Domestic policy of the Harper government
Encyclopedia
Several policies regarding interior and domestic issues in Canada were planned and adopted by the Canadian Cabinet
, chaired by Prime Minister
Stephen Harper
, following the January 23, 2006 election of the Conservative Party
to a minority of seats in the House of Commons
, such as social and environmental policies. At the beginning of the government's appointment, five policy priorities were identified in the areas of federal accountability, tax reform, crime, child care and health care.
. The budget included a 1% cut to the federal Goods and Services Tax
from 7% to 6%
The Conservatives argued that the GST cuts would benefit all Canadians, including low-income earners and those outside the workforce who do not pay income tax. The first GST cut went into effect on July 1, 2006, and no provinces have raised provincial sales tax as of yet. In addition, the Conservatives rolled back the income tax cut on the lowest tax bracket, restoring it back to 15.5% from 15%, increased and added tax exemption rates and introduced a $100 monthly child care allowance for families with children at or under the age of six. The Liberals and NDP voiced disapproval over the Conservatives following through on their election promise to replace the Liberal's proposed child care policy with their own, and for replacing Canada's $4 billion environmental policy with a $2 billion Conservative plan. The budget passed third reading without dissent on June 6, 2006 when the members of the Opposition accidentally failed to stand after the Deputy Speaker of the House called for debate.
Later during the fiscal year, in the face of record corporate conversions to income trust
s Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced a new tax on income trust
s. The government postponed the tax from taking effect until 2011 for existing trusts. The government argued that it could now allow giant corporations to convert as proposed by BCE for its Bell Canada subsidiary, "...a move that would save it $800 million in tax by 2008." Subsequent to the October 31 announcement by Flaherty, the TSX Capped Energy Trust Index lost 21.8% in market value and the TSX Capped Income Trust Index lost 17.6% in market value by mid November 2006. In contrast, the TSX Capped REIT Index, which is exempt from the 'Tax Fairness Plan', gained 3.2% in market value. According to the Canadian Association of Income Funds, this translates into a permanent loss in savings of $30 billion to Canadian Income Trust Investors http://www.caif.ca/content/CAIF_OtherChoicesAd.pdf. Harper later mentioned that this was "the toughest decision for the government". The Canadian Press voted the Harper Government and Jim Flaherty 'Business Newsmaker of 2006' for the announcement to tax Income Trusts on Halloween.
The budget was met with dissent by the Liberal and New Democratic parties and mostly positive reception from the Bloc. The Liberals and NDP voiced disapproval over the Conservatives following through on their election promise to replace the Liberals child care policy with their own, and for replacing Canada's $4 billion environmental policy with a $2 billion "made in Canada" plan of their design. The budget was met with widespread support amongst the business community and polling indicated that a clear majority of Canadians approved of the budget. While it initially appeared that the only way the Conservatives' budget would pass would be with the support of the Bloc Québécois
, the budget passed third reading without dissent on June 6, 2006 when the members of the Opposition accidentally failed to stand after the Deputy Speaker of the House called for debate. Because there were no speakers for the Opposition, the budget was declared passed with unanimous support and no recorded vote and thus forwarded to the Senate for approval. This marked the first time in Canadian Parliamentary history where a government's budget passed unanimously on the third and final reading. On September 25, 2006, the Conservative government announced that within the fiscal year, there was a $13.2 billion surplus that will be used to pay down the country's debt.
Premier Rodney MacDonald
and Newfoundland and Labrador
Premier Danny Williams
arguing that Harper broke a written promise to shield revenues from oil
and natural gas
from being included in equalization formulas. Harper has denied this and accused Williams of misinforming the province, insisting that he has not reneged on his promise since the new formula yields the province greater funding despite the inclusion of natural resource revenues. http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=5a801300-758a-4b5c-9cfc-ad82d2eba899&k=24751.
On October 30, 2007, the Conservatives tabled an economic statement (similar to a mini-budget) and announced various tax cuts and exemptions. Overall, the budget included a total of $60 billion in tax cuts over five years including $14 billion in corporate tax cuts by 2012 (or a drop of 33%), accelerated their promised further 1% drop of the GST (to 5%) and increased the basic personal tax exemption to $10,100 per year by 2009. The lowest personal tax rate was reduced from 15.5% to 15% retroactively effective 1 January 2007, reversing the rollback effected in the 2006 budget.
During the Throne Speech in 2007, Harper also addressed issues surrounding the economy because of difficulties in the manufacturing and forest sectors due to the loss of numerous jobs at several companies including the three major automakers in the United States and several small to large forest companies over the past few years. On January 10, 2008, the government announced a $1 billion relief fund for single-industry communities that were hit hard by recent closures particularly in the forest and manufacturing industries but also the fishing sector.
emissions. Harper considered the objectives implemented by Canada to meet its goals unrealistic and later further criticized the accord which did not set any targets for the world's biggest polluters.
The government's Clean Air Act
was presented on October 19, 2006. Its main focus was to reduce greenhouse emissions to about 45-65% of the 2003 levels. The goal was set for the year 2050 with a decrease of greenhouse emissions starting in 2020. There were also regulations set for vehicle fuel consumption for 2011, while new measures would be set for industries starting in 2010. while oil companies would be forced to reduce emissions for each barrel produced. Additional targets and measures were introduced by Environment Minister John Baird
in 2007 including fuel-efficient standards in which auto industries would comply. One of the plans also mentioned that over 700 big-polluter companies, including oil and gas, pulp and paper, electricity and iron and steel companies, will have to reduce green-house emissions by six percent from 2008 to 2010 and will have to report data on their emissions every year, on May 31.
In the 2007 Throne Speech, the government officially abandoned the Kyoto objectives in favor of their previous policies and accords with Asian and Pacific countries in which Harper joined the US-led Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate. On September 24, 2007, the United States
, China
, Japan
, India
, South Korea
and Australia
, several among them being the biggest polluters.
Critics including the World Wildlife Fund said that the greenhouse emissions in 2020 will still be higher than the 1990 levels, while Canada will not meet Kyoto targets before 2025, 13 years after its objectives. High-profile figures including David Suzuki
and Former US Vice-President Al Gore
also criticized the plan as being insufficient.
Opposition members led by Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez tabled bill C-288, which would force the government to respect the measures of the Kyoto Accord and forced it to present its measures within 60 days. The bill passed third reading on February 14, 2007, 161-113 but the government said that it would not comply.
The Harper government also has drawn sharp international criticism for its stance on asbestos
which is heavily mined in Quebec
. In 2011, Canada continued to oppose adding the chrysotile form of asbestos to the Rotterdam Convention
, a treaty that would require exports of chrysotile to developing countries to contain warnings of carcinogenicity.Canada refuses to allow chrysotile to be added to Rotterdam Convention in 2011
The farmers, especially from the Ottawa
region drove their tractors to Parliament Hill
, as well as oil and food terminals across Ottawa and in front of the Prime Minister's residence
to voice their concerns.
In the 2006 budget, the Conservatives announced an immediate $1.5 billion aid to farmers for the Grains and Oilseeds Payment Program. Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl
also announced in July $550 million in aid to low-income farmers with a two-year pilot project
On March 9, 2007, the government announced $1 billion in funding for farmers that would include payments to ease effects of high production costs and for various income programs.
, a monopoly
in the Canadian wheat industry. He wanted to end the "single desk" system which causes the monopoly, despite the opposition of farmers which supported the current role of the Board.
to 16 years. Justice Minister Vic Toews
proposed the bill in order to protect youth against sexual predators. The Tackling Violent Crime Act took effect on 1 May 2008, making the current age of consent 16. A close in age exemption allows teenagers aged 14 and 15 to engage in sexual acts with partners who are less than 5 years older than them.http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/05/01/crime-bill.html Before this law, the age of consent was 14 (it had been set at 14 in 1890, before that date it was 12).
which had been legalized in 2005 by the previous government. The vote took place on December 7, 2006: the government bill to change the status quo was rejected 175-123. Afterwards Harper told the media that he now considered the issue to be closed and that he would not pursue further legislation on the matter.
There were also plans to pass a law that would protect "freedom of religious expression", a law interpreted by some as a shield for opponents of same-sex marriage. The government cut funding to various social programs and festivals, some of which were related to the gay community such as Montreal
's Black and Blue Festival
, one of the biggest gay festivals in Canada.
The Harper government also reduced spending for women's advocacy work on the status of women in the country.
This measure was met with opposition by the provincial counterparts including Ontario's Dalton McGuinty
and Quebec's Premier Jean Charest
. They claimed that it would not create additional daycare places which Minister Diane Finley
promised. Quebec officials also cited that it will harm provincial revenues and deteriorate fiscal equality. Other opponents mentioned that the spending was not adequate and did not address the need for child care spaces, particularly in urban centers. Supporters argued that the Liberal program the Tories replaced was inflexible and discriminated against stay-at-home parents. Harper has stated that his government will work with provincial and local governments, not-for-profit organizations, and employers to create additional spaces, and has set aside $250 million per year to fund these initiatives.
and homelessness in Canada
with $270 million for the Homelessness Partnering Strategy and $246 million for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
. It will provide funding for refurbishing and renovating low-income homes, as well as improving access for homeless people to various services and supports such as health and substance abuse
treatment programs. Prior to the announcement, activists protested at Human Resources and Social Services Minister Diane Finley
's offices in Ottawa.
s in 2006-07 but with few measures announced in the 2007 budget. On March 22, 2007, a private bill was tabled in the House of Commons demanding an additional $5.1 billion for First Nations
health
, education
and housing
. The motion was adopted 176 to 126 with mainly Conservative members voting against. Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice
mentioned that it will ignore the motion that would have forced the government to implement measures in order to respect the Kelowna Accord
which was concluded by the Liberals in 2005 prior to the 2006 elections and supported by former Progressive Conservative
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
. The Accord was supposed to give First Nations better health care, education and housing, but it lacked specific implementation details. In the 2008 budget, $330 million was announced for improving access to safe drinking water in First Nations Reserves with funding for economic improvement, services and health programs.
On June 11, 2008, Harper made a speech at the House of Commons in which he issued an official apology to the First Nation groups in regard to a residential school abuse in which children were isolated from their homes, families and cultures for a century. Opposition leaders also issued apologies. Harper admitted the responsibility of the wrong doing of the government: "The Government of Canada
now recognizes it was wrong to forcibly remove children from their homes... to separate children from rich and vibrant traditions"
. In April 2007, Harper and Minister of Veterans Affairs
Greg Thompson
told the press in Kitchener, Ontario
that the bill of rights would come into effect soon. $282 million were announced in the 2008 budget to support war veterans.
policy to them, and subsequent discrimination policies, including subsequent exclusion of Chinese immigrants from 1923 until 1947. It is estimated about 82,000 Chinese paid the fee, first set at $50 and later raised to $500, about two years' wages at the time. For many years, the federal government refused to apologize, citing the possibilities of legal liabilities.
Near the end of 2005, the outgoing Liberal government offered to pay $12.5 million for the creation of a new non-profit foundation to educate Canadians about anti-Chinese discrimination, though no money would go to individuals who had paid the tax, and the grant was on the pre-condition of "no apology" by the government. It was met with controversy, as the Liberals had not consulted many of the major Canadian-Chinese groups (despite claiming to), and as the promised amount was reduced to $2.5 million. Midway through the election campaign, Paul Martin
offered an apology on radio but not in Parliament.http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/ChineseHeadTaxissuesGimWongsRideforRedress/_archives/2005
Harper said that Chinese-Canadians who paid the tax or their surviving spouses will receive a symbolic $20,000 ex-gratia payment.
which would suspend any tax credits to any film or television production which would include content judging too offensive to the general public. The Canadian Family Action Coalition had pushed the federal government for the funding cuts and is supported by the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party citing that governments should be careful about putting taxpayers money for movies with too much sexual content. The bill was met with opposition by the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
citing it has grave implication to the actors while calling it morally offensive to modern Canadian society. Canadian Actress Sarah Polley
, added that the bill would amount to "censorship" and that the definition of offensive is "extremely vague and dangerous to be using". MP Jim Abbott
cited that "the bill does nothing to obstruct filmmakers -- it just stops the government from footing bills for films that don't fall in line with Canadians' morals". Similar legislation was unanimously passed in 2003. Director Ang Lee has also spoken out on bill C-10. He stated that "“People should be free to say anything," though he himself has never been censored even under the Chinese film boards strict review process.
MP Olivia Chow
had proposed an amendment to remove the measures as part of the budget. Immigration Minister Diane Finley
stated that the current government helped process applications 20 to 40 percent faster than before the measures were announced.
tabled private member's bill C-484 in which harming a fetus would constitute a crime. Opponents of the bill, including medical specialists in Quebec, alleged that the bill would open the door for an abortion ban. The bill passed first reading in March 2008 with the support of the opposition.
However, Harper has indicated that he did not wish to re-open the abortion debate.
announced that the government will invest about $1.1 billion each year until 2013 to promote the official languages and dual linguistic. The plan is to facilitate cultural minority group most notably in education and health. Part of the plan was part of recommendations made by former New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord as part of a report on the state of official languages in Canada. The government also announced the support program for official languages which replaced an older judiciary program.
campaign, Minister Josee Verner announced $45 million in cutbacks to arts and cultural programs. Harper explained that ordinary Canadians cannot relate to "rich galas" where artists complain about their subsidies. He also noted that the overall budget of Canadian Heritage has climbed eight per cent." Many actors across the country had criticized the move citing that the arts and culture industries represent over 1.1 million jobs in Canada and contributes to about $86 billion to its gross domestic product.
The Conservatives only elected 10 MPs in Quebec where the opposition against the cuts was the most imposing. It also prevented them from winning a majority government for the second straight election. James Moore
who replaced Verner as Heritage Minister following the election stated that he had no plans to cancel the cutbacks citing the decisions made were in the past but added that there will be opportunities in the future to view the spending.
Lawrence Cannon
announced an immediate $37 million investment on improving security in public transit systems across the country. Cannon said that transit systems are not immune to terrorist attacks like those that hit Madrid
, London
and Mumbai
over the past two years. Toronto
and Montreal
received $11 million each, Ottawa
$1.2 million while Vancouver
, Edmonton
and Calgary
also received a certain amount. The money will be used for security plans, public awarenesses and training. The Toronto Transit Commission
and OC Transpo
requested that the money would be spent on installing cameras inside buses. Subsequently it was revealed that while 40% of all transit users in Canada use the TTC
, and 85% of Toronto transit riders use the TTC, it will only receive $1.46 million, with the remaining grant used for GO Transit
and Union Station. This stance is further evidence of the Harper government to support provincial projects (GO Transit is a provincial transit system) and continue to force municipalities to fend for themselves.
offenses and violent crimes; a promise made by Harper after a record number of fatalities
by gun-related incidents in Toronto
in 2005. They are also on the process of creating a new law that would impose tougher sentences for repeat crime offenders, eliminating house arrest or conditional sentences of offenders and a legislation targeting impaired drivers and street racing. Several anti-crime bills were progressing in the House but failed to pass the Senate
as a new Throne Speech was announced for October 2007 in which several of the measures were re-announced. The new bill, called the Tackling Violent Crime Act (or Bill C-2), consisted of five bills many of them from cancelled legislations and included measures the age of consent, repeat and violent offenders. A confidence motion on the bill was tabled and passed the House 172-27 on February 12, 2008 as all Liberal MPs abstained from voting. The motion is set to presented at the Senate in March 2008
On October 4, 2007, the government announced a new national drug plan, that would include mandatory jail sentences for drug trafficking offenses. In addition, the government announced funding for treatment and prevention, including a Prevention Campaign Program for youth. The government pledged about $64 million to fund the drug plan, and characterized the new policy as a balance between prevention and punishment. In 2006, the Conservatives had annulled a bill introduced by the Liberals which would have decriminalized possession of small amounts of cannabis. Cannabis-related arrests have increased significantly since.
In the 2008 budget, the government announced $400 million to help set up a Recruitment Fund in which it will help all provinces and territories to hire as much 2 500 police officers while additional funding was announced for jails.
On April 14, 2008 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the government introduced new legislatures in regards to car theft. The news laws would make illegal to tamper with vehicle identification numbers, would target organized group specialized in car and parts theft, chop shops and stolen property trafficking. According to the government, auto thefts are costing about $1.6 billion to Canadians. The city of Winnipeg has the highest number of cars stolen per population.
On February 26, 2009, the government announced in Vancouver
, a new anti-gang legislation that would make gang-killing a first degree murder offense with mandatory minimum sentences for drive-by shootings of 4 years in prison except for 5 years if committed on behalf of a gang organization. In the weeks prior to the new bill, there were 18 shootings related to a gang war in the Greater Vancouver Area. Stiffer sentences of at least 14 years in jail for aggravated assault and assault with a weapon against a police officer were also announced. The following day, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson
also announced minimum mandatory sentences for drug dealers and traffickers. According to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
, one-year sentences would be given for marijuana drug dealing linked to organized crime, two-year sentences for hard drugs trafficking as well as a maximum of 14 years in prison for big pot grow-ups.
on February 28, 2007. The two provisions were created five years ago after the September 11, 2001 attacks
in the United States, but opposition parties criticized them as a violation of civil liberties. Those in favor of renewal argued that not renewing the provisions would compromise the security of Canadians. The two provisions expired on March 1, 2007
estimated the costs at nearly $1 billion for the first 10 years of its implementation.
On June 19, 2006, the Conservatives introduced the bill to eliminate the program though it did not pass the House vote. It was re-introduced on November 16, 2007 but the motion failed again. On April 1, 2009, the Conservatives had planned to re-introduced again the legislation but at the Senate.
While not succeeding in abolishing the program, the government did reform part of the registry. Among the changes made by the Conservatives to the registry, it eliminated within the scope of the registry long guns such as rifles and shotguns, a move that expected to affect up to 320,000 people. It also waived some license fees and extended registry deadlines for long gun owners. Ontario's Attorney General Michael Bryant
had criticized the amnesty move in 2007 accusing Ottawa of being "in the holster of the gun lobby. By 2008, the federal government had refunded up to $21 million in license fees to 340 000 gun owners.
Supporters of keeping the gun registry cited that better gun controls would prevent events such as the Dawson College shooting
in 2006 and the Ecole Polytechnique massacre
in 1989. One of the victims of the Dawson shooting also challenged Harper for a debate on gun control. Among the groups opposed to the Conservatives plan included the Canadian Auto Workers
and the Quebec Women's Federation. A study from Swiss research group, Graduate Institute of International Studies, also cited, in a report called Small Arms Survey 2006, that maintaining the gun registry was more cost effective saving Canada up to $1.4 billion a year in costs associated with gun violence while citing a sharp decrease in the number of gun deaths and injuries.
On January 11, 2007, Harper announced a $2.6 million pilot project involving a network of 16 pediatric hospitals across the nation. The plan is to monitor wait times in various children's hospitals and in the long range, surgery wait times. Similar existing measures have been implemented in the post by several provincial governments. Critics mentioned that the federal government had interfered in provincial jurisdictions while Ontario
's Intergovermental Affairs
Minister Marie Bountrogianni
cited the deal as a "photo-op" and an insignificant contribution to the health system. Previously, on January 5, 2007, the government also launched a similar pilot project worth $3.7 million for guaranteed wait times for aboriginal people from First Nations
reserves in Manitoba
who have "diabetes related-foot ulcers and possible amputations"
On April 4, 2007, a deal between Ottawa and the 13 provinces and territories was concluded in which guaranteed wait times will be implemented country-wide by two measures including funding for provinces to reach the goal. $612 million were given to the provinces during the 2007 federal budget. Health information and communication technologies were part of the second measure which included the participation of a non-profit organization, the Canada Health Infoway
which will improve medical information notably for doctors.
, a 5-year $260 million national plan on battling different types of cancer
. This not-for-profit organization will be monitored and evaluated by Health Canada
. Prior to that announcement on October 23, Health Minister Tony Clement
also launched an 8.4 million dollar heart health strategy that plans to tackle the issue of heart disease
s and other related issues.
and the health and safety of Canadians, particularly in workplaces, as well as animals. The plan is a follow-up to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act
that had previously named and targeted a series of dangerous substances.
in which thousands of people were affected by Hepatitis C
(during blood transfusion
s) before 1986 and after 1990. Those affected between 1986 and 1990 had already received the compensation in 1998. The amount of this deal was estimated at about $1 billion dollars.
John Baird
, on behalf of the Canadian government, tabled the Federal Accountability Act and Action Plan. The plan will reduce the opportunity to exert influence with money by banning corporate, union, and large personal political donations; five-year lobbying ban on former ministers, their aides, and senior public servants; providing protection for whistleblowers; and enhancing the power for the Auditor General to follow the money spent by the government.
While the government hopes to have this act passed before the House of Commons
breaks for the summer, questions have arisen surrounding elements of the Federal Accountability Act and how it might affect the 2006 Liberal leadership convention. A $1,000 donation limit has been proposed as part of the Federal Accountability Act with political party convention donations being tied to this amount. The Liberal Party of Canada's leadership convention scheduled for December 2006 contains a $995 convention fee, which under the proposed Accountability Act could prevent convention delegates from donating anything beyond their convention fee or prevent the delegate's presence at the convention should their convention fee in conjunction with any donations prior to the convention put them above the donation limit. Some of the Senate majority-holding Liberal Senators have threatened to stall the Federal Accountability Act in the upper chamber until after December because of the effect the proposed donation limits may have on political party conventions.
On March 13, 2008, Justice John Gomery
, who had led the commission
into the federal sponsorship scandal
, told the government operations Committee that most of the recommendations he made in his report were still not implemented. He added that the prime minister's office was "developing a dangerous concentration of power" and that certain members such as non-elected officials are gaining more power while less-known MPs have little influence. He cited that the government's Federal Accountability Act was drafted well before its report and was short of what was required.
Prime Ministers had done, Harper reopened the debate on November 22, 2006, by introducing a motion in the House of Commons to recognize the Québécois
as a "nation within Canada." His hand was forced after the opposition Bloc Québécois
were to introduce a motion that called for recognition of Quebec as a "nation", but not within Canada. The Bloc later modified partly his motion and later decided to support the Conservative motion, which was greeted by Parti Québécois
Leader Andre Boisclair
and by Quebec Premier Minister Jean Charest
. However, Intergovermental Minister Michael Chong
said he didn't want the country's unity to be compromised and divided. He resigned his Cabinet position on November 27 over the matter, ahead of a vote on the motion which passed first reading in the House of Commons
266 to 16. It also rejected a Bloc Québécois amendment
that did not have mention of Canada.
, one of the main objectives of the former Reform Party
, promising that Senators would be elected. On December 13, 2006, Harper introduced a bill that would "bring democracy
" to the Senate and on September 7, 2006, Harper became the first Canadian Prime Minister to appear before a Senate committee and was present to make his government's case for Senate reform. Critics, though, believed that it would require an amendment to the Constitution
.
With one notable exception (below), as Prime Minister he refused to make any appointments to the Senate pending such reforms. This resulted in 16 senate vacancies by the time he won his first re-election in October 2008.
The one notable exception was Michael Fortier
: When Mr Harper first took office he resorted to the appointment of the unelected Michael Fortier
to both the Senate and the Cabinet
, arguing the government needed representation from the city of Montreal. Although this is not without precedence in the Westminster system
, this led to many criticisms given the Reform Party of Canada
's position supporting an elected Senate
. In 2008 Mr Fortier
gave up his senate seat and sought election as a Member of Parliament
but was, in the words of Canadian Press
, "trounced." Upon re-election in 2008, Harper named Senate reform again as a priority.
On December 11, 2008 it was reported that Harper would fill all 18 senate vacancies with Conservative Party loyalists. This was to prevent a possible coalition government from filling the vacancies, which at the time seemed imminent. The reports were confirmed on December 22, 2008 that Harper had filled all of the senate vacancies with Conservatives.
On the August 27th, 2009 Harper again filled senate vacancies with 9 more Conservative senators, Harper claimed that the senate could not function properly with the vacancies, and also stated that the new senators would help the Conservative party pass legislation more easily.
On November 5, 2007, Harper supported a motion made by the NDP to organize a referendum that would decide the fate of the Senate which would include the possibility of abolishing it as Jack Layton described it as "outdated institution that has no place in a modern democracy". However, experts said that the NDP-Conservative plan will likely fail with an historian indicating that it would be impossible to pass the motion with a Liberal-majority senate and to have an amendment to the constitution accepted by the majority of the provinces.
to Governor General Michaëlle Jean for appointment as the new Puisne Justice
to the Supreme Court of Canada
, on February 23, 2006. Rothstein had been 'short listed' with two other potential judges by a committee convened by the previous Liberal government. In keeping with election promises of a new appointment process, Harper announced Rothstein had to appear before an 'ad hoc
' non-partisan committee of 12 Members of Parliament. However, the committee did not have the power to veto the appointment, which was what some members of his own party had called for.
Cabinet of Canada
The Cabinet of Canada is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada...
, chaired by Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
, following the January 23, 2006 election of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
to a minority of seats in the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
, such as social and environmental policies. At the beginning of the government's appointment, five policy priorities were identified in the areas of federal accountability, tax reform, crime, child care and health care.
2006 Budget
The first federal budget of the Conservative government was released on May 2, 2006 by Finance Minister Jim FlahertyJim Flaherty
James Michael "Jim" Flaherty, PC, MP is Canada's Minister of Finance and he has also served as Ontario's Minister of Finance. From 1995 until 2005, he was the Member of Provincial Parliament for Whitby—Ajax, and a member of the Progressive Conservative Party caucus...
. The budget included a 1% cut to the federal Goods and Services Tax
Goods and Services Tax (Canada)
The Goods and Services Tax is a multi-level value added tax introduced in Canada on January 1, 1991, by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and his finance minister Michael Wilson. The GST replaced a hidden 13.5% Manufacturers' Sales Tax ; Mulroney claimed the GST was implemented because the MST...
from 7% to 6%
The Conservatives argued that the GST cuts would benefit all Canadians, including low-income earners and those outside the workforce who do not pay income tax. The first GST cut went into effect on July 1, 2006, and no provinces have raised provincial sales tax as of yet. In addition, the Conservatives rolled back the income tax cut on the lowest tax bracket, restoring it back to 15.5% from 15%, increased and added tax exemption rates and introduced a $100 monthly child care allowance for families with children at or under the age of six. The Liberals and NDP voiced disapproval over the Conservatives following through on their election promise to replace the Liberal's proposed child care policy with their own, and for replacing Canada's $4 billion environmental policy with a $2 billion Conservative plan. The budget passed third reading without dissent on June 6, 2006 when the members of the Opposition accidentally failed to stand after the Deputy Speaker of the House called for debate.
Later during the fiscal year, in the face of record corporate conversions to income trust
Income trust
An income trust is an investment that may hold equities, debt instruments, royalty interests or real properties. The trust can receive interest, royalty or lease payments from an operating entity carrying on a business, as well as dividends and a return of capital.The main attraction of income...
s Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced a new tax on income trust
Income trust
An income trust is an investment that may hold equities, debt instruments, royalty interests or real properties. The trust can receive interest, royalty or lease payments from an operating entity carrying on a business, as well as dividends and a return of capital.The main attraction of income...
s. The government postponed the tax from taking effect until 2011 for existing trusts. The government argued that it could now allow giant corporations to convert as proposed by BCE for its Bell Canada subsidiary, "...a move that would save it $800 million in tax by 2008." Subsequent to the October 31 announcement by Flaherty, the TSX Capped Energy Trust Index lost 21.8% in market value and the TSX Capped Income Trust Index lost 17.6% in market value by mid November 2006. In contrast, the TSX Capped REIT Index, which is exempt from the 'Tax Fairness Plan', gained 3.2% in market value. According to the Canadian Association of Income Funds, this translates into a permanent loss in savings of $30 billion to Canadian Income Trust Investors http://www.caif.ca/content/CAIF_OtherChoicesAd.pdf. Harper later mentioned that this was "the toughest decision for the government". The Canadian Press voted the Harper Government and Jim Flaherty 'Business Newsmaker of 2006' for the announcement to tax Income Trusts on Halloween.
The budget was met with dissent by the Liberal and New Democratic parties and mostly positive reception from the Bloc. The Liberals and NDP voiced disapproval over the Conservatives following through on their election promise to replace the Liberals child care policy with their own, and for replacing Canada's $4 billion environmental policy with a $2 billion "made in Canada" plan of their design. The budget was met with widespread support amongst the business community and polling indicated that a clear majority of Canadians approved of the budget. While it initially appeared that the only way the Conservatives' budget would pass would be with the support of the Bloc Québécois
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
, the budget passed third reading without dissent on June 6, 2006 when the members of the Opposition accidentally failed to stand after the Deputy Speaker of the House called for debate. Because there were no speakers for the Opposition, the budget was declared passed with unanimous support and no recorded vote and thus forwarded to the Senate for approval. This marked the first time in Canadian Parliamentary history where a government's budget passed unanimously on the third and final reading. On September 25, 2006, the Conservative government announced that within the fiscal year, there was a $13.2 billion surplus that will be used to pay down the country's debt.
2007 budget
Flaherty presented the second budget of the Conservative government on March 19, 2007. While no income tax and GST cuts were announced, various tax credits and exemptions were announced including a tax credit (of up to $310 per child) for some families with children under 18. Another major announcement was the enrichment of the transfers to provinces in an effort to deal with the so-called "fiscal imbalance". The budget passed the House of Commons with the support of the Bloc Québécois due to additional funds that the province of Quebec received thanks to the enriched equalization transfers. Reactions from provinces were mixed but several provinces criticized that measure including Nova ScotiaNova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
Premier Rodney MacDonald
Rodney MacDonald
Rodney Joseph MacDonald is a Canadian politician, educator and musician who served as the 26th Premier of Nova Scotia from 2006 to 2009 and as MLA for the riding of Inverness in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1999 to 2009....
and Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
Premier Danny Williams
Danny Williams (politician)
Daniel E. "Danny" Williams, QC, MHA is a Canadian politician, businessman and lawyer who served as the ninth Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador between November 6, 2003, and December 3, 2010. Williams was born and raised in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador...
arguing that Harper broke a written promise to shield revenues from oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
and natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
from being included in equalization formulas. Harper has denied this and accused Williams of misinforming the province, insisting that he has not reneged on his promise since the new formula yields the province greater funding despite the inclusion of natural resource revenues. http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=5a801300-758a-4b5c-9cfc-ad82d2eba899&k=24751.
On October 30, 2007, the Conservatives tabled an economic statement (similar to a mini-budget) and announced various tax cuts and exemptions. Overall, the budget included a total of $60 billion in tax cuts over five years including $14 billion in corporate tax cuts by 2012 (or a drop of 33%), accelerated their promised further 1% drop of the GST (to 5%) and increased the basic personal tax exemption to $10,100 per year by 2009. The lowest personal tax rate was reduced from 15.5% to 15% retroactively effective 1 January 2007, reversing the rollback effected in the 2006 budget.
During the Throne Speech in 2007, Harper also addressed issues surrounding the economy because of difficulties in the manufacturing and forest sectors due to the loss of numerous jobs at several companies including the three major automakers in the United States and several small to large forest companies over the past few years. On January 10, 2008, the government announced a $1 billion relief fund for single-industry communities that were hit hard by recent closures particularly in the forest and manufacturing industries but also the fishing sector.
2008 budget
The third Conservative budget was tabled on February 26, 2008. The government announced there would be little to no new tax breaks as major tax cuts took place in the economic update during the fall of 2007 in anticipation of economic slowdowns in 2008. It was to be the last budget of the Conservative government's first term in office. Among the key announcements was the creation of a new $5000/year tax-free savings account (TFSA), funding for troubled manufacturing and forestry industries, a new Student Grant Program, higher defense spending, $500 million for transit and infrastructures and $400 million for hiring new police officers. The TFSA was touted as a badly needed addition to the Canadian tax system as it did not make sense for low income earners and seniors to make use of existing savings programs with tax incentives, such as RRSPs. In contrast, the TFSA could be used by such demographics to enjoy savings with tax benefits.2009 budget
The fourth Conservative budget was tabled on January 27, 2009, earlier than scheduled because of a Parliament dispute during the Fall of 2008 and the threat of a coalition between the NDP and the Liberal Party. Flaherty announced $40 billion in economic stimulus including income tax cuts and various tax credits as well as funding for infrastructure. The budget also forecast an $85 billion deficit for the next five years including $64 billion for the next two years. However the deficit was much larger for 2009 than was originally reported in the budget, by September 10, 2009 the deficit had reached 55.9 billion dollars. It is estimated the deficit over the next 5 or more years will be double what was originally reported in the 2009 budget, adding about 170 billion dollars to the Canadian debt.Environment
Harper and the Conservative government criticized the Kyoto Accord on measures to fight against global warming, saying that the economy would be crippled if Canada was forced to meet the Accord's timetable to reduce greenhouse gasGreenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
emissions. Harper considered the objectives implemented by Canada to meet its goals unrealistic and later further criticized the accord which did not set any targets for the world's biggest polluters.
The government's Clean Air Act
Clean Air Act
A Clean Air Act is one of a number of pieces of legislation relating to the reduction of airborne contaminants, smog and air pollution in general. The use by governments to enforce clean air standards has contributed to an improvement in human health and longer life spans...
was presented on October 19, 2006. Its main focus was to reduce greenhouse emissions to about 45-65% of the 2003 levels. The goal was set for the year 2050 with a decrease of greenhouse emissions starting in 2020. There were also regulations set for vehicle fuel consumption for 2011, while new measures would be set for industries starting in 2010. while oil companies would be forced to reduce emissions for each barrel produced. Additional targets and measures were introduced by Environment Minister John Baird
John Baird (Canadian politician)
John Russell Baird, PC, MP is a Canadian politician currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper....
in 2007 including fuel-efficient standards in which auto industries would comply. One of the plans also mentioned that over 700 big-polluter companies, including oil and gas, pulp and paper, electricity and iron and steel companies, will have to reduce green-house emissions by six percent from 2008 to 2010 and will have to report data on their emissions every year, on May 31.
In the 2007 Throne Speech, the government officially abandoned the Kyoto objectives in favor of their previous policies and accords with Asian and Pacific countries in which Harper joined the US-led Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate. On September 24, 2007, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, several among them being the biggest polluters.
Critics including the World Wildlife Fund said that the greenhouse emissions in 2020 will still be higher than the 1990 levels, while Canada will not meet Kyoto targets before 2025, 13 years after its objectives. High-profile figures including David Suzuki
David Suzuki
David Suzuki, CC, OBC is a Canadian academic, science broadcaster and environmental activist. Suzuki earned a Ph.D in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961, and was a professor in the genetics department of the University of British Columbia from 1963 until his retirement in 2001...
and Former US Vice-President Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
also criticized the plan as being insufficient.
Opposition members led by Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez tabled bill C-288, which would force the government to respect the measures of the Kyoto Accord and forced it to present its measures within 60 days. The bill passed third reading on February 14, 2007, 161-113 but the government said that it would not comply.
The Harper government also has drawn sharp international criticism for its stance on asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
which is heavily mined in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. In 2011, Canada continued to oppose adding the chrysotile form of asbestos to the Rotterdam Convention
Rotterdam Convention
The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, more commonly known simply as the ', is a multilateral treaty to promote shared responsibilities in relation to importation of hazardous chemicals...
, a treaty that would require exports of chrysotile to developing countries to contain warnings of carcinogenicity.Canada refuses to allow chrysotile to be added to Rotterdam Convention in 2011
Aid for farmers
In 2006, farmers demanded substantial aid from the federal government to be able to cope with a 2005 World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling that abolished subsidies and other trade barriers in the agriculture industry before 2013.The farmers, especially from the Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
region drove their tractors to Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
, as well as oil and food terminals across Ottawa and in front of the Prime Minister's residence
24 Sussex Drive
24 Sussex Drive is the official residence of the Prime Minister of Canada, located in the New Edinburgh neighbourhood of Ottawa, Ontario. Built between 1866 and 1868 by Joseph Merrill Currier, it has been the official home of the Canadian prime minister since 1951.-History:The house at 24 Sussex...
to voice their concerns.
In the 2006 budget, the Conservatives announced an immediate $1.5 billion aid to farmers for the Grains and Oilseeds Payment Program. Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl
Chuck Strahl
Charles Strahl, PC, MP was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. He was a Member of Parliament in the governing Conservative Party of Canada.-Before politics:...
also announced in July $550 million in aid to low-income farmers with a two-year pilot project
On March 9, 2007, the government announced $1 billion in funding for farmers that would include payments to ease effects of high production costs and for various income programs.
Wheat Board
Strahl also planned to review the roles of the Canadian Wheat BoardCanadian Wheat Board
The Canadian Wheat Board was established by the Parliament of Canada on 5 July 1935 as a mandatory producer marketing system for wheat and barley in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and a small part of British Columbia...
, a monopoly
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
in the Canadian wheat industry. He wanted to end the "single desk" system which causes the monopoly, despite the opposition of farmers which supported the current role of the Board.
Age of consent
The Conservative Government raised the legal age of consentAge of consent
While the phrase age of consent typically does not appear in legal statutes, when used in relation to sexual activity, the age of consent is the minimum age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. The European Union calls it the legal age for sexual...
to 16 years. Justice Minister Vic Toews
Vic Toews
Victor "Vic" Toews, PC QC MP is a Canadian politician. He has represented Provencher in the Canadian House of Commons since 2000, and currently serves in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper as Minister of Public Safety. He previously served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from...
proposed the bill in order to protect youth against sexual predators. The Tackling Violent Crime Act took effect on 1 May 2008, making the current age of consent 16. A close in age exemption allows teenagers aged 14 and 15 to engage in sexual acts with partners who are less than 5 years older than them.http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/05/01/crime-bill.html Before this law, the age of consent was 14 (it had been set at 14 in 1890, before that date it was 12).
Same-sex marriage
During the 2006 election campaign, Stephen Harper promised a free vote to revisit the issue of same-sex marriageSame-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
which had been legalized in 2005 by the previous government. The vote took place on December 7, 2006: the government bill to change the status quo was rejected 175-123. Afterwards Harper told the media that he now considered the issue to be closed and that he would not pursue further legislation on the matter.
There were also plans to pass a law that would protect "freedom of religious expression", a law interpreted by some as a shield for opponents of same-sex marriage. The government cut funding to various social programs and festivals, some of which were related to the gay community such as Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
's Black and Blue Festival
Black and Blue Festival
The Black & Blue Festival is the world's largest gay-benefit dance festival, attracting thousands of tourists to Montreal every Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, which raises money for HIV/AIDS and the gay community. It is organized annually by the Bad Boy Club Montréal .The various events attract up...
, one of the biggest gay festivals in Canada.
The Harper government also reduced spending for women's advocacy work on the status of women in the country.
Child-care policy
In the 2006 budget, the Tories introduced a new child care allowance that gives parents with children under six years of age an allowance of $1200 per year, which is taxable in the hands of the lower income parent. The allowance is not tied to actual child care expenses, and is available to all parents, regardless of whether or not they use childcare services. The measures have cost the government about $3.7 billion per year. The Conservatives will terminate all child-care deals that were made between the previous government and several provinces after March 2007This measure was met with opposition by the provincial counterparts including Ontario's Dalton McGuinty
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
and Quebec's Premier Jean Charest
Jean Charest
John James "Jean" Charest, PC, MNA is a Canadian politician who has been the 29th Premier of Quebec since 2003. He was leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998 and has been leader of the Quebec Liberal Party since 1998....
. They claimed that it would not create additional daycare places which Minister Diane Finley
Diane Finley
Diane Finley, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. She serves as Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Of the 12 MPs in the Priorities and Planning Committee of cabinet , known as the inner cabinet, she is the only woman...
promised. Quebec officials also cited that it will harm provincial revenues and deteriorate fiscal equality. Other opponents mentioned that the spending was not adequate and did not address the need for child care spaces, particularly in urban centers. Supporters argued that the Liberal program the Tories replaced was inflexible and discriminated against stay-at-home parents. Harper has stated that his government will work with provincial and local governments, not-for-profit organizations, and employers to create additional spaces, and has set aside $250 million per year to fund these initiatives.
Poverty and homelessness
On December 19, 2006, the government announced $526 million of funding to tackle povertyPoverty in Canada
Poverty in Canada remains prevalent with some segments of society. The measurement of poverty has been a challenge as there is no official government measure. There is an ongoing debate in Canada about whether a relative measure of poverty, or absolute measure of poverty, is more valid...
and homelessness in Canada
Homelessness in Canada
Homelessness in Canada has grown in size and complexity in recent years. While historically known as a crisis only of urban centres such as Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Montreal, the increasing incidence of homelessness in the suburbs is necessitating new services and resources.The demographic...
with $270 million for the Homelessness Partnering Strategy and $246 million for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is a Crown corporation, owned by the Government of Canada, founded after World War II to provide housing for returning soldiers...
. It will provide funding for refurbishing and renovating low-income homes, as well as improving access for homeless people to various services and supports such as health and substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
treatment programs. Prior to the announcement, activists protested at Human Resources and Social Services Minister Diane Finley
Diane Finley
Diane Finley, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. She serves as Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Of the 12 MPs in the Priorities and Planning Committee of cabinet , known as the inner cabinet, she is the only woman...
's offices in Ottawa.
Aboriginals
The Conservative Party tabled about $9 billion for aboriginalAboriginal peoples in Canada
Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....
s in 2006-07 but with few measures announced in the 2007 budget. On March 22, 2007, a private bill was tabled in the House of Commons demanding an additional $5.1 billion for First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
, education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and housing
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
. The motion was adopted 176 to 126 with mainly Conservative members voting against. Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice
Jim Prentice
James "Jim" Prentice, PC, QC is a Canadian lawyer, and politician. In the 2004 federal election he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a candidate of the Conservative Party of Canada...
mentioned that it will ignore the motion that would have forced the government to implement measures in order to respect the Kelowna Accord
Kelowna Accord
The Kelowna Accord is a series of agreements between the Government of Canada, First Ministers of the Provinces, Territorial Leaders, and the leaders of five national aboriginal organizations in Canada. The Accord sought to improve the education, employment, and living conditions for Aboriginal...
which was concluded by the Liberals in 2005 prior to the 2006 elections and supported by former Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
. The Accord was supposed to give First Nations better health care, education and housing, but it lacked specific implementation details. In the 2008 budget, $330 million was announced for improving access to safe drinking water in First Nations Reserves with funding for economic improvement, services and health programs.
On June 11, 2008, Harper made a speech at the House of Commons in which he issued an official apology to the First Nation groups in regard to a residential school abuse in which children were isolated from their homes, families and cultures for a century. Opposition leaders also issued apologies. Harper admitted the responsibility of the wrong doing of the government: "The Government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
now recognizes it was wrong to forcibly remove children from their homes... to separate children from rich and vibrant traditions"
Veterans
The Conservatives' 2007 budget included $19 million to introduce an ombudsman's office and Veterans' Bill of RightsVeterans' Bill of Rights
The Veterans' Bill of Rights is a bill of rights in Canada for veterans of the Canadian Forces and Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It was enacted by the federal government in 2007...
. In April 2007, Harper and Minister of Veterans Affairs
Minister of Veterans Affairs (Canada)
The Minister of Veterans Affairs is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet whose position was created in 1944. The Department of Veterans Affairs Canada was split from the Department of Pensions and National Health and was given the responsibility of administering benefits and pensions...
Greg Thompson
Greg Thompson
Gregory Francis Thompson, PC, MP is a Canadian politician who served six terms as an MP.Thompson, a businessman and financial planner was first elected into the Canadian House of Commons in the Canadian federal election, 1988 as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada...
told the press in Kitchener, Ontario
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
that the bill of rights would come into effect soon. $282 million were announced in the 2008 budget to support war veterans.
Apology to Chinese-Canadians
On June 23, 2006, Stephen Harper offered full apology to Chinese Canadians for the country's treatment of Chinese immigrants during the years 1885 to 1923 on the imposing Head TaxHead tax (Canada)
The Chinese head tax was a fixed fee charged to each Chinese person entering Canada. The head tax was first levied after the Canadian parliament passed the Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 and was meant to discourage Chinese people from entering Canada after the completion of the Canadian Pacific...
policy to them, and subsequent discrimination policies, including subsequent exclusion of Chinese immigrants from 1923 until 1947. It is estimated about 82,000 Chinese paid the fee, first set at $50 and later raised to $500, about two years' wages at the time. For many years, the federal government refused to apologize, citing the possibilities of legal liabilities.
Near the end of 2005, the outgoing Liberal government offered to pay $12.5 million for the creation of a new non-profit foundation to educate Canadians about anti-Chinese discrimination, though no money would go to individuals who had paid the tax, and the grant was on the pre-condition of "no apology" by the government. It was met with controversy, as the Liberals had not consulted many of the major Canadian-Chinese groups (despite claiming to), and as the promised amount was reduced to $2.5 million. Midway through the election campaign, Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
offered an apology on radio but not in Parliament.http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/ChineseHeadTaxissuesGimWongsRideforRedress/_archives/2005
Harper said that Chinese-Canadians who paid the tax or their surviving spouses will receive a symbolic $20,000 ex-gratia payment.
Consumer product safety
Following a series of products consumer due to safety and health concerns in 2007, the government adopted a series of measures to enhance and improve consumer product safety laws. In the new Canada Consumer Product Safety Act as well as amendments to the Food and Drug Act, measures included developing tighter manufacturing standards, mandatory reports by industries on any injuries, deaths or other problems on various products as well as more authority by the government to mandate recalls on various products. The government also announced higher fines for industries failing to the new laws as well as the increase number of inspections and inspectors.Bill C-10
In late-February 2008, the government announced its intention on amending the Income Tax ActIncome Tax Amendments Act, 2006
The Tax Amendments Act, 2006 is a Bill in the Canadian Legislature numbered as Bill C-10 of the second session of the 39th Parliament of Canada and containing a controversial clause that David Cronenberg and Sarah Polley have argued represents censorship of Canadian films...
which would suspend any tax credits to any film or television production which would include content judging too offensive to the general public. The Canadian Family Action Coalition had pushed the federal government for the funding cuts and is supported by the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party citing that governments should be careful about putting taxpayers money for movies with too much sexual content. The bill was met with opposition by the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
ACTRA
The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists is a Canadian labour union representing performers in English-language media. It has 22,000 members working in film, television, radio, and all other recorded media....
citing it has grave implication to the actors while calling it morally offensive to modern Canadian society. Canadian Actress Sarah Polley
Sarah Polley
Sarah Polley is a Canadian actress, singer, film director, and screenwriter. Polley first attained notice in her role as Sara Stanley in the Canadian television series, Road to Avonlea...
, added that the bill would amount to "censorship" and that the definition of offensive is "extremely vague and dangerous to be using". MP Jim Abbott
Jim Abbott (politician)
James "Jim" Abbott, PC, MP was a Conservative member of Canada's House of Commons. Abbott was a member of the Reform Party from 1993 to 2000 and a member of the Canadian Alliance from 2000 to 2004...
cited that "the bill does nothing to obstruct filmmakers -- it just stops the government from footing bills for films that don't fall in line with Canadians' morals". Similar legislation was unanimously passed in 2003. Director Ang Lee has also spoken out on bill C-10. He stated that "“People should be free to say anything," though he himself has never been censored even under the Chinese film boards strict review process.
Immigration
In March 2008 as part of the annual budget, the government introduced several laws to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. The changes would have helped to streamline immigrant application back-up, to speed up application for skilled workers and to rapidly reject other ones that are judged not admissible by immigration officers. Immigrant applications had risen to a high of 900 000, creating a delay of up to six months for an application to be processed. The bill also provided more power to the Minister to set limits on the types of immigrants that can have their application processed. The government added that the reforms would have provided more skilled workers to the country. The opposition members criticized the measures because it would shut the door on immigrants while giving the Minister too much power to decide on who can enter Canada and others not. Trinity—SpadinaTrinity—Spadina
Trinity—Spadina is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988.It generally encompasses the western portion of Downtown Toronto. In the 2001 Canadian census, the riding had 106,094 people, of whom 74,409 were eligible to...
MP Olivia Chow
Olivia Chow
Olivia Chow is a Canadian New Democratic Party Member of Parliament and former city councillor in Toronto. She won the Trinity—Spadina riding for the New Democratic Party on January 23, 2006, becoming a member of the Canadian House of Commons. Most recently, she was re-elected in her riding for...
had proposed an amendment to remove the measures as part of the budget. Immigration Minister Diane Finley
Diane Finley
Diane Finley, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. She serves as Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Of the 12 MPs in the Priorities and Planning Committee of cabinet , known as the inner cabinet, she is the only woman...
stated that the current government helped process applications 20 to 40 percent faster than before the measures were announced.
Bill C-484
In early 2008, Conservative MP Ken EppKen Epp
Ken Epp is a Canadian politician.Epp was a member of the Conservative Party of Canada in the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Edmonton—Sherwood Park since its creation in June 2004. He was previously the MP for Elk Island from 1993 to 2004...
tabled private member's bill C-484 in which harming a fetus would constitute a crime. Opponents of the bill, including medical specialists in Quebec, alleged that the bill would open the door for an abortion ban. The bill passed first reading in March 2008 with the support of the opposition.
However, Harper has indicated that he did not wish to re-open the abortion debate.
Official languages
On June 19, 2008, Heritage and Official Languages Minister Josee VernerJosée Verner
Josée Verner, PC, is a Canadian politician. She represented the electoral district of Louis-Saint-Laurent in the Canadian House of Commons from 2006 to 2011 as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada...
announced that the government will invest about $1.1 billion each year until 2013 to promote the official languages and dual linguistic. The plan is to facilitate cultural minority group most notably in education and health. Part of the plan was part of recommendations made by former New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord as part of a report on the state of official languages in Canada. The government also announced the support program for official languages which replaced an older judiciary program.
Arts and Culture cuts
Prior to the start of the 2008 electionCanadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
campaign, Minister Josee Verner announced $45 million in cutbacks to arts and cultural programs. Harper explained that ordinary Canadians cannot relate to "rich galas" where artists complain about their subsidies. He also noted that the overall budget of Canadian Heritage has climbed eight per cent." Many actors across the country had criticized the move citing that the arts and culture industries represent over 1.1 million jobs in Canada and contributes to about $86 billion to its gross domestic product.
The Conservatives only elected 10 MPs in Quebec where the opposition against the cuts was the most imposing. It also prevented them from winning a majority government for the second straight election. James Moore
James Moore (Canadian politician)
James Moore, PC, MP is the Canadian Member of Parliament for Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam. He is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada...
who replaced Verner as Heritage Minister following the election stated that he had no plans to cancel the cutbacks citing the decisions made were in the past but added that there will be opportunities in the future to view the spending.
Interior security
- For border security measures, see Foreign policy of the Harper governmentForeign policy of the Harper governmentThe Conservative Party Government of Canada led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been involved in several ways overseas, particularly due to its role alongside the United States in the War against terror originated from the September 11, 2001 attacks in the U.S.-Relations with the United...
Transit security
On November 14, 2006, Transport MinisterMinister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
Lawrence Cannon
Lawrence Cannon
Lawrence Cannon, PC is a Canadian politician from Quebec and Prime Minister Stephen Harper's former Quebec lieutenant. On October 30, 2008 he was sworn in as Minister of Foreign Affairs...
announced an immediate $37 million investment on improving security in public transit systems across the country. Cannon said that transit systems are not immune to terrorist attacks like those that hit Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
over the past two years. Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
received $11 million each, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
$1.2 million while Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
and Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
also received a certain amount. The money will be used for security plans, public awarenesses and training. The Toronto Transit Commission
Toronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
and OC Transpo
OC Transpo
OC Transpo is the urban transit service of the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. An integrated hub-and-spoke system of services is available consisting of: regular buses travelling on fixed routes in mixed traffic, typical of most urban transit systems; a bus rapid transit system — a high...
requested that the money would be spent on installing cameras inside buses. Subsequently it was revealed that while 40% of all transit users in Canada use the TTC
Toronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
, and 85% of Toronto transit riders use the TTC, it will only receive $1.46 million, with the remaining grant used for GO Transit
GO Transit
GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
and Union Station. This stance is further evidence of the Harper government to support provincial projects (GO Transit is a provincial transit system) and continue to force municipalities to fend for themselves.
Crime policy
The government promised to be tough on crime by imposing tougher sentences to people committing firearmFirearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
offenses and violent crimes; a promise made by Harper after a record number of fatalities
Fatality
Fatality may refer to:* Death* Fatalism* A fatal error, in computing* Fatality , a finishing move in the Mortal Kombat series of fighting games* Fatality , a character published by DC Comics...
by gun-related incidents in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in 2005. They are also on the process of creating a new law that would impose tougher sentences for repeat crime offenders, eliminating house arrest or conditional sentences of offenders and a legislation targeting impaired drivers and street racing. Several anti-crime bills were progressing in the House but failed to pass the Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
as a new Throne Speech was announced for October 2007 in which several of the measures were re-announced. The new bill, called the Tackling Violent Crime Act (or Bill C-2), consisted of five bills many of them from cancelled legislations and included measures the age of consent, repeat and violent offenders. A confidence motion on the bill was tabled and passed the House 172-27 on February 12, 2008 as all Liberal MPs abstained from voting. The motion is set to presented at the Senate in March 2008
On October 4, 2007, the government announced a new national drug plan, that would include mandatory jail sentences for drug trafficking offenses. In addition, the government announced funding for treatment and prevention, including a Prevention Campaign Program for youth. The government pledged about $64 million to fund the drug plan, and characterized the new policy as a balance between prevention and punishment. In 2006, the Conservatives had annulled a bill introduced by the Liberals which would have decriminalized possession of small amounts of cannabis. Cannabis-related arrests have increased significantly since.
In the 2008 budget, the government announced $400 million to help set up a Recruitment Fund in which it will help all provinces and territories to hire as much 2 500 police officers while additional funding was announced for jails.
On April 14, 2008 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the government introduced new legislatures in regards to car theft. The news laws would make illegal to tamper with vehicle identification numbers, would target organized group specialized in car and parts theft, chop shops and stolen property trafficking. According to the government, auto thefts are costing about $1.6 billion to Canadians. The city of Winnipeg has the highest number of cars stolen per population.
On February 26, 2009, the government announced in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, a new anti-gang legislation that would make gang-killing a first degree murder offense with mandatory minimum sentences for drive-by shootings of 4 years in prison except for 5 years if committed on behalf of a gang organization. In the weeks prior to the new bill, there were 18 shootings related to a gang war in the Greater Vancouver Area. Stiffer sentences of at least 14 years in jail for aggravated assault and assault with a weapon against a police officer were also announced. The following day, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson
Rob Nicholson
Robert Douglas "Rob" Nicholson, PC, QC, MP , is the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. He is a current member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Niagara Falls for the Conservative Party and the current Minister of Justice after serving for one year as...
also announced minimum mandatory sentences for drug dealers and traffickers. According to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act is Canada's federal drug control statute. Passed in 1996 by the Chrétien government, it repeals the Narcotic Control Act and Parts III and IV of the Food and Drug Act and establishes eight Schedules of controlled substances and two Classes of precursors...
, one-year sentences would be given for marijuana drug dealing linked to organized crime, two-year sentences for hard drugs trafficking as well as a maximum of 14 years in prison for big pot grow-ups.
Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act
The House of Commons defeated a motion 159-124 to extend two provisions of the Canadian Anti-Terrorism ActCanadian Anti-Terrorism Act
The Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act was passed by the Liberal government of Canada in response to the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. It received Royal Assent on December 18, 2001, as Bill C-36. The "omnibus" bill extends the powers of government and institutions within the Canadian...
on February 28, 2007. The two provisions were created five years ago after the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
in the United States, but opposition parties criticized them as a violation of civil liberties. Those in favor of renewal argued that not renewing the provisions would compromise the security of Canadians. The two provisions expired on March 1, 2007
Gun registry
Since in power, the Conservatives had announced their intentions of significantly reforming or even abolishing. the gun registry program implemented in 1995 citing the cost overruns of hundreds of million of dollars while the Tories also criticized the effectiveness of the registry to track every gun as well as being a nuisance for firearm owners. He added that: "Duck-hunters, farmers and law-abiding gun owners do not pose a threat to Canadians, criminals do". A report conducted by Auditor General Sheila FraserSheila Fraser
Sheila Fraser served as Auditor General of Canada from 2001 to 2011.Ms. Fraser was born in Dundee, Quebec, Canada. She earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University in 1972. She then became a chartered accountant in 1974 and FCA in 1994...
estimated the costs at nearly $1 billion for the first 10 years of its implementation.
On June 19, 2006, the Conservatives introduced the bill to eliminate the program though it did not pass the House vote. It was re-introduced on November 16, 2007 but the motion failed again. On April 1, 2009, the Conservatives had planned to re-introduced again the legislation but at the Senate.
While not succeeding in abolishing the program, the government did reform part of the registry. Among the changes made by the Conservatives to the registry, it eliminated within the scope of the registry long guns such as rifles and shotguns, a move that expected to affect up to 320,000 people. It also waived some license fees and extended registry deadlines for long gun owners. Ontario's Attorney General Michael Bryant
Michael Bryant (politician)
Michael J. Bryant is former public administrator and former politician in Ontario, Canada. A Harvard-trained lawyer, he was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the electoral district of St. Paul's for the Ontario Liberal Party from 1999 until 2009...
had criticized the amnesty move in 2007 accusing Ottawa of being "in the holster of the gun lobby. By 2008, the federal government had refunded up to $21 million in license fees to 340 000 gun owners.
Supporters of keeping the gun registry cited that better gun controls would prevent events such as the Dawson College shooting
Dawson College shooting
The Dawson College shooting occurred on September 13, 2006 at Dawson College, a CEGEP in Westmount near downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The perpetrator, Kimveer Gill, began shooting outside the de Maisonneuve Boulevard entrance to the school, and moved towards the atrium by the cafeteria on the...
in 2006 and the Ecole Polytechnique massacre
École Polytechnique massacre
The École Polytechnique Massacre, also known as the Montreal Massacre, was a hate crime perpetrated on December 6, 1989 at the École Polytechnique in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Twenty-five-year-old Gamil Rodrigue Liass Gharbi, who had changed his name to Marc Lépine, armed with a legally obtained...
in 1989. One of the victims of the Dawson shooting also challenged Harper for a debate on gun control. Among the groups opposed to the Conservatives plan included the Canadian Auto Workers
Canadian Auto Workers
The Canadian Auto Workers is one of Canada's largest and highest profile social unions. While rooted in Ontario's large auto plants of Windsor, Brampton, Oakville, St...
and the Quebec Women's Federation. A study from Swiss research group, Graduate Institute of International Studies, also cited, in a report called Small Arms Survey 2006, that maintaining the gun registry was more cost effective saving Canada up to $1.4 billion a year in costs associated with gun violence while citing a sharp decrease in the number of gun deaths and injuries.
Patient Wait Times Guarantee
The conservative government promised to introduce a "Patient Wait Times Guarantee" in conjunction with the provinces. Harper has recently been criticized by prominent media figures, such as Paul Wells, for downplaying this fifth and final priority.On January 11, 2007, Harper announced a $2.6 million pilot project involving a network of 16 pediatric hospitals across the nation. The plan is to monitor wait times in various children's hospitals and in the long range, surgery wait times. Similar existing measures have been implemented in the post by several provincial governments. Critics mentioned that the federal government had interfered in provincial jurisdictions while Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
's Intergovermental Affairs
Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs (Ontario)
The Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs is responsible for intergovernmental affairs between the Canadian province of Ontario and the other provinces and territories and the Canadian government...
Minister Marie Bountrogianni
Marie Bountrogianni
Marie Bountrogianni BA, MEd, D.Ed is a psychologist, politician, and was the President and Executive Director of ROM Governors. She was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and a cabinet minister in the government of Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty.Bountrogianni was born in Hamilton,...
cited the deal as a "photo-op" and an insignificant contribution to the health system. Previously, on January 5, 2007, the government also launched a similar pilot project worth $3.7 million for guaranteed wait times for aboriginal people from First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
reserves in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
who have "diabetes related-foot ulcers and possible amputations"
On April 4, 2007, a deal between Ottawa and the 13 provinces and territories was concluded in which guaranteed wait times will be implemented country-wide by two measures including funding for provinces to reach the goal. $612 million were given to the provinces during the 2007 federal budget. Health information and communication technologies were part of the second measure which included the participation of a non-profit organization, the Canada Health Infoway
Canada Health Infoway
Canada Health Infoway is an independent, federally-funded, not-for-profit organization tasked with accelerating the development of electronic health records across Canada. As a strategic investor, they work with Canadian provinces and territories with the goal of creating an electronic health...
which will improve medical information notably for doctors.
Canadian Partnership Against Cancer
On November 24, 2006, Harper announced the Canadian Partnership Against CancerCanadian Partnership Against Cancer
The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer will be a not-for-profit corporation to implement the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control. It was announced on 23 November 2006, and will be funded $260 million over five years...
, a 5-year $260 million national plan on battling different types of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. This not-for-profit organization will be monitored and evaluated by Health Canada
Health Canada
Health Canada is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for national public health.The current Minister of Health is Leona Aglukkaq, a Conservative Member of Parliament appointed to the position by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.-Branches, regions and agencies:Health Canada...
. Prior to that announcement on October 23, Health Minister Tony Clement
Tony Clement
Tony Peter Clement, PC, MP is a Canadian federal politician, President of the Treasury Board, Minister for the Federal Economic Initiative for Northern Ontario and member of the Conservative Party of Canada....
also launched an 8.4 million dollar heart health strategy that plans to tackle the issue of heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
s and other related issues.
Toxic chemicals
On December 8, 2006, the government announced plan to crack down on the usage of toxic chemicals. The plan is worth an estimated $300 million over four years and would either eliminate, control or reduce some of the more hazardous toxic chemicals in order to protect the environmentNatural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
and the health and safety of Canadians, particularly in workplaces, as well as animals. The plan is a follow-up to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act
Canadian Environmental Protection Act
The Canadian Environmental Protection Act of 1999 is "An Act respecting pollution prevention and the protection of the environment and human health in order to contribute to sustainable development."...
that had previously named and targeted a series of dangerous substances.
Tainted blood scandal
On December 15, 2006, the government announced that it will officially compensate victims of a tainted blood scandalTainted blood scandal
The terms tainted blood scandal, contaminated blood scandal, or infected blood scandal may be a reference to:*Contaminated haemophilia blood products...
in which thousands of people were affected by Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is an infectious disease primarily affecting the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus . The infection is often asymptomatic, but chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis, which is generally apparent after many years...
(during blood transfusion
Blood transfusion
Blood transfusion is the process of receiving blood products into one's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used in a variety of medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood...
s) before 1986 and after 1990. Those affected between 1986 and 1990 had already received the compensation in 1998. The amount of this deal was estimated at about $1 billion dollars.
Education
During the 2008 federal budget, the government announced the creation of a new $350 million Student Grant Program for post-secondary students. The plan replaced the Millennium Scholarship Fund introduced in the late 1990s. Additional funding was announced for improvement other programs such as Canadian Student Loan Program.The Federal Accountability Act
On April 11, 2006, President of the Treasury BoardPresident of the Treasury Board (Canada)
The position of President of the Treasury Board was created as a ministerial position in the Canadian Cabinet in 1966 when the Treasury Board became a full-fledged department. From 1867 to 1966 the Treasury Board had been part of the Department of Finance....
John Baird
John Baird (Canadian politician)
John Russell Baird, PC, MP is a Canadian politician currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper....
, on behalf of the Canadian government, tabled the Federal Accountability Act and Action Plan. The plan will reduce the opportunity to exert influence with money by banning corporate, union, and large personal political donations; five-year lobbying ban on former ministers, their aides, and senior public servants; providing protection for whistleblowers; and enhancing the power for the Auditor General to follow the money spent by the government.
While the government hopes to have this act passed before the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
breaks for the summer, questions have arisen surrounding elements of the Federal Accountability Act and how it might affect the 2006 Liberal leadership convention. A $1,000 donation limit has been proposed as part of the Federal Accountability Act with political party convention donations being tied to this amount. The Liberal Party of Canada's leadership convention scheduled for December 2006 contains a $995 convention fee, which under the proposed Accountability Act could prevent convention delegates from donating anything beyond their convention fee or prevent the delegate's presence at the convention should their convention fee in conjunction with any donations prior to the convention put them above the donation limit. Some of the Senate majority-holding Liberal Senators have threatened to stall the Federal Accountability Act in the upper chamber until after December because of the effect the proposed donation limits may have on political party conventions.
On March 13, 2008, Justice John Gomery
John Gomery
John H. Gomery, BCL, BA, QC is a retired Canadian jurist. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Personal life:Gomery has a daughter, Cym Gomery, who is a partisan and candidate of municipal party Projet Montreal. Gomery is fluently bilingual, as is his daughter...
, who had led the commission
Gomery Commission
The Gomery Commission, formally the Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities, was a federal Canadian Royal Commission headed by the retired Justice John Gomery for the purpose of investigating the sponsorship scandal, which involved allegations of corruption...
into the federal sponsorship scandal
Sponsorship scandal
The sponsorship scandal, "AdScam", "Sponsorship" or Sponsorgate, is a scandal that came as a result of a Canadian federal government "sponsorship program" in the province of Quebec and involving the Liberal Party of Canada, which was in power from 1993 to 2006...
, told the government operations Committee that most of the recommendations he made in his report were still not implemented. He added that the prime minister's office was "developing a dangerous concentration of power" and that certain members such as non-elected officials are gaining more power while less-known MPs have little influence. He cited that the government's Federal Accountability Act was drafted well before its report and was short of what was required.
National unity
After sidestepping the political landmine for most of his first year in office, much as all of the post-Charlottetown AccordCharlottetown Accord
The Charlottetown Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada, proposed by the Canadian federal and provincial governments in 1992. It was submitted to a public referendum on October 26 of that year, and was defeated.-Background:...
Prime Ministers had done, Harper reopened the debate on November 22, 2006, by introducing a motion in the House of Commons to recognize the Québécois
Québécois
The French word Québécois and anglicised as ' , is used in both French and English to refer to different persons or concepts, depending on the language and/or the context in which the word is being used...
as a "nation within Canada." His hand was forced after the opposition Bloc Québécois
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
were to introduce a motion that called for recognition of Quebec as a "nation", but not within Canada. The Bloc later modified partly his motion and later decided to support the Conservative motion, which was greeted by Parti Québécois
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
Leader Andre Boisclair
André Boisclair
André Boisclair is a politician in Quebec, Canada. He was the leader of the Parti Québécois, a social democratic and separatist party in Quebec....
and by Quebec Premier Minister Jean Charest
Jean Charest
John James "Jean" Charest, PC, MNA is a Canadian politician who has been the 29th Premier of Quebec since 2003. He was leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998 and has been leader of the Quebec Liberal Party since 1998....
. However, Intergovermental Minister Michael Chong
Michael Chong
Michael David Chong, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. He has represented the riding of Wellington—Halton Hills in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004. He served in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Sport, as well as the...
said he didn't want the country's unity to be compromised and divided. He resigned his Cabinet position on November 27 over the matter, ahead of a vote on the motion which passed first reading in the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
266 to 16. It also rejected a Bloc Québécois amendment
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
that did not have mention of Canada.
Fixed election dates
In 2007, parliament passed the government's bill that would set fixed election dates. Future elections will be held on the third Monday in October in the fourth calendar year following polling day for the last general election. The first election after the bill was made law did not, in fact, occur on the fixed election date; Harper argued that he had to call an election early because the minority parliament had become dysfunctional. The law does not curtail the power of the governor general to dissolve parliament at any time, meaning the prime minister may advise such a move whenever he or she feels is prudent.Senate reform
During the 2006 election, Harper had promised that he would push for a major reform in the Canadian SenateCanadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
, one of the main objectives of the former Reform Party
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
, promising that Senators would be elected. On December 13, 2006, Harper introduced a bill that would "bring democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
" to the Senate and on September 7, 2006, Harper became the first Canadian Prime Minister to appear before a Senate committee and was present to make his government's case for Senate reform. Critics, though, believed that it would require an amendment to the Constitution
Constitution of Canada
The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada; the country's constitution is an amalgamation of codified acts and uncodified traditions and conventions. It outlines Canada's system of government, as well as the civil rights of all Canadian citizens and those in Canada...
.
With one notable exception (below), as Prime Minister he refused to make any appointments to the Senate pending such reforms. This resulted in 16 senate vacancies by the time he won his first re-election in October 2008.
The one notable exception was Michael Fortier
Michael Fortier
Michael M. Fortier, PC is a former Canadian Minister of International Trade and a former Conservative senator from Quebec...
: When Mr Harper first took office he resorted to the appointment of the unelected Michael Fortier
Michael Fortier
Michael M. Fortier, PC is a former Canadian Minister of International Trade and a former Conservative senator from Quebec...
to both the Senate and the Cabinet
Cabinet of Canada
The Cabinet of Canada is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada...
, arguing the government needed representation from the city of Montreal. Although this is not without precedence in the Westminster system
Westminster System
The Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
, this led to many criticisms given the Reform Party of Canada
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
's position supporting an elected Senate
Triple-E Senate
The Triple-E Senate is a proposed variation of reform to the current Canadian Senate, calling for senators to be elected to exercise effective powers in numbers equally representative of each province; this is in contrast to the present arrangement wherein individuals are appointed to the Senate...
. In 2008 Mr Fortier
Michael Fortier
Michael M. Fortier, PC is a former Canadian Minister of International Trade and a former Conservative senator from Quebec...
gave up his senate seat and sought election as a Member of Parliament
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
but was, in the words of Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...
, "trounced." Upon re-election in 2008, Harper named Senate reform again as a priority.
On December 11, 2008 it was reported that Harper would fill all 18 senate vacancies with Conservative Party loyalists. This was to prevent a possible coalition government from filling the vacancies, which at the time seemed imminent. The reports were confirmed on December 22, 2008 that Harper had filled all of the senate vacancies with Conservatives.
On the August 27th, 2009 Harper again filled senate vacancies with 9 more Conservative senators, Harper claimed that the senate could not function properly with the vacancies, and also stated that the new senators would help the Conservative party pass legislation more easily.
On November 5, 2007, Harper supported a motion made by the NDP to organize a referendum that would decide the fate of the Senate which would include the possibility of abolishing it as Jack Layton described it as "outdated institution that has no place in a modern democracy". However, experts said that the NDP-Conservative plan will likely fail with an historian indicating that it would be impossible to pass the motion with a Liberal-majority senate and to have an amendment to the constitution accepted by the majority of the provinces.
Supreme Court appointments
Aside from his legislative agenda, Harper put forward Marshall RothsteinMarshall Rothstein
Marshall Rothstein, QC, B.Comm, LLB is a Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.-Early life:Born in Winnipeg to Jewish parents who immigrated from Eastern Europe, he received a Bachelor of Commerce in 1962 and an LL.B. in 1966 from the University of Manitoba...
to Governor General Michaëlle Jean for appointment as the new Puisne Justice
Puisne Justice
A Puisne Justice or Puisne Judge is the title for a regular member of a Court. This is distinguished from the head of the Court who is known as the Chief Justice or Chief Judge. The term is used almost exclusively in common law jurisdictions such as England, Australia, Kenya, Canada, Sri Lanka,...
to the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
, on February 23, 2006. Rothstein had been 'short listed' with two other potential judges by a committee convened by the previous Liberal government. In keeping with election promises of a new appointment process, Harper announced Rothstein had to appear before an 'ad hoc
Ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....
' non-partisan committee of 12 Members of Parliament. However, the committee did not have the power to veto the appointment, which was what some members of his own party had called for.