Welcome to the December 1996 edition of ESR...

 It’s not often that I find an example of someone in the media who got it right…and especially from an unlikely source like syndicated columnist Claire Hoy. In case you don’t know who he is, Hoy wrote a scathing indictment (as should be) of Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in 1987 entitled, Friends in High Places: Politics and Patronage in the Mulroney Government. Perhaps he’s a journalist who simply tells the truth…

In his November 1 column, Ideologically Bankrupt, Hoy takes to task the protesters and leaders of the "Days of Action protest", which tried to shut down Toronto to prove to Premier Mike Harris that Ontario does not support his social and economic agenda. While it’s obvious it failed miserably, the media forgot one essential fact that permeated the rhetoric. The complete lack of an alternative.

"The fat-cat union leaders and their assorted propagandists -- aided by a willing media -- continue to claim the destruction of Ontario’s social infrastructure with little regard to the facts and even less to the impact of their illegal actions may have on those citizens who simply want to get to work and live their lives without interference."
- Claire Hoy, Ideologically Bankrupt

That’s what Hoy thinks anyway, and I find it hard to disagree with him. In his column, Hoy made a powerful argument that the leaders and protesters were basically a collection of special interest groups "most of them sucking on the public teat" who were ignorant of the real facts. Where they cried "See the cuts!", Hoy proved that the cuts were small, much smaller than the cuts that the federal Liberals were making. All across Canada, Hoy stated, governments of all political stripes realize that the uncontrolled spending of the past can no longer occur.

"Their concern isn’t the people of Ontario, it’s fighting to protect their own internal power structure. It’s a war they’re not going to win."
- Claire Hoy

I recently received The Prime Minister’s Forum in the mail. It seems I just cannot get off the mailing list of the Liberal Party, though perhaps for the better. In this pamphlet, our Prime Minister makes the case for his job strategy. What job strategy you ask?

• A program like Youth Service Canada (something that your red-faced Editor in Chief helped to formulate when he was a member of the Liberal Party…I am sorry to this day…)
• $165 million in the 1996 budget to help students and their families deal with the increased cost of education
• $315 million to create youth job opportunities
• The soaring in the amount of exports since the Liberals took office, including the Team Canada trade missions to countries like China, India, Pakistan, Malaysia and Latin America.
• Support of "key technologies"
• The Canada Infrastructure Works program

Impressive...no?

I have an idea that will undoubtedly spur job creation, but I honestly doubt that PM Chrétien and Finance Minister Martin will take it seriously. Cut taxes. I know they have not the fortitude to eliminate taxation, but they could at least cut taxes. Let people rightfully spend more of their money, let businesses expand, let job creation come from the free market. I realize they couldn’t take full credit for the ensuing job creation, but they would be doing something morally right…

If you are interested, you can find the PM’s press releases, fact sheets and speeches at the Prime Minister’s Office web site. Click here for English and here for French.

Enter Stage Right inaugurates its first annual Conservative of the Year this month. The award is based on the actions of the person, and their defense of conservative principles. I had to put a lot of thought into it, there were so many people who could have won it. Who won? Find out by clicking on the mystery picture on the front page!

As you might have noticed, ESR has a new URL, http://esr.cybrcafe.com. My sincerest thanks go to the guys at Café.com have provided space this journal. If you're in Sudbury or will be visiting it, hit Café.com!

I hope you have a nice Christmas season and I hope to see you back in 1997!

G.G.

Current Issue

Archive Main | 1996

E-mail ESR

Home