Editor, The Times:
You will know her by the friends she keeps.
I find it hard to understand how Cathy McLeod, our Conservative M.P. and a seemingly nice person, should be looking for re-election under Stephen Harper's Conservative banner. Ms. MacLeod seems to be a caring individual yet she supports a party that is doing nasty things.
The Harper government has chopped funding to 87 organizations of different types across the country. Of these, 26 advocated for women or children; groups like the Women's Innovative Justice Initiative, the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada or the Marie Stopes International, a maternal health agency. In addition, other organizations representing minorities, ethnic groups or offices-of-last-resort, like the ombudsmen, were hit. Why would Ms. MacLeod, a former nurse, support these cuts?
Could it be the lack of money? Harper had $1.6 billion to bribe BC into adopting the HST, a measure that is hurting the BC economy. Despite dropping crime rates, Harper has $10 billion to spend on the expansion of prisons over the next five years. Harper also has $30 billion to spend on short-range F-35 attack aircraft, which will require $300 million per year, just in maintenance. Harper has lots of taxpayer money for lots of things but his actions show that they don't include advocacy for women, children or the disadvantaged. This is okay with Ms. McLeod.
Could it be the Conservative belief that a robust economy would benefit all? And that people in need will no longer require legal aid, education or childcare? Well, our economy is anything but robust. Just take a look around. After 11 surplus budgets, Harper ran a small deficit in '08 and a $55 billion deficit, the largest in Canadian history, in '09-'10. While Canada already has lower corporate tax rates than the U.S., Harper is bound and determined to cut them even more, driving the federal debt to nearly $600 billion by 2012. Canadians will be paying for Harper's follies for a long time. So, it's unlikely that the need for advocacy will disappear. In fact, a Harper government will create even more disadvantaged Canadians.
The Harper government has a nasty set of priorities; prisons instead of people, fighter jets instead of families and corporate profits instead of fairness. Ms. McLeod may seem like cookies-and-milk but, as my grandmother used to say, the friends one keeps, and the ideas they have, tell the real story. Harper and McLeod need to be removed from positions of power so they can reflect on what is needed in a "just society".
David Simms
Clearwater, B.C.