To the Editor:
With the House of Commons due to resume in four weeks, political parties will soon be holding their summer Caucus meetings to plan for the fall.
Some unforeseen events will undoubtedly throw everyone a few curves. But two topics are likely to dominate - an uncertain economy for which the government has no apparent plan (beyond more ham-fisted austerity) and Mr. Harper's on-going struggles with ethical lapses and criminal investigations.
The primary focus must be on the needs of Canada's struggling middle-class and all those who are working so hard to get there. They drive both our economy and our democracy. And they're under a lot of pressure. Mid-level incomes have been flat for a long time, while the cost-of-living and household debt continue to rise.
Unemployment is stubbornly high - 39,000 more jobs were lost in July. Job quality and stability are deteriorating. Some 70 per cent of those who work in the private sector cannot count on a company pension. About 60 per cent of middle-class families doubt they'll be able to afford higher education for their kids. In 40 per cent of "empty-nester" families, adult children have moved back home.
The Harper government claims to be helping by cutting taxes, but for all their talk, in their last four budgets they've actually increased the net federal tax burden. They've also slashed direct federal funding for community infrastructure by $1.5-billion both this year and next. And they've refused to invest a single penny of new money in the critical field of skills training. Clearly, Parliament has a lot of work to do on an economic plan that is coherent, relevant and effective. Meanwhile, angst is also growing about violations of public trust.
In the early summer, it was that secret $90,000 deal between Stephen Harper's closest advisor (Nigel Wright) and the infamous Mike Duffy. More recently, it's revelations about Pamela Wallin which raise further questions about the Prime Minister's judgment and his refusal to provide a shred of accountability.
But Canadians should not be surprised. Integrity issues have swirled around this tainted regime from the very beginning.
There are other major investigations underway about improper campaign behaviour in Labrador and Peterborough. And of course, there's that massive unresolved "robocall" scandal that started in the Conservative campaign in Guelph and could have afflicted more than 200 ridings across the country.
This was a blatant attempt to confuse and mislead people, effectively preventing them from getting to the polls to vote. The technical term is "voter suppression". It's illegal in Canada. The Federal Court calls such behaviour "electoral fraud". And it happened on this government's watch.
Such tampering with democracy is gravely wrong.
Ralph Goodale, MP, Wascana, SK.
