本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛Dion latches onto Harper's 'hidden agenda'
Tory leader's right-wing motives questioned
Juliet O'Neill, Andrew Mayeda and Glenn Johnson, Canwest News Service
Published: Sunday, September 14, 2008
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion raised the spectre of Stephen Harper's "hidden agenda" on Saturday, an accusation Dion has frequently levelled at the prime minister to describe a Tory government he believes is secretive, ideological and more right wing than Harper lets on.
Dion made the comments in Richmond, B.C., on Saturday in response to Harper's declaration earlier in the day that the Canadian public has become more conservative since he entered politics.
With the other four major political parties campaigning on the left of the political spectrum, in Harper's view, the Conservatives believe they can court a wide swath of centre-right voters.
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion and his wife Janine Krieber depart Vancouver for Ottawa on Saturday following the first week of the federal election campaign. Canadians go to the polls Oct. 14.
Andy Clark, Reuters
"That means not only that we want to pull Canadians toward conservatism, but Conservatives also have to move toward Canadians if they want to continue governing the country," Harper said.
Saying he understood Harper's comments to mean Canada still isn't conservative enough, Dion said: "So, I want to ask him: how far is he more right-wing than Canadians? What is his hidden agenda that he doesn't want to communicate to Canadians?"
On the campaign trail, Harper has studiously avoided talking explicitly about the possibility of forming a majority government, even as the polls show his party widening its lead.
Nevertheless, he has strongly hinted he believes the conditions for a Conservative majority are ripe.
"I think the Canadian public has become more conservative," Harper said. "At the same time, I don't want to say the Canadian public is overwhelmingly conservative, or that it is necessarily as conservative as everybody in our party, and that means that our party has to make sure that it continues to govern in the interests of the broad majority of the population."
Harper's remarks came a day after he told the National Post his goal has been to "make conservatism the natural governing philosophy."
Also on Saturday, Dion promised an $800-million program to modernize and streamline immigration, while Harper pledged help for small business as the first week of the federal election campaign wound down.
The leaders of the NDP and Bloc Quebecois used rallies to call for protection for consumers at the gas pumps, and chided Harper for allowing big companies to gouge taxpayers.
Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe called into question Harper's sincerity when he said the oil companies were using the pretext of hurricane Ike to gouge consumers.
"For years in Ottawa, we have denounced the actions of the big oil companies and each time Stephen Harper has come to their defence," Duceppe told reporters.
"Stephen Harper's about-face is pure hypocrisy."更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
Tory leader's right-wing motives questioned
Juliet O'Neill, Andrew Mayeda and Glenn Johnson, Canwest News Service
Published: Sunday, September 14, 2008
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion raised the spectre of Stephen Harper's "hidden agenda" on Saturday, an accusation Dion has frequently levelled at the prime minister to describe a Tory government he believes is secretive, ideological and more right wing than Harper lets on.
Dion made the comments in Richmond, B.C., on Saturday in response to Harper's declaration earlier in the day that the Canadian public has become more conservative since he entered politics.
With the other four major political parties campaigning on the left of the political spectrum, in Harper's view, the Conservatives believe they can court a wide swath of centre-right voters.
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion and his wife Janine Krieber depart Vancouver for Ottawa on Saturday following the first week of the federal election campaign. Canadians go to the polls Oct. 14.
Andy Clark, Reuters
"That means not only that we want to pull Canadians toward conservatism, but Conservatives also have to move toward Canadians if they want to continue governing the country," Harper said.
Saying he understood Harper's comments to mean Canada still isn't conservative enough, Dion said: "So, I want to ask him: how far is he more right-wing than Canadians? What is his hidden agenda that he doesn't want to communicate to Canadians?"
On the campaign trail, Harper has studiously avoided talking explicitly about the possibility of forming a majority government, even as the polls show his party widening its lead.
Nevertheless, he has strongly hinted he believes the conditions for a Conservative majority are ripe.
"I think the Canadian public has become more conservative," Harper said. "At the same time, I don't want to say the Canadian public is overwhelmingly conservative, or that it is necessarily as conservative as everybody in our party, and that means that our party has to make sure that it continues to govern in the interests of the broad majority of the population."
Harper's remarks came a day after he told the National Post his goal has been to "make conservatism the natural governing philosophy."
Also on Saturday, Dion promised an $800-million program to modernize and streamline immigration, while Harper pledged help for small business as the first week of the federal election campaign wound down.
The leaders of the NDP and Bloc Quebecois used rallies to call for protection for consumers at the gas pumps, and chided Harper for allowing big companies to gouge taxpayers.
Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe called into question Harper's sincerity when he said the oil companies were using the pretext of hurricane Ike to gouge consumers.
"For years in Ottawa, we have denounced the actions of the big oil companies and each time Stephen Harper has come to their defence," Duceppe told reporters.
"Stephen Harper's about-face is pure hypocrisy."更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net