| The book Double Vision: The Inside Story of the Liberals in Power described what happened during the drafting of the federal government's 1994 budget when officials from the Department of Finance reminded Finance minister Paul Martin of the promises that had been made in the Red Book, the Liberal Party's 1993 electoral platform. Paul Martin yelled at them: "Don't tell me what's in the red book. I wrote the goddarn thing and I know that it's a lot of crap."
This is the kind of cynical behavior that people had come to expect from politicians and an exemple of why, according to a December 2005 Léger Marketing poll, 76 percent of Canadians did not believe in electoral promises. This also explains why so many people are surprised that Stephen Harper is doing what he said he would do. There were only 17 percent of Canadians who believed in electoral promises in December 2005, but according to a May 2006 Léger Marketing poll, 52 percent of Canadians now believe Stephen Harper will keep the promises he made during the last federal election campaign. Le Devoir is even criticizing the Conservative government for sticking too closely to its electoral promises and is calling on it to develop a vision beyond the promises of the last electoral campaign. The Conservative Party will particularly have to think about what will be the next step, what will be its platform for the next electoral campaign. Given Harper's reputation, this platform will probably be the platform to be taken the most seriously and to be subjected to the closest scrutiny in recent history, which will be a double-edged sword for the Conservative Party. | Le livre Double Vision: The Inside Story of the Liberals in Power a décrit ce qui s'est passé lors de l'élaboration du budget 1994 du gouvernement fédéral lorsque des fonctionnaires du ministère des Finances ont rappelé au ministre des Finances Paul Martin les promesses qui avaient été faites dans le Livre rouge, la plate-forme électorale du Parti Libéral en 1993. Paul Martin leur a crié: "Ne me dites pas ce que contient le livre rouge. J'ai rédigé ce foutu ouvrage et je sais qu'il contient beaucoup de conneries."
C'est le genre de comportement cynique que les gens en étaient venus à attendre des politiciens et un exemple de pourquoi, selon un sondage Léger Marketing de décembre 2005, 76% des Canadiens ne croyaient pas aux promesses électorales. Cela explique aussi pourquoi tant de gens sont surpris que Stephen Harper fasse ce qu'il a dit qu'il ferait. Il y a seulement 17% des Canadiens qui croyaient aux promesses électorales en décembre 2005, mais selon un sondage Léger Marketing de mai 2006, 52% des Canadiens croient maintenant que Stephen Harper tiendra les promesses qu'il a faites au cours de la dernière campagne électorale fédérale. Le Devoir reproche même au gouvernement Conservateur de se tenir trop près de ses promesses électorales et l'enjoint à développer une vision qui dépasse les promesses de la dernière campagne électorale. Le Parti Conservateur aura particulièrement à penser à ce que sera la prochaine étape, à ce que sera sa plate-forme lors de la prochaine campagne électorale. Étant donné la réputation de Harper, cette plate-forme sera probablement la plate-forme qui aura été prise le plus au sérieux et sujette à l'examen le plus approfondi de l'histoire récente, ce qui sera un couteau à double tranchant pour le parti Conservateur. |
"Le Devoir is even criticizing the Conservative government for sticking too closely to its electoral promises and is calling on it to develop a vision beyond the promises of the last electoral campaign."
Typical Liberal thinking. Just find a way into power, then once you're in, you can do whatever you want. Well Harper doesn't have a MANDATE from the voters to do anything other than what he campaigned on during the election campaign.
Sure he could try to ram some big "vision" thing through, the way Martin & Cotler did with the same-sex marriage bill. But then Harper would lose a lot of credibility in the process. And the Libs would GAIN credibility when they fear-mongered again about his hidden agendas.
Nice try Le Devoir. But Harper doesn't need any advice from the likes of you. His simple but powerful message is being hammered thru even the thickest of skulls---what you vote for is what you get.