Disposable principles

After hiding from the press for two days following revelations last week that David Emerson was highly critical of Stephen Harper and the Conservtive caucus, it seems that Emerson finally got the spin right.

Sadly, the political game has long since been reduced to seeing what quip or sound bite will be the intro or headline to a story, rather than the story itself. When Canadian Press runs a story that gets headlined Emerson says PM tough but sticks to principles, the spinners pat themselves on the back for a job well done.

Naturally one has to wonder what principles Emerson is referring to. So far, Canadians have been witnessing a Prime Minister more adept at controlling the media than delivering on the promises he has made. Disposable principles.

In late February, a scant few weeks after the new government was sworn in, Democracy Watch had already chronicled five broken election pledges relating to Stephen Harper’s Federal Accountability Act and the Conservative 2006 election platform (PDF).

Lets add a few more broken pledges to Stephen Harper’s record:

Pledge #6 : Senate reforms

Pledge: The Conservative election platform (page 44) calls for reform of the Senate.

For over a decade the Reform / Canadian Alliance party, one of the founding parties of today’s Conservative Party, has championed Senate reform. During the last election campaign on January 12th Stephen Harper told Quebecers that he would not appoint someone to cabinet via the Senate if the Conservative Party failed to elect someone in their area. (Source: Radio Canada television interview).

Broken promise: On February 6th Michael Fortier, the former chair of Stephen Harper’s leadership campaign strode into Rideau Hall, signalling Harper’s intention to put an unelected person into cabinet as Minister of Public Works. Fortier didn’t even run in the last election, because he “didn’t want to”. Harper broke party policy and a specific promise to Montreal area voters by installing Fortier in the Senate. Worse yet, Fortier can’t be asked questions in the House of Commons by parliamentarians. That’s not accountability in action.

Pledge #7: Fairness in party nomination races

Pledge: Page 44 of the Conservative Platform calls for an end to the practice of a party leader imposing a candidate on riding association. In the past some leaders have anointed so-called “star candidates” rather than allow the local riding association the opportunity to run a fair nomination and election process to select a candidate to run for parliament.

Broken promise: In appointing the former Liberal David Emerson to cabinet, Stephen Harper has effectively endorsed the practice of anointing “star candidates” rather than ensuring a democratic nomination vote is held. In the 2006 election, the Conservative Vancouver-Kingsway riding association nominated Kanman Wong as their candidate, not David Emerson.

Pledge #8: A better democracy

For over a decade conservatives sitting in opposition have deplored the erosion of our democracy and called upon the governments of the day to take steps to stop and reverse growing public cynicism with our electoral process and system of government. My party has frequently criticized, from opposition benches, the government:

A better democracy Canada is a democracy, yet our democratic system has not kept pace with the needs of a changing society. Paul Martin used to talk about a democratic deficit, but his actions as Prime Minister have deepened it. A new Conservative government will be committed to significant democratic reform of our Parliamentary and electoral institutions. Conservative 2006 election platform

A laudable commitment but this pledge was broken on the first day of Harper’s government.

In the 2006 election, the people of Vancouver-Kingsway voted to send a Liberal, David Emerson, to represent them as a member of the Loyal Opposition. Its not like the election was close – 81.20% of the voters in my riding voted against sending a Conservative to represent them as a member of the government. Polls undertaken in the riding since then reinforce that Emerson as a Conservative is wholly unelectable in Vancouver-Kingsway.

The day after the election, Stephen Harper’s emissary former MP John Reynolds started negotiations with Emerson that would ultimately lead to Emerson crossing the floor and sit as a member of the Conservative cabinet. Two men – Stephen Harper and David Emerson – overturned the votes of 46,168 Canadians, further widening the “democratic deficit”.

Promises broken. Principle is a disposable luxury for Mr. Harper.