Links about Harper’s Canada

These links about Stephen Harper’s government and policies back up the assertions in this brilliant comic, and point to further thoughts on the subject by others.  You don’t have to take my word for it, though; simply plucking some search terms from the comic should provide plenty of Google.ca fodder to inform and upset you.

Poll: Canadians care:
http://www.canadians.org/media/energy/2010/18-Nov-10.html

Deficit over $55 billion: biggest in history
http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2010/10/canada-records-biggest-deficit-in-history.html

Tax share:
http://harperlies.blogspot.com/
Corporate tax cuts DO NOT lead to job creation. (full study)
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/newsroom/updates/corporate-tax-cuts-not-delivering-job-creation
Sign a petition to STOP further corporate tax cuts!
http://www.taxfairness.ca/civicrm/profile/create?gid=9&reset=1


Richest 1% pay lower tax rate than poorest 10%:
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/eroding-tax-fairness
Illustrated eloquently in The Trouble with Billionaires which you should be able to find at your local library: Highly recommended reading!
http://www.lindamcquaig.com/TheTroubleWithBillionaires/index.cfm
Lowest debt to GDP ratio: IMF quoted on government of Canada website:
http://investincanada.gc.ca/eng/investment-media/we-take-care-of-business-presentation-2010-eng.aspx
CUTS TO: skills and literacy programs, Health Canada, foreign affairs, rights programs, defence of rights and freedoms, and more.
http://thereginamom.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/what-harpers-done-to-canadian-social-programs/
What Else did he tell U.S. Republicans?
http://puzzledcat.blogspot.com/2011/04/may-2-real-ballot-question-why-harper.html

Stimulus disproportionately spent in tory ridings:
http://www.liberal.ca/newsroom/news-release/just-the-facts-independent-reports-back-up-liberal-analyses-of-conservative-stimulus-spending-bias/
Some words on eco energy retrofit program:
http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2010/05/03/why-killing-of-ecoenergy-retrofit-program-is-foolish/
Conservatives lowball cost of warplanes:
http://globalreporter.com/report/harper-s-conservative-s-mislead-canadians-on-f-35-cost-s
Parliament also misinformed on G8 funding:
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/tories-misinformed-parliament-g8-fund-may-broken-law-20110411-065615-932.html

Tar sands subsidies larger than total Environment Canada budget:
http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/Blog/government-subsidies-to-tar-sands-companies-l/blog/28184
Poor environmental record damaging to Canadian health:
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/970554--poor-environment-record-places-canadians-wellbeing-at-risk-report-says

All politics, no science.
http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/301904

Government admits we’re 35% above Kyoto, but it points fingers everywhere but at the primary source of our emission growth: dirty tar sands.
http://www.ec.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=6F2DE1CA-1&news=95FB4D93-AC97-48F7-8E87-AC26AF1D9F75

We were the only nation to not even try to meet Kyoto targets.
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20070425/tories_climate_070426/

17% below 2005 emission levels is the Harper Government’s official target...
http://www.ec.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=714D9AAE-1&news=EAF552A3-D287-4AC0-ACB8-A6FEA697ACD6
...which still lands us above 1990 levels:
http://www.pembina.org/op-ed/2148

Muzzling climate science in media, appointment of deniers to science granting bodies, end of funding for climate change research:
Troubling Evidence: The Harper Government’s Approach to Climate Science Research in Canada

Amundsen now leased to BP (also mentions end of funding for climate research)
http://www.sikunews.com/Climate-change/No-money-for-climate-change-research-group-8271

Canadian foreign affairs lobby against green policies in other nations:
http://www.climateactionnetwork.ca/e/publications/can-tar-sands-long-shadow.pdf
also:
http://climateprogress.org/2010/11/29/canadian-diplomats-lobby-to-kill-u-s-green-policies/
and in the EU:
http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-8721487/aHR0cDovL2MubW9yZW92ZXIuY29tL2NsaWNrL2hlcmUucGw/cjQ0ODcyOTIxOTMmYW1wO3c9MjM5MDUxMg==

Colossal fossil, round 3:
http://www.straight.com/article-275894/vancouver/copenhagen-canada-takes-colossal-fossil-distinction-third-year-row
and round 4:
http://www.climateactionnetwork.ca/e/news/2010/release/index.php?WEBYEP_DI=80

Control of media and communications:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/819779--documents-expose-harper-s-obsession-with-control
Unconstitutional gag order:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/story/2008/06/20/cwb-ruling.html
Half million payout to former integrity commissioner includes prohibition against public comment:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/949202--integrity-commissioner-christiane-ouimet-got-500k-payout

A brief word on prorogation:
http://www.economist.com/node/15213212

Appointed senate kills decision of parliament:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/tory-senators-kill-climate-bill-passed-by-house/article1802519/
more simply and eloquently here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV8zEjgZ8VE

Coalition then and now:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/story/2011/03/26/cv-campaign-sunday.html
here's the infamous TVO interview from 1997:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDTmpXj9vyM

Afghanistan: Colvin's credibility:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/afghanmission/article/728906--richard-colvin-portrait-of-a-whistleblower
tidbits of testimony (the whole thing is public record):
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2009/11/18/diplomat-afghan-detainees.html
watchdog Peter Tinsley's contract allowed to expire before a report could be compiled:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/meet-the-tory-hit-list/article1677414/

G20 call for inquiry, Conservative party response:
http://drdawgsblawg.ca/2011/03/parliamentary-committee-slams-g20-police-brutality.shtml

Dropping crime rates:
http://www.vcn.bc.ca/august10/politics/facts_stats.html
New super prisons:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/845272--ottawa-s-prison-plan-won-t-work-critics-say
Privatized prisons:
http://www.straight.com/article-119340/stephen-harper-opens-door-to-prison-privatization
Bill C-25 alone may cost $10 billion:
http://spon.ca/opposition-balks-at-steep-price-of-tory-crime-bills/2010/05/18/
Prison farms shut down:
http://www.nfuontario.ca/316/prison-farm-campaign
Victims of crime programs unfunded in rush to spend on prisons:
http://crcvc.ca/en/?cat=16&paged=2

UN security council seat loss:
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2010/10/12/15662306.html
Canada votes against UN declaration on aboriginal rights:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2007/09/13/canada-indigenous.html
UN convention on biological diversity:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0MKY/is_7_30/ai_n16348224/
Agriculture committee members with Monsanto president rather than being at the vote while C-474 is killed:
http://www.suite101.com/content/gmo-exportability-bill-c-474-shot-down-in-canadian-parliament-a345789

Status of Women offices closed:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2006/11/29/status-women.html
Equality removed from stated purpose of Status of Women offices:
http://www.nupge.ca/news_2006/n24oc06b.htm
Child poverty increase:
http://www.conferenceboard.ca/hcp/details/society/child-poverty.aspx
Infant mortality rates shocker:
Canada’s-reputation-for-low-infant-mortality-takes-stunning-decline

Not "government of Canada" but "Harper government":
http://www.forumvancouver.com/threads/government-of-canada-renamed-harper-government.912/

Reward Contempt of Parliament?
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/going+reward+contempt+Parliament/4565800/story.html

Joanna MacDonald excluded from Harper rally:
https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_215178645165615
Not the RCMP’s job to deny Canadians access to democracy:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/story/2011/04/06/cv-election-rcmp-rallies.html
Harper won’t answer questions about why he’s blocking media:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tLVhk8rnDM

Turning Canada into the U.S.?
http://puzzledcat.blogspot.com/2011/04/may-2-real-ballot-question-why-harper.html

Harper smack talks Trudeau:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/harper-invokes-ghost-of-trudeau/article1979007/
Your Charter of Rights and Freedoms:
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/charter/page-1.html
Funding Cut to Court Challenges Program:
http://www.rabble.ca/babble/canadian-politics/list-harper-government-cutsactions
Harper deficit largest in history after Liberals reduce debt for 11 years.
http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2010/10/canada-records-biggest-deficit-in-history.html

$1.2 billion dollar cut to child care programs.
http://cupe.ca/child-care/Harpers_1_billion_ch
Harper pledged to end subsidies for oil industry at 2009 G20 in Pittsburgh.  Hasn’t done anything about it, though.
http://www.canadians.org/action/2011/fossil-fuel-subsidies.html
Harper government spending priorities.
http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/rss/article/1394975
An astonishing list of slashed and defunded programs.
http://dennisgruending.ca/pulpitandpolitics/2011/03/25/stephen-harpers-hit-list/

Budget officer’s report: F-35 warplanes will cost a lot more than Mr. Harper tells us.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-10/canada-s-f-35-fighter-jets-could-cost-29-3-billion-budget-officer-says.html
U.S. defence budget considers cost of F-35s over $207.6 million apiece, over $304 million with R&D included.
http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/reports/2/122979/us-acquisition-costs-by-weapon-system.html
Engines not included in purchase price, no money for search and rescue aircraft.
http://ipolitics.ca/2011/04/17/engines-not-included-in-f-35-purchase-documents-show/
Software needed for upkeep of F-35s not available with purchase, maintenance only possible by U.S. military as a result
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-35_Lightning_II_procurement
Contempt over failing to disclose fighter costs leads to election
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/world/americas/22canada.html?_r=1

Harper’s speech to involve Canada in the U.S. war in Iraq was plagiarized.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/canada/3116525/Canadian-Prime-Minister-Stephen-Harper-accused-of-plagiarising-speech.html
Rejecting the U.N. call for aid in peacekeeping.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canada-rejects-un-request-to-lead-congo-mission/article1552792/
Canada “has all but given up on professional peacekeeping.”
http://www.thestar.com/article/435224
No more flag at half mast. Oh, and we’re also not allowed to show Canadian coffins anymore.  No pictures, no problem, right?
http://www.halifaxlive.com/content/view/690/32/

Harper on same sex marriages
http://www.samesexmarriage.ca/advocacy/mot061206.htm
An astonishing list of rights and advocacy groups defunded by Harper.  Note how many advocate for women:
http://dennisgruending.ca/pulpitandpolitics/2011/03/25/stephen-harpers-hit-list/
Harper’s allies on the board subvert the politically independent Rights and Democracy group.
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/article/761409--siddiqui-pm-s-gang-of-seven-provides-a-glimpse-of-reform-politics
No abortion debate, but funding gone for pro choice groups.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/04/21/cv-election-parenthood-042111.html
Anti-abortion facebook posting by Conservative candidate.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20110416/wally-daudrich-110416/20110416?s_name=election2011
Harper poised to reshape our supreme court:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/the-supreme-court-how-a-harper-majority-could-really-change-canada/article1995432/
Also here:
http://pushedleft.blogspot.com/2011/04/harper-majority-and-supreme-court.html
Harper priorities: no gun control, no abortion rights, no  equal marriage, but the death penalty’s okay.
http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/warren_kinsella/2011/04/15/18012231.html

Internet privacy a thing of the past for Canadians under Harper.
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/5733/125/

Slop pails and bodybags for natives.
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/978636--ottawa-gives-reserves-1-000-slop-pails-for-water-crisis?bn=1
‘Border infrastructure’ money spent in Tony Clement’s riding.
http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/news/national/article/124190--conservatives-misinformed-parliament-on-g8-fund-draft-ag-report-claims
$100 million + in Clement’s riding, no expense spared.
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/g8/article/824640
Canada under Harper refuses U.N. resolution that water is a basic human right.
http://www.northumberlandview.ca/index.php?module=news&func=display&sid=7036

Other folks’ lists of reasons:
Ten reasons:
http://citizenactionmonitor.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/ten-more-reasons-why-the-tories-shouldnt-run-or-represent-canada/
27 Reasons (great list):
http://sowhatdidimiss.blogspot.com/
One Hundred reasons (actually 107 at this time):
http://100reasons.ca/
This is also eloquent:
http://www.thecanadiancharger.com/page.php?id=5&a=509


Please don’t forget to
VOTE!