Opinion

Harper, Autocrat

His government 'doctored' a document to get its way and punish enemies. Why should we be surprised?

By Murray Dobbin, 14 Feb 2011, TheTyee.ca

Stephen Harper waving

Tied up in a 'not', his opponents let him slip out.

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As tens of millions of Egyptians celebrated their victory over a brutal dictator and began the task of creating democracy, the story from Canada was of democracy going backwards. For five years under Stephen Harper, Canada has been subjected to a systematic erosion of democracy (as I say here). Canada is not Egypt and Harper is no Mubarak, but he is nonetheless a ruthless autocrat in the Canadian context, too often showing contempt for democracy and the aspirations of the people he governs. 

It can hardly be surprising that almost alone among western leaders, Stephen Harper was so grudging in his response to the wonderful victory of the Egyptian people. Rather than praise the millions in the street, Harper actually praised Mubarak: "Canada respects President Mubarak's decision to step down in order to promote peace and stability in the country." Damning by faint praise?

The day that Mubarak finally resigned to the deafening cheers of a million people in Tahrir (liberation) Square was also the day that another repugnant example of the Harper government's casual abuse of power was highlighted. This time, it was a scathing ruling against the government from the Speaker of the House, related to Harper's decision to eliminate funding to the ecumenical development group, KAIROS. It was a fitting coincidence: KAIROS's funding was cut due to its alleged anti-Israel bias. Harper's barely disguised opposition to the revolution in Egypt is linked to his blind support of Israel and the recognition that democracy in Egypt is seen as a threat in the Jewish state.

The issue ruled on by the Speaker involved a document prepared by the senior staff of CIDA recommending that the government provide KAIROS -- which has been providing development aid to the Third World since the 1970s -- with a $7 million grant over four years. At issue was the fact that someone had inserted the word not into the final line of the CIDA report, which read: "Recommendation: That you (Minister Oda) sign below to indicate that you approve a contribution of $7,098,758..." The word not was inserted before the word approve. Oda had already signed the document, which would have made the contract legally binding. The almost universal assumption is that the crude and illegal action was taken after Stephen Harper and Jason Kenney, his point man on Israel, decided that KAIROS was anti-Israeli and had to be punished.

Speaker Milliken stated that because of a technicality he could take no further action against Oda, but made clear he would like to, stating there were "...profoundly disturbing questions that evidently remain unanswered." Ruling that the document had been "doctored," he wrote: "Any reasonable person confronted with what appears to have transpired would necessarily be extremely concerned, if not shocked."

Tied up in a 'not'

Shocked hardly describes it. This is political thuggery worthy of a dictatorship. It clearly originated in the PMO, but Bev Oda, the hapless minister of International Cooperation, was assigned the role of Official Stonewaller. Oda's answers to questions put to her by a parliamentary committee reveal an arrogance of power that is identical in its mentality to the dozens of autocracies around the world. Oda stated she didn't know who doctored the documents she signed, but said: "I know that the decision ultimately reflects the decision I would support."

That is almost impossible to believe. Almost surely, the only reason the note was inserted into the document was that it had already been signed by Oda -- indicating she accepted the recommendation by CIDA officials. Had Oda not signed, authorizing payment of the grant, there would have been no need to doctor the document to reverse its intent. She could simply have declined to sign it and announced that KAIROS would not be getting a grant. The vulgar method used to circumvent the law demonstrates just how little this government cares about the rule of law. They couldn't even be bothered to make it credible.

Canadian apathy?

But this kind of repeated violation of democracy and the law by Harper and his ever-willing cabinet hit squad does not often bring Canadians into the street. How many people watching the democratic revolution in Egypt unfold have been prompted by this joyful outpouring to contemplate the fact that while Egyptians are moving forward in terms of their own nation and democracy, we are moving steadily backwards? Do they see any contradiction in their admiration and amazement at this wonderful spirit of democracy and our own retreat? Do they ask why Egyptians care much more passionately for democracy and determining their own future than we appear to?  

Is it simply that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone? In Egypt, years of oppression, brutality, humiliation and the simple lack of any semblance of real government drove the massive support for democracy in the streets. Maybe only the promise of democracy can motivate people in this profound way.

Or have Canadians simply lost faith in democracy as they increasingly lower their expectations of what government can or will do for them? Ultimately we judge democracy by what it delivers -- and it used to deliver, and promise, a lot more. Are Canadians more and more just circling the wagons around their individual or family lives, looking for individualist solutions? With wages flat since 1980, 92 per cent of private pension funds in deficit (total $350 billion, almost double the 2003 figure) and holding record levels of debt, this solution must surely look just as bleak as hoping for political change.

Or democracy thwarted?

Or could it simply be that there are too few venues and opportunities for Canadians to express their dismay at the loss of democracy? After Harper's second prorogation of Parliament (over the Afghan detainee issue), virtually every political pundit and analyst in the country predicted that no one cared and most couldn't even pronounce the word. Yet almost overnight (in organizing terms), more than 220,000 people signed on to a Facebook page opposing prorogation, and within a few weeks there were simultaneous demonstrations in 61 cities across the country featuring 25,000 people. These were not organized by existing social justice groups or unions (though they came to help) and were as spontaneous as reserved Canadians get. They did care about democracy. They knew -- or took the time to find out -- what prorogation meant, and they were angry.

This should have been the signal for the Opposition parties to take up the cause, but it wasn't enough to cut through the cynicism of the political operatives who run the Liberals and the NDP. By their pusillanimous calculations, if an issue doesn't affect the pocket book (home heating oil), people don't care. Would hundreds of thousands of people come into the streets if these parties called on them to defend democracy? Probably not. But they might come to the polling booths and rid the country of our own autocrat. [Tyee]

Murray Dobbin's "State of the Nation" column runs every other Monday in The Tyee and on Rabble, and he also publishes articles on his blog.

34 Comments:

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  • Hughes

    1 year ago

    Initials?

    Seems whenever something has been edited or a change of any sort has been made to a legal document an initial is required to verify the change. Would this NOT be the case with this particular document?
    I don't see any initials on this document:
    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/amended-cida-document/article1903050/?from=1903110

    And people wonder why some don't trust Harper and his cronies.

  • Fiat lux

    1 year ago

    Harper has been giving me

    Harper has been giving me the creeps every since I first saw his picture, how many, 20 years ago (?) as Manning's right hand man.

    [OFFENSIVE COMMENT REMOVED. -MODERATOR.]

    The vast majority of politicians have some law degrees, of sorts, but when a politician combines a warped, ideology based economic miseducation with some kind of screwball, fundamentalist religious beliefs, disaster can be the only result.

    And, thanks to the horrible incompetence of the Opposition, he has a good chance to get a majority, and then we can kiss Canada goodbye.

    Ed Deak.

  • DPL

    1 year ago

    [UNSUBSTANTIATED CLAIM REMOVED. -MODERATOR.]

    [UNSUBSTANTIATED CLAIM REMOVED. -MODERATOR.] Pretty arrogant fellow and he was just brown nosing Obama on the Israel thing. Obama finally got off the fence and our boy was slow on the recovery

  • Steppeup

    1 year ago

    A Cautious approach

    From Harper on Egypt is much more preferred by me than the Rah Rah approach originally shown by Obama. Right after Obame was doing the Rah Rah approach he had Mubarak make the announcement that he was not going anywhere. Obama ended up looking like the fool.
    How about we actaully see what comes next for Egypt, before we break out the cheering section. They may end up with something much much worse than what they have now. Haper did the right thing staying cautious.

  • bob the cat

    1 year ago

    yahoo

    gleeful yahoos

    who are destroying the world...
    and the mindless oafs who abet them..

    Money doesn`t talk
    Money votes
    and money buys people who vote

    might and money don`t have to be right

    Wendell Berry

  • Fiat lux

    1 year ago

    Like all faith based

    Like all faith based theories, religions, and ideologies, imaginary money is a licence for energy control .

    When governments gave up the right for money "creation", but accepted the responsibility for the effects, consequences and the duty to deliver the resources to maintain the value of the imaginary money, they've, in effect, killed democracy.

    Regardless of the claims to the contrary

    The most dangerous rulers, politicians and mass murderers in history have been the "faithful" who prayed and asked for "heavenly guidance" from the gods for their actions and then went ahead and did the first criminal idiocy that came into their heads, claiming as "acting on heavenly orders".

    [UNSUBSTANTIATED CHARACTERIZATION REMOVED. -MODERATOR.]

    Ed Deak.

  • dorothy

    1 year ago

    Worse things than incompetence?

    "Are Canadians more and more just circling the wagons around their individual or family lives, looking for individualist solutions?"

    Of course. What else is there to do? If the opposition is 'incompetent', which is debatable, as far as running the country goes, insofar as it only has been seen tested with regard to out-mud-slinging the incumbents, then what kind of incompetence is not hidden behind the rude-and-crude ways of said incumbents? Solving problems by bending and molesting the law and the people and the tenets of democracy sure ain't the hallmark of competence in my book. I don't have all the answers to the mess, but I would never proclaim 'Canada' to have departed the scene. The land endures. It will just take longer and be costlier to make a decent home out of it when the wild hunt has passed over our heads once more. And once again. And yet another time. If you get my drift.

  • dorothy

    1 year ago

    HowEVER....

    The question I am left with, does the disposal of 7 million thalers really rest with one person's feeble scribbles on the bottom of a document? How did that woman get that kind of privilege? I would have thought there would have been some kind of budget/plan/DEMOCRATIC testing of such a decision. There's more wrong here than playing with crayons. The train has left the platform eons ago, and we must do something more serious to prevent our money from blowing out through the hole in the roof. Remember this, folks - 'the government' doesn't have any money. Not one flat cent, no matter the copper contents. We do. And right now, we need to buy a better ledger to keep track of it. I seem to remember that there was one citoyen, who had a knack. Maybe time to look to his side of the chamber again? Can it get worse?

  • straightshooter

    1 year ago

    Harper the con artist and devoted servant of expansionist Israel

    Heads up:

    Tomorrow morning(Tuesday, Feb. 15), CBC Radio's "The Current" will be discussing this disgusting affair in detail. I don't know which half-hour segment, but the show runs from 8:35 AM to 10:00 AM.

  • jroc

    1 year ago

    fed up

    So damn fed up with the state of this country and the complete and total apathy of people. Whats the point in even having democratic institutions, lets just go ahead and give what little power is left to the boardrooms.

  • For a better world

    1 year ago

    Harper Vanity

    The following article on the CBC website emphasizes Harper's vanity along with the in-your-face arrogance of his handlers (Dimitri Soudas and company).

    http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2011/02/13/mackay-harper-airbus-paint.html

  • boondoggle

    1 year ago

    A predator and a hypocrite

    Amazing how Harper's NeoCon attack ads target Ignatius as being an American pawn yet what we have here is a [OFFENSIVE CHARACTERIZATION REMOVED. -MODERATOR.] He can't obfuscate all the facts all the time, so it is our job to let as many people know as we can prior to the next election what this party of snakes is all about. Good job Murray!

  • OwlRol

    1 year ago

    Tunnel Vision

    I agree with Ed. "Harper has been giving me the creeps every since..." And, yes, the PMO has figured out how to go around true democratic procedures, be it dismissal of any govt. bureaucrat decision maker who disagrees with his cabal of ideologues, or making a mockery of the parliamentary and senatorial system. Meanwhile the opposition and the mainstream media dither in their own tactical self interests.

    The govt. direction to CIDA to cut funding of KAIROS emerged nearly a year ago. Several Christian aid groups (including evangelicals) were funded under the KAIROS umbrella and will now have to scramble to survive.

    Trying to set the alarm among some Christian communities across the country with the hope that they would petition the federal govt. on this issue was met by a stone wall. "Harper and his govt.'s morality are closest to ours" was one suburban Toronto group's response.

    Really nice people, but they have the horse blinkers on. They believe in the Conservative attack ads and seem to believe that Harper can do no wrong. It will take a spectacular scandal or crisis to shift their attitudes and votes. Little or no discourse here.

    Although not entirely politically, economically or technologically comparable, the mindset of these voters resembles that of the voters during the late 20s Weimar republic before it fell.

    Majority anyone?

    As to Israel, what is it that abusers say about having been abused in the past?

  • boondoggle

    1 year ago

    Exposing the psychopathic agendas one at a time

    Everyone should read the CCPA report on the CETA talks quietly under way in Europe. Here's the link: http://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/search?type=All&tid=All&keys=CETA&tid_1=All Essentially trading off our rights to human health and the environment for corporate profit. If people only knew and more importantly if they only cared the Harper fascists wouldn't stand a chance.

  • lily

    1 year ago

    Dobbin says that "Harper's

    Dobbin says that "Harper's barely disguised opposition to the revolution in Egypt is linked to his blind support of Israel and the recognition that democracy in Egypt is seen as a threat in the Jewish state." His support is misguided, but not blind. [UNSUPPORTED ALLEGATION REMOVED. -MODERATOR.] According to Darby's dispensational interpretation of the bible, first the Jews will be reinstated to Israel, then the apocalypse, then those who have been save will be protected by God until their enemies are destroyed (a process of about 7 years), then I guess the saved Christians will take over again and rule the world. I am not quite sure what happens at that point. Anyway according to a very interesting book called "The Armageddon Factor" about 40% of Harper's ministers are born again (not sure if they are all dispensationalist as not all born again Christians believe that) and there are lots of young right wing Christians getting high powered positions in the government right now. A book worth reading

  • Blake

    1 year ago

    A Cynical Prosperity

    The cynical prosperity, abuse of power and manipulation of media, has left the citizens in a state of confusion, which in turn has given rise to a surrendered resignation of all democratic responsibility.

    The intelligent are speaking out against the abuses of Harper's Conservatives, but unfortunately in a language that is foreign to the masses. Harper speaks and acts in the language of Power, using action and inaction to further his political agenda, in what appears contrary: the shrinking of the State in order to strengthen the State. Harper wants Police, Military and Legislation under federal centralized control. Everything else will be privatized.

    The Harper ideology, like the Republicans to the South, is the most dangerous attack on democracy and freedom we have seen since the rise of fascism. It is corporate fascism, this time parading as family values back down the path of ignorance.

    We must voice our opinions and not fall into apathy.

  • Skywalker

    1 year ago

    I agree with Ed.

    Look at the man's eyes. He could sing and play "puff The Magic Dragon" and he would still be a scary dude.

  • frank2

    1 year ago

    Oda signed off on a

    Oda signed off on a document, then acquiesced in an ex-post change. Either, she should have got a corrected document processed, or resigned. Do these folks have no self-respect?

  • Troutsky

    1 year ago

    Revolt you thick-skulled idiots!

    Harper is a US Oil Company Shah, not subject to the rules governing conduct of a Canadian Prime Minister.
    People in the Truth Community have been wondering about this curious public apathy and indifference to facts for years now.
    We are frogs in a frying pan,I fear.

  • RickW

    1 year ago

    Pre-Election Runup?

    I invite Tyee readers to compare the two links following:

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/billions-in-shipbuilding-contracts-will-make-waves-for-harper/article1892593/

    Quote:
    Stephen Harper is poised to kick off the greatest round of government shipbuilding in Canada since the Second World War.
    Pegged at $35-billion, the sums involved easily dwarf the funds committed for the Conservatives' controversial and hotly contested plan to buy $9-billion worth of F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin.

    http://www.rickmercer.com/Rick-s-Rant/Blog/January-2010/Politicians-Are-Not-the-Kind-of-Tools-Our-Soldiers.aspx

    Quote:
    ...this past July, 300 Canadian soldiers were given a mission. They were told to drop everything and show up at Canadian Forces base Gagetown, in uniform in front of the cameras and clap and cheer as the Minister of Defense announced that this government was finally buying them new armored vehicles which we know they so desperately need.
    And so it was perfect timing this past week, when every headline was dominated by the humanitarian crisis in Haiti that the government let it slip out very quietly that the purchase of armored vehicles is now on "permanent hold" or what a civilian would call cancelled. Turns out it was just a photo op and perhaps a new low in Canadian politics.

  • morechatter

    1 year ago

    Egyptians where very lucky

    Harper wasn't in charge Canadians not so much especially those attending the G20 summit. [UNSUBSTANTIATED CHARACTERIZATION REMOVED. -MODERATOR.] King Harper will not step down. Egyptians are embracing democracy while in Canada it is but a fascade.
    I read an article where a judge awarded a country 6billion for all the damage and devastation Chevron had done with an oil spill. You know one of those spills that never happens. I don't know how you put a price on devastation, but the price of a barrel of oil is going down thanks to all the reserves making a barrel of tar sands to costly to produce.
    Prices at the pumps will not change but what will change is the prime minister of Canada. Canadians will get a break having only to feather their prime minister who is up to his neck in tar sands. A voter can dream.

  • morechatter

    1 year ago

    A voter's prayer

    Dear Lord

    I promise to be good,
    no more late night snacks,
    or betting the VLT's,
    or cursing someone alive,
    honest Lord,
    I promise to be good,
    But please Lord,
    I love my Country like I love you Lord,
    And our prime minister is up to no damm good,
    So please Lord could yeah! you know!
    I promise to be good.

  • warbler

    1 year ago

    Harper not alone

    Two liberal US presidents (Clinton, Obama) did nothing, except fund the Mubarek military regime to the tune of billions. Obama was forced by revolutionaries into making comment, but otherwise, he would have kept that regime propped up for as long as the US interests were at stake.

    Harper is no worse on the Egypt question than just about any other Western leader.

  • Hughes

    1 year ago

    Question for Mr. Dobbin.

    "...democracy in Egypt is seen as a threat in the Jewish state."

    Could you explain how this might be for the uninitiated in the goings on in Middle Eastern political scene.

    Thanks.

  • realisticman

    1 year ago

    Hughes

    Egypt has had a dictatorship for many years but it has been stable. It has also had a peace agreement with Israel and war and killing stopped. What will change mean? Will change be like it was in Iran where the clerics took over or will it actually all be calm and OK? Nobody knows. Everyone is cautious. Under a democracy it would be possible for a militant religious group to become elected but the revolution so far has not looked like a fervor that was seen in Iran when they ousted the Shah but the people on the street seem to be secular and we haven't seen US or Israel flags burning.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/14/world/middleeast/14israel.html?_r=1&ref=egypt

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/opinion/13-friedman-Web-cairo.html?ref=egypt

  • johnr

    1 year ago

    changing values

    I suspect the reason Canadians are not concerned about Harper's chipping away at democracy is that most Canadians have come to embrace the neo-liberal economic philosophy they were spoon fed by the media and the oligarchy (including the NDP) since the 1980s.
    The main objective now is "me" - Dobbin touches on this in a very effective way. Democracy is not really needed for the betterment of "me" and, indeed, the less government and taxes the better (as my MP Kennedy says, "Everyone loves a tax cut.") Is the Egyptian revolution about democracy or is about having better salaries and more things to buy? Perhaps they are more like us then we might like to think...

  • zalm

    1 year ago

    R'man

    "It has also had a peace agreement with Israel and war and killing stopped."

  • zalm

    1 year ago

    R'man II

    "It has also had a peace agreement with Israel and war and killing stopped."

    I hope you're not linking the two. There was peace 8 years before a peace deal was signed. And if I read you correctly, you sound like an apologist for authoritarianism, as a practical route to peace, regardless of how temporary.

    Which is so unlike you.

  • zalm

    1 year ago

    Read your bible...

    ...Stephen. I think you've forgotten a few parts of it.

    Matthew 7:1-5 b "‘Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgement you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s* eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbour,* “Let me take the speck out of your eye”, while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour’s* eye."

    There's a big log in your eye, Harper, and you can't see straight any more.

  • dorothy

    1 year ago

    Substance or style?

    To the Tyee moderator(s):

    I am really concerned about the new category of literary transgression you have defined here, and find myself wondering about the strange landscape this new level of the game has put us all in.

    The category is the one used in editing out part of Ed Deak’s writing, ‘unsubstantiated characterization’. I did not see any characterization, but a descriptive paragraph that contained reference to past experiences of the author. This kind of thing cannot be ‘substantiated’, since the reference is highly personal, and in this case it was identified as such very clearly. So, while ‘unsubstantiated’, it was not ‘unqualified’ and should thus not present a problem in regard to liability.

    So, OK, by your criteria, I cannot say that I have a problem with a certain screen actor in Pollyanna roles, because the actor reminds me of a distant relative, whom I never liked and who later turned out to have been an abuser of children? Certainly this cannot be ‘substantiated’, but then neither am I actually saying that the actor is or can even be suspected of being a child abuser, right?

    I have huge problems with Ed Deak’s comparison being removed. For a politician, I believe fair comment goes a long way, and I would see Ed’s comment as mainly an expression of an exasperation shared by many Canadians, because despite having had Stephen Harper lead out government in successive terms, the man reveals very little of himself, of what really lies behind those famous clear blue eyes, which may remind people of many things, good or bad. He has a burden of proof, that he is a person we want to trust with a parliamentary majority, and performances on the piano does little to help us there, so the question remains un-answered: Who is he - really? I think that Tyee did wrong in trying to squelch an honest, gut-felt misgiving, and the answer we need is not ‘ausradierung’, but more knowledge. Why doesn’t someone among your adventurous, inquisitive lot take on the quest on behalf of us all: study who Stephen Harper is, what he dreams of doing, and how he intends to go about it. Make a comprehensive CV, chase him down and have him speak to it. It needs to be so good that his usual brilliant bafflegab rhetoric will not fob it off. And that’s not unsubstantiated. Just listen to the man. He wants to hang people, but knows that’s not Kosher, so he won’t do it? What kind of guff is this? Can we count on him to keep worrying at that particular wart and go forward with it if he ever thinks he has popular support? To me, this is a greater and more important risk than the highly decried (by Stephen’s compadres) one that Michael, son of the fiery one, might allow a few pockets to be lined a little thickly in the bowels of Quebec inc. One is merely money, the other our soul. We need to know.

  • realisticman

    1 year ago

    zalm

    I'm not an apologist for anything. I'm pointing out the situation as it has been for a few years. What I did say was this:

    "...will it actually all be calm and OK? Nobody knows. Everyone is cautious.".

    Israel also has had a war with The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which is a constitutional monarchy with a representative democratic government. Jordan has diplomatic relations with Israel. By me stating this do you now arrive at the conclusion that I am an apologist for democratic constitutional monarchies?

    Your extensive conclusions are yours alone.

  • lynn

    1 year ago

    My bumper sticker for next federal election:

    'not' Harper
    ^

  • BDD63

    1 year ago

    Thank You Dorothy

    for your eloquent post.

    The amount of censorship employed by the Tyee is becoming, quite frankly, offensive. Not that I am a fan of the main stream media but can the Tyee not employ the paragraph that is pretty much standard at the beginning of any public comments section anywhere on the internet: "the following views expressed are of the individual poster and do not represent the opinions of the SunGlobeProvinceEconomistPlayboyTyee

  • BDD63

    1 year ago

    A Word Of Advice To The P.M.

    Steve buddy I'm tellin' ya this fer yer own good. Ya better do sumthin' about all that FAT ya been packin' on yer carcass cuz at the rate y'all are goin' you are gonna find yerself spinnin' outta control on the Lard Ass Highway headin' straight fer Strokeville. Heaven Forfend!

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