing their colours midstreaam.
Stephen Harper would be smart to introduce legislation to require a byelection when these defections occur - the voice of the voters must be heard else the voters will strike back given the opportunity when the next election comes around.
This link
tells the story of Canadians losing faith in their Parliamentary system - something Stephen Harper does not want to allow to happen.
