Dial H for Hypocrisy

Well, well, well. It seems that Stephen Harper has discovered a couple of documents that his advisors have been trying to hide from him: The Canada Health Act, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Well, isn't that nice. A person who has been advocating for more private heathcare in Canada is suddenly Tommy Douglas, Jr. Somehow, I find that just a little bit hard to believe. Mr. Harper simply has no credibility on the issue, especially when he represents a party that has been quietly advocating for a massive expansion of private, for-profit healthcare in Canada.

Now, we hear from Mr. Harper that he has a plan. He's going to protect the public system. He's going to reduce wait-list times. Stephen Harper is the saviour of public healthcare in Canada! Stephen Harper is the saviour of public healthcare in Canada?? Somehow, that rings just a little bit hollow for me. Maybe it's because countless First Minister's conferences have only just begun to make a dent in the issue. Maybe because what few glimpses of his plan we have seen appear to have been written on the back of a napkin while he sipped on a de-alcoholised beer. It's an insult to Canadians for Mr. Harper to politicize public healthcare in the manner that he has, with absolutely no plan to back it up.

But it gets even better. The hypocrisy has only just begun. Mr. Harper made the follwing remark, explaning why his plan is so amazing: "the only way that government can preserve the principles of the Canada Health Act and respect requirements of the Charter of Rights." Respect for the Charter of Rights, Mr. Harper? What about the judgements of 7 provincial appellate courts, and one territorial appellate court? What about the words of the Supreme Court of Canada? I'm speaking, of course, about same-sex marriage. The Courts are the guardians of our Charter, and they have spoken, from coast to coast, with one voice, in defence of Canadian values of tolerance, equality, and compassion. Mr. Harper seems more than happy to ignore the requirements of the Charter on same-sex marriage, but he's more than happy to wave our Constitution when it comes to health care. Well, Mr. Harper, stop hiding behind Parliament, and stop throwing mud at our judiciary. Make up your mind, once and for all, and tell us, flat out, whether we can trust you to defend the Charter, even if it hurts politically. In the mean time, shut your mouth, and stop insulting our intelligence.