v***@aol.com
2006-01-22 01:18:26 UTC
Harper's Conservatives American U.S. Right-Wing Values
Prime Minister Paul Martin today characterized Stephen Harper's
Conservative party as a Northern version of the extreme U.S.
conservative movement.
"We have a party that basically draws its influences from the
furthest right of the U.S. conservative movement," the Prime Minister
told cheering supporters during a campaign stop in Brampton.
"Let me tell you, Stephen Harper, we have our own values in Canada of
compassion, generosity and understanding and respect from each other
and we don't have to borrow from the furthest right in the U.S.
conservative movement."
The Prime Minister made clear that Mr. Harper's Conservative party
does not embrace the principles of the now defunct Progressive
Conservative party, whose leadership featured such moderates as Robert
Stanfield and Joe Clark.
"What we have got now is some kind of a rehashed version of what
Preston Manning left or a dolled up version of Stockwell Day's
Canadian Alliance," said the Prime Minister, referring to the
hard-right grassroots parties where Mr. Harper played a formative role.
"I can think of a government that it reminds me of. A government that
you knew well in Ontario - and that was Mike Harris' government,"
added the Prime Minister.
Earlier, Prime Minister Martin called on all progressive Canadians to
join him in stopping Mr. Harper because Jack Layton has abandoned the
field.
"Stephen Harper has shown in the last few days that he had a social
agenda of the extreme right," the Prime Minister said in a fiery
speech to several hundred supporters in a campaign stop in St. John's
Newfoundland yesterday.
The Prime Minister pointed to Mr. Harper's recent comments attacking
the impartiality of the judiciary and suggesting they would be an
obstacle to "absolute power" should a Conservative government be
elected.
He also singled Mr. Harper's dismissal of a woman's right to choose
as "too complex to explain" during an election campaign.
The Prime Minister said NDP Leader Jack Layton has sacrificed the
interests of progressive voters in favour of his own narrow partisan
interests.
"Jack Layton abandoned the fight for the progressive forces before he
began. He spent this whole campaign telling anybody who will listen
that he can work with a Stephen Harper government," the Prime
Minister said.
"I say to Jack Layton if you're not willing to take the fight to
Stephen Harper, then move over, because I am."
The Prime Minister said that leaves the Liberal party as the only
alternative to Mr. Harper's extreme right-wing agenda.
"To Canadian men and women I'm saying the same thing. Liberal party
is the only one that can stop him," he said. "I believe that there
is no limit to what we can do together. So if you believe in a
political party that believes in this economic success, equality of
choice, the Liberal party should be your choice."
Prime Minister Martin said that now is the time for Canadians to choose
their Canada.
"That is what this election is all about. It is about our values. It
is about the kind of Canada we believe in," said the Prime Minister.
"I'll tell about my Canada. I believe in protecting rights. I believe
in standing up for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. And I believe in
protecting the rights of all Canadians, all the time. And I believe in
the strength of our judiciary," he said.
"I believe in a Canada with a strong economy. We pay down debt, we
reduce taxes for the middle class. I believe in a Canada that has a
foreign policy all of its own, one that is based on our values and our
interests, not a foreign policy made in some other country."
Stephen Harper has said that if elected, one of his first commitments
would be to cancel the national child care program, the first new
national social program in a generation.
He is prepared to break his word to the child care workers, to the
families and to the provinces of this country. And he would break his
word to the United Nations on Kyoto.
The Prime Minister urged Canadians to think twice before casting their
ballots, saying "Use your vote to stop Stephen Harper. Use your vote
to elect a prime minister who will protect your interests. Vote for
your Canada. Let me just say to you that we Liberals are on a march and
we are marching towards a remarkable comeback," the Prime Minister
said.
The Prime Minister pointed out that if Canadians say no to Stephen
Harper, then Stephen Harper will be stopped. He is already losing
ground. He has been losing ground important the last number of days and
we are gaining and we are gaining big-time.
"What I'm asking all of you dig a little deeper, goes further, fight
a little farther and on Monday we will stand up for Canada, we will
stand up for your Canada, we will stand up for my Canada, we will stand
up for our Canada and we will win," the Prime Minister said.
Prime Minister Paul Martin today characterized Stephen Harper's
Conservative party as a Northern version of the extreme U.S.
conservative movement.
"We have a party that basically draws its influences from the
furthest right of the U.S. conservative movement," the Prime Minister
told cheering supporters during a campaign stop in Brampton.
"Let me tell you, Stephen Harper, we have our own values in Canada of
compassion, generosity and understanding and respect from each other
and we don't have to borrow from the furthest right in the U.S.
conservative movement."
The Prime Minister made clear that Mr. Harper's Conservative party
does not embrace the principles of the now defunct Progressive
Conservative party, whose leadership featured such moderates as Robert
Stanfield and Joe Clark.
"What we have got now is some kind of a rehashed version of what
Preston Manning left or a dolled up version of Stockwell Day's
Canadian Alliance," said the Prime Minister, referring to the
hard-right grassroots parties where Mr. Harper played a formative role.
"I can think of a government that it reminds me of. A government that
you knew well in Ontario - and that was Mike Harris' government,"
added the Prime Minister.
Earlier, Prime Minister Martin called on all progressive Canadians to
join him in stopping Mr. Harper because Jack Layton has abandoned the
field.
"Stephen Harper has shown in the last few days that he had a social
agenda of the extreme right," the Prime Minister said in a fiery
speech to several hundred supporters in a campaign stop in St. John's
Newfoundland yesterday.
The Prime Minister pointed to Mr. Harper's recent comments attacking
the impartiality of the judiciary and suggesting they would be an
obstacle to "absolute power" should a Conservative government be
elected.
He also singled Mr. Harper's dismissal of a woman's right to choose
as "too complex to explain" during an election campaign.
The Prime Minister said NDP Leader Jack Layton has sacrificed the
interests of progressive voters in favour of his own narrow partisan
interests.
"Jack Layton abandoned the fight for the progressive forces before he
began. He spent this whole campaign telling anybody who will listen
that he can work with a Stephen Harper government," the Prime
Minister said.
"I say to Jack Layton if you're not willing to take the fight to
Stephen Harper, then move over, because I am."
The Prime Minister said that leaves the Liberal party as the only
alternative to Mr. Harper's extreme right-wing agenda.
"To Canadian men and women I'm saying the same thing. Liberal party
is the only one that can stop him," he said. "I believe that there
is no limit to what we can do together. So if you believe in a
political party that believes in this economic success, equality of
choice, the Liberal party should be your choice."
Prime Minister Martin said that now is the time for Canadians to choose
their Canada.
"That is what this election is all about. It is about our values. It
is about the kind of Canada we believe in," said the Prime Minister.
"I'll tell about my Canada. I believe in protecting rights. I believe
in standing up for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. And I believe in
protecting the rights of all Canadians, all the time. And I believe in
the strength of our judiciary," he said.
"I believe in a Canada with a strong economy. We pay down debt, we
reduce taxes for the middle class. I believe in a Canada that has a
foreign policy all of its own, one that is based on our values and our
interests, not a foreign policy made in some other country."
Stephen Harper has said that if elected, one of his first commitments
would be to cancel the national child care program, the first new
national social program in a generation.
He is prepared to break his word to the child care workers, to the
families and to the provinces of this country. And he would break his
word to the United Nations on Kyoto.
The Prime Minister urged Canadians to think twice before casting their
ballots, saying "Use your vote to stop Stephen Harper. Use your vote
to elect a prime minister who will protect your interests. Vote for
your Canada. Let me just say to you that we Liberals are on a march and
we are marching towards a remarkable comeback," the Prime Minister
said.
The Prime Minister pointed out that if Canadians say no to Stephen
Harper, then Stephen Harper will be stopped. He is already losing
ground. He has been losing ground important the last number of days and
we are gaining and we are gaining big-time.
"What I'm asking all of you dig a little deeper, goes further, fight
a little farther and on Monday we will stand up for Canada, we will
stand up for your Canada, we will stand up for my Canada, we will stand
up for our Canada and we will win," the Prime Minister said.