Congrats Prime Minister Harper, Now the Real Test Begins

It has been a long wait for Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada.  Harper has now not only survived three elections, an attempted coalition coup, and numerous scandals, but he has also come out as the leader of a strong majority that toppled the mighty Liberal Party. The Liberal defeat was monumental because, for the first time in  history, the Liberals are not the Official Opposition or the ruling party. Harper has overcome his perceived lack of charisma with a steady hand and has led our country out of the recession with an economy that is one of the strongest in the industrialized world. Much of this can be credited to poor leadership of the Liberal party, but Canadians have decided that it is time that Stephen Harper be given a chance to lead this country unhindered by the constraints of a minority government. However, Harper needs to make some changes in order gain the hearts and minds of the Canadian people.

Much has been said of Harper’s autocratic style of governing, particularly over his own party. Nobody likes back door politics, but much of his autocratic style can be attributed to the fact that he was pushed up against a wall by a pack of hungry wolves for six years. Facing intense scrutiny from the Bloc, the Liberals and the NDP, Harper had to be strict with his own party, for any infighting would have surely led to further political drama. Now that he has full control, and that the scrutiny of the rest of Parliament has a lesser political impact, Harper must open up dialogue within his own party. If he continues to rule with an iron fist, Canadians will remain wary of his leadership. A more open Harper would be a much more popular Prime Minister.

To build on this point, eliminating the voter subsidy would be a terrible mistake by Harper. Not only would it be viewed as dictatorial by much of the Canadian public, but it would also be a poor move politically. Sustaining separate national campaigns would become much more difficult for the NDP and the Liberals without the voter subsidy, and could force them to unite and become a much more threatening force to the Conservatives.

Harper also has to remember the real difference between this election and his last two. Most of his seats were gained in Ontario and British Columbia, both former Liberal strongholds. The Conservatives must strive to be a party for all Canadians. Although this election showed a clear desire for more right-wing politics by many Canadians, Canada remains a fairly liberal place, and Harper must resist the temptation to lean too far right.

Harper must continue to encourage growth and investment in our economy through tax cuts and opening up our borders to foreign investment. Our country has the greatest wealth of natural resources in the world, and our economy will remain commodity-driven for years. It is Harper’s job to make sure that the revenue generated through resource exploitation is spread throughout the country and not just in the area in which that commodity can be found. If he does this, his popularity in voting hotspots, namely Quebec and Ontario, will surge.

It will also be easy for Harper’s government to ignore Quebec. The NDP’s surge in the francophone province has led many to conclude that the sovereigntist movement is dead. However, this is could not be further from the truth. Much of the NDP’s success in Quebec can be attributed to the perception that their party will be sympathetic of Quebec’s “special interests.” It is not, as many would like to believe, a sign of federalist fervour in Quebec. A provincial election is highly likely to lead to a Parti Quebecois victory, which would once again open up heavy sovereigntist dialogue in La Belle Province. If Harper ignores Quebec, it will further encourage the sovereigntist movement and cripple the Prime Minister’s popularity.

I am no partisan, but right now, I am happy with the job the Conservatives have done in governing this country. I believe that through a series of modest stimulus packages and responsible spending, our country has managed to avoid the debt crises that have enveloped much of Europe and the United States. I see no reason for change. I think that Stephen Harper deserves a majority, but Canadians will keep him on a short leash. Unlike the governments of Brian Mulroney, Jean Chretién and Pierre Trudeau, Stephen Harper will not be voted in again if he gives into corruption and personal politics. After asking for years for a majority, Canadians have given Harper a chance to drive with both hands on the wheel. Now, it’s his turn to show that he deserves it.