To the editor:
The preponderance of published letters and editorials damn Stephen Harper and shines a glowing light on all things Liberal or “progressive.” Remember the Liberals only received 39 per cent of the votes; 61 per cent of voters rejected them, more wanted someone else, than wanted Liberals.
History habitually repeats itself; we need to fear the repeat of the tradition of Liberal patronage. Current example is sending a large contingent of “in favour” people to the Paris UN Climate conference. Remember the Liberal-appointed Governor General, CBC employee Adrian Clarkson, and her many junkets with a plane load of friends and family to see the world? Remember Chretien and the trip to Africa where he signed the Kyoto Agreement without any Parliamentary approval or debate?
The current estimate to renovate 24 Sussex Drive is $100,000,000; the last Liberal in charge did major renovations not that long ago. Did they use inferior contractors, or is the real plan, we the people, simply build a new palace for the prince?
Chretien created a $500,000,000 penalty to cancel a helicopter deal made by his predecessor, dooming our service men and women to using the accident-prone, highly dangerous, Sea Kings for decades beyond their shelf life. No regard for the military then. Contrast that with the use of Business Development Bank (then FBDB) money to renovate Chretien’s private golf club contrary to the bank’s rules.
Remember the millions of dollars in ‘ad scam’ money to Liberal insiders and the politically-stifled criminal investigation that followed, and the disgraced Liberal politicians given patronage appointments as ambassadors or trade commissioners.
We had a made in Canada recession during 1980-1984 when Trudeau Sr., with Marc Lalonde’s National Energy Program plunging Alberta and B.C. into recession, dragging the rest of Canada along with them. It was done by confiscating the first 25 per cent of all petroleum produced, such that operating well costs exceeded the remaining 75 per cent of gross revenue bankrupting much of the industry, and driving most of the industry’s capital exploratory equipment out of Canada.
The West remembers the “finger” to us from the train by Trudeau Sr. and we remember the infamous “Fuddle Duddel” [sic] cover up for obscene words spoken in anger to the Western Canadian citizens as well.
The transgressions of past Liberal governments put the $16 orange Juice and the $90,000 cheque to [Senator Mike] Duffy into perspective as minor issues ethically dealt with by the legal system taking its course, unlike the Liberal approach—where patronage and cover-up is just fine.
Canada thrived during 2008 -2013, the worst recession since the 1929-1937 Great Depression, because of good fiscal management. During this worldwide recession, many special interest and single purpose groups did not get money handed to them they demanded. The Conservative government focus was on key major public policies, studied carefully, set into budgets, debated in Parliament and implemented to accomplish the maximum benefit for the most Canadians. We have gotten greater security through better criminal sentencing and crime rates are falling.
As a nation, economically and now more secure from criminal activity, we are far better off than we were in 2005 when the Conservatives took over government.
Thank you to Stephen Harper and the many quality MPs who worked for Canada and ultimately every Canadian, may Mr. Trudeau do as well.
We deserve continued responsible governance; not a return to the reckless tax, borrow and spend ways of the past Liberal government, as they promised in this election campaign.
Doug Waines, Kelowna
