Cross the Floor

Canada: stand up against Stephen Harper’s destructive agenda.  Please sign the petition which endorses the idea of Conservative MPs crossing the floor as a means of stopping the current government from doing more damage to the country.  Canada cannot afford to wait another 3 1/2 years; The damage done to Canada and our once enviable reputation in the 6 months since Prime Minister Stephen Harper won his 39% majority is incalculable.  To list even the highlights would take many pages, but here are a few;The Economy - While the prime minister and finance minister boast about our economy the fact is, Jim Flaherty took ten years of huge Liberal surpluses and turned them into deficits well before the Recession.  It is a matter of record that he was the biggest spending finance minister in Canadian history before the economy faltered.  Stephen Harper promised in the last election campaign that he would not run a deficit.  We now have a massive deficit and record debt.- Integrity - Four Conservative MPs plead guilty to election spending charges over the 2006 election, something they described a “huge victory.”- The Wheatboard - The federal government first broke an election promise to put proposed changes to the wheat board to a vote.  Then they broke the law in the way they dismantled it.  And finally, they refused to adhere to a court ruling that concurred that they had indeed broken the law.- Torture - We have recently learned that the Harper regime advised CSIS that in what they called “exceptional circumstances,” they could use information obtained by torture.- The Irwin Cotler Scandal - The conservatives ran a secret smear campaign and accusations of anti-Semitism against Jewish MP Irwin Cotler.  When asked to apologize for this in the house, the prime minister refused to do so.- Espionage - While the citizens of the impoverished First Nations community of Attawapiskat struggled for survival in a scandal that would become international in scope, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs was spying on Cindy Blackstock, an ardent supporter of disadvantaged native kids.  While the ministry was busy spying on Ms. Blackstock, Minister John Duncan admitted that he did not even know about the crisis in Attawapiskat.- Crime & Punishment - Stephen Harper has refused expert advice from police, criminologists, judges, lawyers and even his own experts, to bring in a Dickensian crime bill that is so hateful that it will see some mentally ill people go to prison instead of a hospital, and that could see 18 year old kids going doing two year federal penitentiary terms for very minor marijuana offenses.- Democracy - The federal government has invoked closure on a record number of bills in both chambers, thwarting the democratic process, and making a mockery of Canadian Parliament.- Intimidation - Ministers Fantino and Mackay have threatened litigation against their critics, and environmentalists and First Nations groups who oppose the Enbridge pipeline have been painted as “radicals” and even “enemies of the people” by the federal government.- Attawapiskat Scandal - One of the very first things Stephen Harper did when he first took power was to kill the Kelowna Accord, which would have seen 5 billion dollars allocated for First Nations issues, and would have addressed situations like the one in the impoverished community of Attawapiskat.  The federal government has blamed that community for its plight, and minister Duncan has withheld critically needed funding, which the band was going to use to get ready for modular homes that are being shipped in on an emergency basis.  The community had to go to court to get the minister to release these funds.  Neither John Duncan nor the prime minister have had the decency or the sense of duty to visit Attawapiskat.- The Chopper Scandal - Defence Minister Peter MacKay was accused of misusing a search & rescue helicopter, and threatened to sue anyone who pressed the issue.- Tony Clement - has been accused of misspending G8 funds in his riding, and despite a staggering amount of evidence, continues to deny any wrong-doing.- Small Government - While in opposition, Stephen Harper decried big government and said he stood for smaller and more accountable governments.  Not only is he adding MPs to the already huge House of Commons, but he has the largest Privy Council in Canada’s history. -Senate Reform - After years of calling for senate reform, the prime minister has stacked the senate so heavily in his favour as to enable his government to run like a dictatorship.- Pensions - While Stephen Harper warns Canadians to brace for huge changes to their pensions, he will enjoy a massive pension, some $23,000.00 per month.  For each dollar he contributes to the pension, Canadians contribute twenty-three.- Asbestos Scandal - A recently run CBC documentary by Terrence McKenna has proven that the Harper regime has relied on junk science to validate their position on the deadly carcinogen, asbestos.- Kyoto - Canada has been vilified all over the world because of our withdrawal from the Kyoto Accord. - War - The Harper regime seems to be preparing Canada for war with both Syria and Iran.  Canada has been a very responsible global citizen in relation to both Afghanistan and Libya.  However, we cannot afford to be in every skirmish that takes place in the world.  Harper had advocated invading Iraq, even though he admitted not knowing “all the facts.”- China - While it seems that war against both Syria and Iran are options to the Harper regime, denouncing China for their UN veto which is enabling Syria to continue the massacre of citizens is not. Nor does it appear to be an option to call China out for continuing to buy Iranian oil.  - The Environment - Stephen Harper is determined to push through the Enbridge pipeline no matter how strong the opposition.  Bailing out of Kyoto hurt Canada a great deal, and the prime minister refuses to even ban shark fin imports, something that would have no impact on Canada’s economy.  We have also learned that there will be a cull of thousands of wolves in Alberta, an issue that relates directly to the tar sands.- Bills C-50 and C51 - The Harper regime is planning on bringing in Orwellian legislation that will allow it to spy on Canadian citizens and their electronic communications without any court warrants.  These are only a few of the things the Harper regime is responsible for that have the vast majority of Canadians so upset. It simply is not practical to list them all. Currently, the prime minister enjoys the support of less than 1/3 of Canadians, but because of his majorities in both houses, and because he has shown such contempt for Canadians and their aspirations, he is able to ram through legislation that is offensive to most of us and that is damaging to both our wonderful country and its international reputation.It has become apparent that Prime Minister Harper is going to force through legislation that is not supported by 68% of Canadians.  His claim that he has a strong majority is false.  He has never, ever had the anything close to the support of even 51% of Canadians.  We cannot allow a man with such low support to destroy our country.There must be some conservative MPs who are just as uncomfortable with the prime minister’s agenda as the majority of Canadians are.  Let’s encourage them to cross the floor, to put the good of Canada ahead of personal politics, and let’s cheer them when they do.Please sign the petition, and tell as many people as you possibly can about it, through Facebook, Twitter, Email, telephone; anyway you can get the word out.  Our goal is to collect one millions signatures, and to see the Conservative MPs who have had enough of Stephen Harper cross the floor.