Harpers Throne Speech Bombshell

For those of you who didn't hear or read the speech from the throne, or more appropriately, the brief comment from the throne, here is a link to the English text

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/01/26/throne-speech-transcript.html

Short and sweet, it was more of a description of what they think has happened. Harper seems to blame the situation on everything but his government. At its core, if you believe this throne speech, Harper appears to have softened his approach, and may present a budget that represents the majority view of the House, not his parties view.

The trust issue is the problem with this guy. He has flip flopped so much, action now is his only true path to redemption. His words are soft, he has gone back on his words far too often.

I was bothered by something he did say, here is a copy of the part in question:

As Canadians expect, the economy will be the focus of our government’s actions and of the measures placed before Parliament during the coming year. In pursuing measures to support the economy, our government will also attend to the other important priorities that it set out in the speech from the throne to open the 40th Parliament.

What this says to me, is that he may present an updated budget, but he will stick to his neo-con, reform party born policies. It was that speech from the throne only a few weeks ago that started the whole crisis which almost cost Harper his job. I don't think he gets it still. I think he believes on the economy he has to budge, but not on anything else. The only reference in this throne speech to issues that aren't economic based (education, housing, health care, aboriginal issues, immigration,the environment, funding for arts and culture), was a reference to his old throne speech. That throne speech laid the groundwork for Harpers Conservatives to slash funding to arts, health, education, housing, women's groups, immigration support, environmental protections and so on.

Harper may have seen the need to cooperate on economic issues, but the test is whether or not he sees fit to cooperate, as all Canadians expect and want, on all issues MP's face.

I hope he has learned his lesson, I fear he hasn't.