I just happened to catch a few pieces of CBC-Radio's program "The House", last Saturday. The Chiefs in Attawapiskat have accused Prime Minister Harper of not being truthful about what is going on in their community, specifically about funding. On the program MP Kyle Seeback suggested that people should be very careful with their words, and that you should be careful of calling someone a liar.
WELL, let me suggest to you that we be even more careful about the words that politicians use. People are hired by politicians to help them word things in ways that aren't a lie, per say, but certainly suggest untrue situations.
Here's an example. I heard PM Harper say on the news last April that one of the first things he wanted to do if he got a majority government was eliminate the "per vote subsidy" because Canadians do not want their tax dollars going to parties they do not support. Well, that is not a lie, but what it suggests is a lie. The per vote subsidy does exactly the opposite of what he suggests it does. Your dollar & seventy five cents goes exactly to the party you vote for. Do I think the Prime Minister knew what he was saying and chose his words very carefully? Yes I do, and to me that is lying.
Another thing we often hear from the Conservatives, is that Canadians elected them as a majority government on May 2, and so it is our choice that they carry out their agenda, as MP Bob Zimmer said again in a recent paper. The Conservatives do not represent a majority of Canadians, by a long shot. It is only because of our flawed electoral system that our votes were translated into the Parliamentary seats that we have. If they were honestly interested in true democratic process, which they suggest put them in power(a lie), they would change that electoral system. They would also see that we were properly informed instead of lying to us and confusing us. Is it any wonder that so few eligible electors vote?
Richard deMontigny
Prince George
