This Harper regime has till this point, through their two minority terms governed for five years. When they complete their majority term, it will take them to being nine years in government. At the end of those nine-years it will be a struggle to dial-back and return to a semblance of a 2006 era-society, in other words before the Conservatives got into government.
Now standing on the other side of the 41st Canadian General Election, this Harper Majority government has just been rewarded for corruption, for misspending, for lying, for scandal upon scandal. What that means is that this is just the tip of the iceberg ... they tried in 2008 to axe funding to opposition parties (catalyzing the 2008 30 min-coalition), now they have the Majority and will succeed in doing that and all the others things they could not do as a Minority. And the implications the nature of this style of governing have fundamental consequences to erode democratic parliamentary access & equability (such as it is).
What depresses me today, what am I afraid of is the script, the wish-list hiding in the jacket-pocket of Harper (keeping it warm, and close to where his heart should be) ... contents of which we have not anticipated, notions and initiatives so subtle in nature, we will over look them but exist their as old CPC ambitions to consolidate government power and satisfy their base. Nevertheless a list that is ready to be deployed by the CPC in this climate of a majority rule in a parliament disarmed to its own defense (cf. skirting ... contempt of Parliament, taking their Senators and running them in parliamentary elections etc etc) For the next four years, we undeniably need to brace ourselves for this new Canada on the horizon.
Back in the day around when Stephen Harper was the strategist for Preston Manning and the Reform party, he made a comment, which always stuck with me: "When I am done remaking Canada, you will not recognize it."
And here we stand watching him and his government - his regime with unfettered restraints ....
