Highways to Nowhere – Stephen Harper's Policy Plan for Canada

Coming from the Northern bush as I do I have been on many roads that lead into the bush and then vanish amidst the wild vegetation and tangled underbrush of the boreal forest. Some are lumber roads that once led to the sites where timber or pulp logs were extracted selectively or in clear cutting rampages that obliterated tens of thousands of hectares of mature trees. These roads lead to vast treeless wastelands.

There are roads that once led to communities where a resource provided employment and opportunity – silver or gold or nickel or uranium or copper. These were mostly single resource communities. Still others were the result of plans gone astray. Great expectations in the marketing stages of a project ended in disappointment when the funding was not available to develop the property or project. And sometimes these roads to nowhere appeared as the result of a scam or a fraudulent action that brought investment based upon false exploration data. Roads to nowhere can have many reasons for existing.

Now I see the Prime Minister of Canada building roads to nowhere in the development of a national plan and policy direction for his government and for CANADA. He builds a station in the north for scientific and military purposes and promises investment. But later he cancels the second and third stages of the project once the media lights have dimmed and the reporters have gone on to the next story. He hopes that his next set of fabricated crises will obliterate this fact - for Stephen Harper is a disciple of Leo Strauss and a student of Tom Flanagan, "The Man Behind Stephen Harper".

Same thing with First Nations communities in crisis – I'm talking about Attawapiskat here. He makes noise and promises and prims and postures and makes speeches in distant lands far from his constituents. But he decides that an auditor will help those in financial crisis in First Nations communities. At the same time he ignores the recommendations and criticisms of the Auditor General of Canada on many matters of grave importance from the environment to the spending habits of this government and the interference by ministers in the affairs of government departments.

In the end nothing significant comes of his apology to First Nations and his rhetoric for he does not love the Canadian people - First Nations and ALL Nations - as I do. His heart is not moved with compassion as mine is for the poor, the distressed, those with illnesses, mental or otherwise, those in financial difficulties and without adequate employment. He does not even care about the wealthy and the secure but scorns all who stand in the way of his plan for Canada. He threatened us when he said, “When I get done with Canada even Canadians won't recognize it.”

Mr. Harper has no Vision of where we could go as a national community. He does not see what we are, could be and what we could achieve because his vision is tarnished with the biases of patronage and betrayal. He builds shortsighted policy roads because he cannot see where the roads SHOULD be taking us. We must go somewhere - adapt - if we are to remain an intact national community with a sustainable future in sight, and with Sustainability in all policies at the federal level and at every level.

Making military war on enemies chosen for their weakness and for financial gain [Libya/Afghanistan]; and too readily capitulating to our friends [UK/USA/NATO/UN] is not a recipe for independence and democracy. It is an affront. And speaking of war this government has made some prudent investments in equipment and training for our Armed Forces but they have no long term plan for a CANADA that can, “Stand alone and work together.” We can be too involved with the military enterprises of our allies.

This is why we have no final plans for air defense, no follow through with Northern deployment, no maintenance of the size of force we employ and deploy, no rescue helicopters, no usable [or reusable!] submarines, no shallow water rescue and defense Navy and Coast Guard boats – high speed with a shallow displacement and heavily weaponed for fiords, narrows, the North. 

There is no comprehensive and systematic fresh and salt water rescue and defense planning, emergency planning or Plan period. What exactly are we getting for the huge and ballooning military budget?

Nor does he care about our Vets as he should. Wounded vets have little or no support, little or no home, little or no stability, little or no peace of mind, little or no say in how things happen and in decision making with reference to their own care and career. We can and will do better than this with the Senator Romeo Dallaire Veterans of Foreign Service and Conflict Strategic Support Plan. @ Compassionate Policies.

Mr. Harper makes a big deal when a Canadian soldier returns dead. There is the ramp ceremony, the Highway of Heroes parade and the glorious burial. But there is little glory in what happens to veterans of these foreign conflicts and military actions, including peacekeeping – AND their families. They are abandoned, neglected, insulted, offended and treated with contempt; instead of being treated with the gratitude and care they deserve. They put it ALL on the line for us and this government seems unwilling to put it on the line for them in return as they deserve.

These roads to nowhere are not without cost or consequence to Canada and Canadians. There is the wasted money to be sure. But there are other threats that come with these pointless roads into the wilderness of economic potential for this country. If one misreads a topographical map in the deep Canadian bush it can mean death in the cold or in the jaws of predators – as in the case of young singer-songwriter in Cape Breton with coyotes or wolves. Then there was the poor couple in British Columbia who trusted their GPS and were led into a road to nowhere from which there would be no escape. Romance turned into a fatal nightmare of starvation, natural dangers, weather and wild beasts.

Building these roads and traveling on them create great hazards for us on many levels and in many ways. We have no sustainable fresh water policy, no progressive food policy, no renewal energy policy, no national defense strategy, no national housing strategy, and no clear Vision of where we can and should go together as a People.

As in the time of Sir Walter Scott, we are in need of “...people of daring resolve”. We are best when we harness and embrace those people of genius in our midst - in all sciences and branches of learning and research and endeavor. Science needs time to expand and space in which to grow. This requires political will that delivers responsible and reliable funding. 

This is the respectful and sensible approach I have taken in compiling The Plan of Hope. I've consulted Canadians in the process of assembling a wholly Canadian plan for a healthy, confident, successful, sustainable Canada – a priceless inheritance for our children.

We deserve government that respects us as the extraordinary people we are. Canadians are unlike any people who have ever lived anywhere at any time in human history. We deserve better and we can DO better. Stephen Harper is shortsighted and heavy handed and we need leadership that is warm hearted and able to recognize and respect the amazing qualities of the Canadian Citizen.

Peace Pays!

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