Confident Conservatives
You almost wouldn’t think they’re a minority government. Oh, don’t get me wrong: I’m upset at Stephen Harper for refusing to boycott the 2008 Olympics (or even to not attend personally, as Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, and the Czech Republic’s president, Válclav Klaus, have done). But when it comes to domestic policy, the guy knows how to play hardball, and his chutzpah is admirable. The Conservatives have brought forth a lot of good legislation since taking office over two years ago, and one can’t help but notice that the fact that they don’t hold a majority in Parliament doesn’t seem to slow them down any.
One thing I don’t get, though, is why Health Canada was not empowered to issue product recalls by any of the previous Liberal governments — that sort of interventionist policy seems a bit more their style, doesn’t it? Not that I’m complaining in this regard; even a hard-nosed conservative like me can see the need for the government to step in every once in a while. Consumer protection is an important aspect of a modern market-driven economy, especially in an age where almost everything is made in places like China (which has been caught in several high-profile acts of dangerous cost-cutting recently, such as using antifreeze as an alternative and cheaper ingredient in toothpaste).
