Commentary by National President Wayne Hanley

December 1, 2008 — Stephen Harper should have acted months ago to protect Canadians against the fallout from the global economic crisis. Instead, while countries around the world have announced plans to deal with the crisis, here in Canada all we got from the Harper government were plans to attack the democratic process, workers’ rights and pay equity for women.

Throughout the election and ever since, Harper and his cronies insisted Canada was in a good position to weather the economic storm. Tell that to the millions of Canadians who have seen a meltdown in their pension assets, or who’ve been laid off, or are scared they are going to be.

We need action now, but so far the only action we’ve seen from this government was the $75 billion pumped into the banks — but not a nickel for job creation, or pension shortfalls, or emergency financing to homeowners in distress.

UFCW Canada members and all Canadians deserve better.

Stephen Harper and his Conservative government must be defeated now, and replaced by a government that is ready to act immediately to protect the jobs, pensions and the future of all Canadians. We need a new government made up of leaders ready and willing to work together for the good of the economy — unlike the current Prime Minister who throughout his career has demonstrated that when it comes to job security, the only person he is thinking of is himself.

But Stephen Harper doesn’t deserve the job. He has betrayed Canadians with a Reform Party survival-of-the fittest, fiscal cutback agenda that is ready to starve the Canadian economy and workers and their families, while boasting that in spite of the fiscal crisis we’re still running a surplus in Canada.

It is a dangerous thing to be proud of, and an agenda that has economists and other leaders around the world starting to wonder what exactly is going on in Canada. They know that belt-tightening during a recession can push it into a depression. That’s why the recent G-20 Summit meeting called on governments to “take urgent and exceptional measures” to spend up to 2% of their annual income to get their economies going.

Here in Canada that would be at least $30 billion to start with, but for the Harper/Flaherty duo the plan is a non-starter. Instead they have laid out a plan to cut spending by $2 billion next year, and have also cut back on payments that are traditionally paid to provinces that are suffering from a weak economy.

During the election debates, Stephen Harper said he had a plan to deal with the economic crisis which he would reveal after he was elected. If he had been upfront about his bitter prescription for tough times he might have lost the election. But once he won, it was off with the cozy sweater and back into the pinstripe suit to give Canada what he thinks is best for it.

But Stephen Harper has got it wrong, and what is worse he is arrogant which is the most dangerous quality in any leader facing a crisis —  when consensus, not conflict, is required. So for Canada’s well being, Harper and his government have to go immediately. Canadians have lost their trust in Mr. Harper to make Parliament work and to provide guidance and safety to get through an economic crisis that is starting to cut though all sectors of the economy.

Canadians can’t wait for a budget in January. They can’t wait for the banks to trickle down some dollars if they feel like it. They can’t wait for tax cuts to the rich to turn the economy around. Canadians can’t wait for Mr. Harper to stop playing politics and to wake up to what is happening to workers and their families.

Canadians need a new government now. The first step is to send Mr. Harper and his caucus back to the opposition by voting down the Conservative government in a vote of non-confidence. The next step is a coalition of parties ready to form a government with a plan to immediately address the current economic crisis. Such a plan is already in place and the coalition announced this week is ready to get the economy going again.

Proroguing Parliament is not an option. Any attempt by the Harper government to temporarily shutdown Parliament would be a cynical, anti-democratic move that ignores the vast majority of votes cast in the last election, where 62%, were in support of the opposition parties who stand ready to form the coalition.

Canadians deserve better than a cold hearted government and its partisan leader. We don’t need an election but what we do need is an immediate change in leadership. The current leader is bankrupt of ideas and left in the job he could bankrupt all of us. 

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To help stop the Harper government and to show your support for a new coalition government go to  www.ufcw.ca/stopharper .