In only five years the Harper government has done a lot.
In Afghanistan, the government agreed to hand prisoners over to Afghan forces where they were tortured, even after ample evidence showed this was occurring. Canada is quite likely now responsible for war crimes under international law, but the government’s only response has been a cover up and a ratcheting up of the patriotic rhetoric.
The Conservatives squandered the surplus budgets they inherited from Paul Martin. Before any hint of a recession they had already increased spending by 20 percent and made deep tax cuts that have left us with a structural deficit. They are now responsible for the biggest deficits in Canadian history.
In the last election, the Conservatives spent a million dollars more than they were allowed to under elections law. Knowing full-well that they did not have approval from Elections Canada, they used an in-and-out shell game to make it look like local candidates were contributing to national advertising. Two of the people responsible for this scheme, now charged with elections fraud, were rewarded with Senate appointments.
Stephen Harper illegitimately prorogued Parliament twice, the most recent time to avoid answering embarrassing questions on the Afghan detainee issue and to allow him to fill the Senate with Conservative appointments.
The Harper government has the shameful distinction of being the only Canadian government ever found in contempt of Parliament.
And now millions of dollars spent in the name of G8 security appear to have been spent on pork-barreling projects in Conservative ridings.
A vote for the Conservatives in this election is an affirmation of the Harper Government’s record of covering up human rights abuses, budgetary recklessness, and disdain for our democratic institutions. Please do not to reward this behavior with your vote.
Larissa Lutjen
