Toronto – August 26, 2016 – While Stephen Harper’s political career has come to an end, don’t be fooled. He may be out of sight but he has plenty of disciples who are ready to pick up the banner and carry on his brand of mean spirited, pro-corporate, anti-family and anti-worker politics that were the hallmarks of the Harper regime.

Out west, Jason Kenney continues to tour Alberta on taxpayer’s money in his own campaign to be the next Harper, and go one better by musing about privatizing healthcare and removing the recently won rights of Alberta agriculture workers to Workers Compensation and protection under the  Occupational Health and Safety Act. Over in Ontario, Patrick Brown, the Conservative Party leader has tried to frame himself as a Red Tory, but at his core, he is an ultra-conservative from the Tim Hudak era; another Harper disciple.

And there are plenty more like them.

Stephen Harper may have removed himself as a public politician but his policies and point-of-view have not disappeared from the political horizon. He taught Canadians some bitter lessons, including that if you are not ready to defend democracy it can be damaged and ignored. Harper has retired but what can’t be forgotten is that if it is allowed to, the right-wing, ultra-conservative movement is always ready to rise again.