THUNDER BAY – Editorial – As the Harper Government heads into the summer, it is time for a spring cleaning of the cabinet. There are several Ministries where a shake-up is due. The Prime Minister has the opportunity to solve some of the issues facing his government with a strong shift of portfolios.
Prime Minister Harper has been loathe in the past to fire Ministers. However now with a majority government, it is time for far less of that past pragmatism, and time for the Prime Minister to demonstrate that the words he had spoken for years about how government must demonstrate a higher standard were more than words.
Facta non verba – or deeds not words should dictate the actions of the Conservative leader. Otherwise what is increasingly being seen as arrogance is going to prove dangerous to the future political fortunes of the Conservatives. Many remember how then Progressive Conservative leader Brian Mulroney delivered a knockout blow to Liberal Prime Minister John Turner over patronage.
| “ | You had an option, sir. You could have said, ‘I am not going to do it. This is wrong for Canada, and I am not going to ask Canadians to pay the price.’ You had an option, sir — to say ‘no’ — and you chose to say ‘yes’ to the old attitudes and the old stories of the Liberal Party. That sir, if I may say respectfully, that is not good enough for Canadians. | ” |
Some of the moves could come to take a few Minister’s health issues into consideration. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, and Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan could likely benefit from a shift to less high-pressured jobs. Julian Fantino might be a natural for Toew’s job. In Aboriginal Affairs, moving Parliamentary Secretary Greg Rickford up would likely make good sense.
Peter MacKay has hit the point where his profile has become a greater liability to the government than an asset. The revelation that the Defense Minister knew about the real costs of the F-35 fighter jets and didn’t share that information as the Auditor General stated, should be the last straw. It is time that MacKay gets a period on the backbenches of the caucus.
MacKay is starting to appear to be too arrogant and too out of touch with the realities of modern political life.
Christian Paradis is another Minister who seems destined for demotion. The Minister has been embroiled in several scandals.
Right now, Prime Minister Harper is faced with a choice. He can choose to set his new majority government on a path to long-term political power, or he can continue to play traditional politics.
Many Canadians are watching to see what choice Prime Minister Harper will take.
James Murray
Chief Content Officer