Flaherty’s tears for Rob Ford are a reminder of the ties that bind the federal Conservative government to the Toronto mayor and his criminal advisors. In August 2011, newly reelected Prime Minister Stephen Harper made a very telling appearance at the annual, summer picnic spectacle of the Ford family and its ‘Ford Nation’ supporters....
Ford’s west-end street was blocked off by police when Harper’s motorcade arrived, while in the backyard, Tory supporters enjoyed burgers, beer and wine.
In his surprise speech to the crowd, Harper thanked Ford’s mother, Diane, for “giving us this great Conservative political dynasty.”
“Many of you may remember Rob endorsed us in the election. That helped a lot,” Harper told the crowd in the video. “Rob is doing something very important that needs to be done here. He is cleaning up the NDP mess here in Toronto.”
[emphasis added]The prime minister said his government had cleaned up the “left-wing mess federally” and said he hoped to “complete the hat trick” by turning Ontario blue come the Oct. 6 provincial election, a comment that elicited applause from the crowd.
***
DON CHERRY
(cont'd)
18. Forcing committees into closed hearings for no good reason and to the detriment of accountability
19. Refusal of the Prime Minister to answer questions from the press
20. Shipping three armoured limos to India by air for the PM's use for a few days and blaming the RCMP for the decision
21. Stalling the release of Residential School records on the grounds of "privacy" or "it's too hard" when these records are necessary to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to carry out its mandate...
RON MACLEAN
You have a long list of these, ah.... not accomplishments.
DON CHERRY
22. Writing a book about hockey...
RON MACLEAN
Whoa, whoa.... I thought that would be an accomplishment in your eyes.
DON CHERRY
23. Writing a hockey book about the Leafs...
RON MACLEAN
This obviously isn't striking you as a good thing.
DON CHERRY
Why is he fiddling about the Leafs while his PMO is burning? The Leafs have had all the amateur hour help they can use over the last few decades. As Brent Rathgeber said, Harper is the PM in the PMO and if he had no idea that evil was being done by his closest advisors, why was he spending time writing a book on something he knows nothing about? What next, I'm going to write a book about the history of Canadian Prime Ministers?
RON MACLEAN
I've heard worse ideas.
DON CHERRY
Like?
RON MACLEAN
The NHL in Phoenix rather than Hamilton.
DON CHERRY
Well, I have to agree with you there. The NHL should have taken Balsillie's offer while he was on a roll. Let's face it, southern Ontario could have two NHL teams without breaking a sweat.
RON MACLEAN
Why not Waterloo?
DON CHERRY
Why not Owen Sound?
RON MACLEAN
Now you're trying to confuse me.
DON CHERRY
Owen Sound makes more sense that South Carolina.
RON MACLEAN
In more ways than one. Let's face it, the NHL should be in Halifax, Quebec City, and Saskatoon. They'd be sold out in no time. The NHL finances are a black box, it has nothing to do with hockey in my opinion.
DON CHERRY
There you go. There are more serious hockey fans in western Canada than the American south, where the major competition is Roller Derby.
RON MACLEAN
So where do you see the hard core support for British parliamentary democracy?
DON CHERRY
Not in the American south.
RON MACLEAN
In Canada....
DON CHERRY
Everywhere in Canada....
RON MACLEAN
The Conservative Party of Canada doesn't seem like a hotbed of support...
DON CHERRY
That's not fair. There are many Conservatives who are supporters: Michael Chong, Brent Rathgeber, just to name two.
RON MACLEAN
Can you name any more?
DON CHERRY
Don't rush me, don't rush me....
RON MACLEAN
How much of The Base cares about parliamentary democracy?
DON CHERRY
About the same as The Nation.
RON MACLEAN
And that is...?
DON CHERRY
Lemme put it this way, they watch Coach's Corner. In fact Kenny Dryden said it best, only yesterday in The Globe:
RON MACLEANFor Mr. Ford and his supporters, their greatest delight is to see the know-everythings whine, to see how powerless the know-everythings are with only argument on their side. To see how powerless the powerful can be.The difference between the two sides now has little to do with cutting taxes or smoking crack cocaine. Mr. Ford’s supporters hardly support his abuses. It’s about the deep, diseased hatred each side has for the other. The other side can not, must not win.
So if they don't want parliamentary democracy, what do they want?
DON CHERRY
That my friend, is the question that needs an answer.
RON MACLEAN
And maybe we'll find one, next time on House of Commons Night in Canada.
DON CHERRY
Maybe we should have Kenny on the show.
RON MACLEAN
Let's ask him and see what happens.
