[RDoyle]

I know I posted this in my 1 comment however thought I would make a new topic for it. USE this to anyone you know looking at voting the other way (I am guessing its alright to say it because it is Blogging Tories)

HARPER’S WARNING ABOUT ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY


Today, opposition parties are all talking about the dangers that global economic uncertainty is posing to the Canadian economy. Having suddenly woken up to the danger facing the economy, they are scrambling to invent policies about this crisis.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper in December 2007

Last December, the Prime Minister was talking about the coming challenges brought on by the collapse of the U.S. housing market.




(London Free Press, December 12, 2007, A1.)

“Harper ready to give us the squeeze. Tells Canadians to tighten their belts as U.S. financial collapse looms” (Ottawa Sun, December 21, 2007).

“In CTV's year-end interview with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, he says he's concerned about the slowdown in the American economy and how it could impact businesses north of the border” (Canadian Press, December 20, 2007).

“After almost two years of ‘don't worry, be happy’, the PM has been raising a caution flag, if not an alarm, about the Canadian economy in the year ahead. ‘I think 2008 will be a more challenging year for the country and for the government,’ he predicted during a recent chat with us at 24 Sussex Dr.” (Greg Weston. Whitehouse Star, December 31, 2007).

· “Harper said he'll be keeping watch on the looming storm on Canada's economic horizon. ‘We know there is considerable uncertainty in the world economy, in the American economy, and we've seen very strong performance from our economy so far,’ he said Monday. ‘So obviously, our wish for the year is we're able to sustain that momentum and shelter as best we can Canadians from any fallout of global economic problems’” (Canadian Press, December 31, 2007).

The Prime Minister was clear that the difficulties in the American economy were a real concern.
· ROBERT FIFE (Reporter): As the Prime Minister sat down with CTV to reflect on the past year, he has worries about the next. Top of mind, a threatening downturn in the American economy that will be felt north of the border.
STEPHEN HARPER (Canadian Prime Minister): I believe that 2008 is likely to be a challenging year in terms of the economy… There's no way we can be completely insulated from what's going on in the United States or in the global economy (CTV National News, December 20, 2007).

The Liberals and the NDP in December 2007

The Liberals and the NDP responded to the Prime Minister’s careful concern by saying the economy was fine and that the Prime Minister was trying to “create a climate of fear.”

The Liberals said the Prime Minister was overstating the risk.

“[John] McCallum said the government is overstating the risks because many experts expect the Canadian economy to grow by up to 2.5 per cent this year, which would leave room for spending and tax initiatives” (Toronto Star, January 1, 2008).

“McCallum accused Harper of sending a confusing message to consumers by combining talk of a tax cut with a warning the economy could be headed for trouble. ‘This is clearly a triumph of gimmickry over good public policy to announce the GST cut in a store and tell us the cupboard is bare,’ said McCallum. ’I think they're trying to downplay expectations and then people will be positively surprised’” (Toronto Star, January 1, 2008).

The Liberals were apparently still unaware of the challenges the crisis proposed when they wrote their platform.

Stéphane Dion recently admitted that ‘It was difficult for us to write a chapter on a U.S. economic crisis when we were preparing our platform’ (Stéphane Dion, Le téléjournal, October 6, 2008).

And Jack Layton and the NDP were not any better. Mr. Layton said that the threat to the economy was “climate change” rather than the collapse of the American housing markets.

“NDP leader Jack Layton accused Mr. Harper of trying to ‘create a climate of fear’ to justify government plans for the economy, as he said the government has done to gain support for the war in Afghanistan and to avoid joining the global fight against climate change. ‘If the economy is getting into some trouble and the government's finances are in some trouble, it's because Mr. Harper has paid no attention to that issue (climate change) at all,’ Mr. Layton said, adding that his party will continue to vote against the government on no-confidence motions” (Ottawa Citizen, December 24, 2007).

JACK LAYTON: “Well I think he is trying to create a climate of fear, and, you know, that's been his approach unfortunately on some issues, whether it was the way in which we have gone to war in Afghanistan” (CTV, Question Period, December 23, 2007).

[Craig]

Someone please format this nicely, put it on their blog, and email National Newswatch.

Thanks.

[RDoyle]

I hope that enough people help out and get this Msg out. I am sick of seeing the Liberals and NDP attack Stephen Haper and the Conservatives YET Harper informed us all that times will be tough and YET the other parties said that Stephen Harper was trying to scary the Canadian people. NOW they want to attack Harper for the economy?

So anyone PLEAEE read this and get the message Out.

[kwlafayette]

Here is the link to that actual star story.

http://www.thestar.com/article/290192

Man, this stuff is gold. It is obvious now that the PM and his party have had a plan in place for some time, and have been executing that plan. Dion is a Johnny Come Lately to this party; he was unaware of any economic troubles 10 months ago, and probably more recently than that.

[langmann]

[RDoyle]

I hope they use it for a commercial also. We all need to get this msg out. i have tried to hit as many blogs as I could with this. Hopefully it will turn the polls around and show people that Harper did warn us and the fact that the fiberals and NDP tried to say Harper was scaring people.

[langmann]

@ Rdoyle,

Yep thanks, that was some good work. The Conservatives should use these newspaper articles to make an advertisement, its a missed opportunity. I think it would ring truth in the minds of voters at the current time. Pointing out the other guy's faults, your forewarning, and then a few of your prudent actions: that is the stuff killer election advertisments are made of.

[Craig]

[RDoyle]

Can it be done that fast I mean we have an election in a few days. I HOPE it can be done. If not does anyone know how to do a good YouTube video with this stuff? Maybe it will help. We NEED EVERYTHING right now to try and swing voters back our way so we can have a Magority if not a very STRONG Minority.

[palomino_pony]

[living_fetus]

Why didn't he do anything about it?

I know we're screwed, but I'm such a poor manager I won't do anything to fix the issue.

Oh, I know, give up on the manufacturing heart of the economy, subsidize the most volatile industry in the nation, continue to piss all over the environment and continue to hate Canadian citizens.

[kwlafayette]

These really are good times to be a Conservative supporter. 10 months ago, our visionary leader was warning us of trouble ahead, and taking prudent measures to ride out the troubles. 10 months ago, the myopic Liberals party had no clue, saying that the dangers were over stated. It is obvious they had no plan, and no vision then, and they still do not today. The very fact that in a moment of panic and desperation, they sent someone from the war room in here just proves the point. I hope that at the very least, he had the good sense to go down the street to use a computer from an Internet cafe. He is not actually using a IP registered to a Liberal candidates office are you?

[kwlafayette]

As for the overall strategy, do we know what that is? We examine the tactics, but we do not know for sure the overall goal. We have all been assuming that it is to win a majority on the 14. In fact, the ultimate goal could be something else; it might be to simply to keep the Liberal party spending money that they do not have. They won't do that if they know they can't win, but if there is hope....

I am beginning to think that if we do not understand the tactics, and we do not know why the war room is doing what it is doing, then the obvious explanation is that we do not know what their actual strategic goal is for this election.

[FF_Canuck]