Thursday, September 20, 2012

The People Who Don't Count



Two days ago, Mark Garneau asked the prime minister what he was going to do about youth unemployment:

“Yesterday we witnessed the very sad spectacle of the Conservatives and the NDP trading insults over their cap-and-trade plans. Is this what Canadians want, at a time when the economy is suffering, when 165,000 young people have given up and stopped looking for work, when youth unemployment is at almost 15 per cent?” Garneau yelled.

Harper -- who never answers a question directly -- responded:

“This party, this government has put forward its ideas and implemented them over the past few years, which has given Canada one of the best job-creation records in the developed world. The NDP, while I disagree with their policies, have put a few of those things, carbon-tax, protectionism, on the table. But the Liberal party says, ‘Look at us, we’re not either of them.’ Well, that’s not a policy. People expect to have some idea why the Liberal party still exists now.”

He sounded remarkably like Mitt Romney, who has declared that he doesn't care about 47% of the population. The difference between the two men is that Harper's "don't counts' are not as amorphous as Romany's don't counts. Harper has no time or consideration for the young. He has put off their retirement two years; and he is actively driving down their wages -- a fact that was confirmed in the agreement which the C.A.W reached with Ford on Monday.

Apparently, Harper wasn't paying attention last spring, when young people filled the streets in Quebec. They were Jean Charest's problem, not his. Harper believes that young people don't vote; and, therefore, they don't represent a threat to his government.

When Romney wrote off half the American population, his fellow Republican, William Kristol, called his remarks "arrogant and stupid." The same can be said about Harper's response to Garneau. It was not the kind of response one would expect from "The Statesman of the Year."

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

The statesman of the year ya what a joke, it really should be called the good ole boy of the year. And Harper is going to learn the hard way what Jean Charest learned in the last Quebec election, the young may not vote because they feel disenfranchised but they still do make a hell of difference...

Wake up Mr. Harper.

Unknown said...

Owen if you not have already heard this this is priceless, Rick's rant on the omnibus...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=oEi72n6CoZM

Need I say more?

Owen Gray said...

Indeed, they do make a big difference, Mogs -- once they get organized.

They can be the spark that brings down a government.

Unknown said...

Well said Owen, a spark is light and our current government is in the darkness it is light they need..

Owen Gray said...

As usual, Unknown, Mercer expertly skewers the Harper government.

His ratings are good -- but I get the feeling that a lot of the people who should be watching his show are watching American Idol.

Still, Mercer himself may light a spark.

Unknown said...

Yes Owen Rick not only skewers them but the comment about most of the con party would be desperate and out of work if it was not for Harper, I guess he has them over a barrel...