Prime minister Stephen Harper celebrated the one-year anniversary of his May 2, 201,1 majority election win with a speech that proclaimed the “liberation” of prairie grain farmers.
He made the remark in a speech to the Conservative caucus extolling Conservative actions to “secure prosperity” for Canadians.
The Conservative government has promoted entrepreneurship and economic freedom, said Harper, “for example in cutting the red tape burden on small businesspeople who create jobs and in the liberation of Canadian grain farmers from a marketing monopoly.”
The assertion drew thunderous applause from Conservative MPs and Senators at the May 2 Parliament Hill weekly meeting.
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A year into his first majority government and after more than six years as prime minister, Harper said the Conservatives must continue to pursue immigration, tax and economic policies that will position the country to compete in a changing world.
“We as Canadians must decide that we will be on the right side of that history,” he said.
It involves giving business and entrepreneurs more space to grow and compete.
Opposition leaders not surprisingly had a different interpretation of the government’s first year of majority.
NDP leader Thomas Mulcair vowed to mount a continuous assault on Conservative policies that he said sacrifice jobs and social security for a conservative government agenda.
And the Liberals used the first anniversary of their worst electoral defeat in Canadian history to launch a “bold new initiative” that will allow Canadians to sign up as Liberal supporters eligible to vote for the next permanent Liberal leader next year even if they decide not to join the party and pay their membership fee.
“Supporters are the new generation of Liberals who will speak up for change, come to local events, become members, join (fundraising campaigns) in our ridings and become donors,” Liberal president Mike Crawley said in a May 2 statement.
Interim leader Bob Rae said the first year of Conservative majority has been marked by “secrets and lies from this ethically challenged” government.
Political skeptics suggest the party decision to allow outsiders with no party commitment to help elect the next leader is a formula for non-Liberals to infiltrate and distort the final decision.
Meanwhile, there is speculation that next month, the party executive will change the rules to allow Rae to run for the permanent leadership.
When he took the interim job last year after the defeat of former leader Michael Ignatieff, the one-time Ontario NDP premier and now Liberal MP promised he would not be a candidate for the permanent job.
In early June, the Liberal executive will consider whether to free him from that promise. If they do, he is expected to run.
