Slim Chants

Jim Prentice is the latest of Stephen Harper’s cabinet to join The Bad News Bears. This grizzly bunch have all been burdened with the task of delivering a bad news story. Jim Flaherty is the chief bear, having been the most often to deliver a bad news story while the Prime Minister lay in hiding. Other bears include Peter MacKay, Stockwell Day, and Jim Baird.

The Prime Minister is always on hand when there is a good news story to be told. Tonight he’s attending the state dinner held by the Queen of Denmark while Minister Jim addresses the assembly in Copenhagen to tell them that Canada will be the rogue of the developed nations, supporting the interests of oil companies over the future of the planet.

This is the first gathering of world leaders to develop and sign a treaty since Versailles and the Prime Minister sent a subordinate to speak while he hides at a non-public event. Why did he even go to Copenhagen? There MUST be a Tim Horton’s opening in Canada somewhere!

Later today, Stephen Harper’s Conservative government will table a budget which goes to extraordinary means in its attempt to stimulate the economy, throwing the government into massive deficit in the process. This from a man whose Masters thesis completely opposed the theories presented by John Maynard Keynes.  Granted, he has seen sure to include tax cuts in order to satisfy his base supporters. Based on what we’ve heard to date, this budget runs counter to that thesis.

Has the Prime Minister undergone a conversion on the road to Damascus?  Is he now a socialist? Or is he about to enact measures that he does not believe in? For his core support, neo cons whose intention to shift the country towards the right, the question will be simplified: Is he a turncoat or a hippocrit? For surely, those who believe that government intervention doesn’t work and in fact makes things worse will be utterly disappointed in their man today.  Evidence of concern appeared last week, when the Fraser Institute released their recommendations for the budget: Tax cuts and spending cuts and no money for stimulus.