‘Does Harper Trust Canadians?’

The prime minister as the Howard Hughes of Canadian politics.

Writing in the Toronto Star, Rick Salutin says that while the Liberals are asking Canadians to consider if they trust Stephen Harper, the real question is “Does Harper trust Canadians?” From his tight control on all information emanating from his government to his abhorrence of large-scale social programs like national daycare, Salutin says the prime minister exhibits a lack of trust in others that prohibits Canadians from co-operating to achieve great things. “Trust is an essential component in a successful society,” he writes. “Those with high trust levels tend to create programs like public health care or education. Those lacking trust do less together; at most they build prisons or surveillance systems to keep watch on each other.”

If Salutin’s right, Harper’s mistrust would be in stark contrast with his own appeals for the public and opposition to trust his government. The Conservatives have an “overstretched interpretation of cabinet confidentiality,” writes the Globe and Mail editorial board, and refusing to disclose the cost of prison legislation on the grounds that the opposition should trust cabinet is a clear affront to rules designed to protect democracy. Cabinet deliberations need to be kept confidential so that ministers can engage in robust debate without fearing that doing so “will make the government look like a nest of quarrelling factions,” but the cost of legislation shouldn’t be kept secret. Nevertheless, the Globe doesn’t think cabinet confidentiality is worth fighting an election over.

While support for the Conservatives has remained buoyant despite a slew of allegations against the government, the Toronto Star’s Carol Goar reports that older voters are losing trust in the party. According to the Canadian Association of Retired Persons, the Conservatives’ popularity has fallen from 52 to 41 per cent since February. Older Canadians tend to share Conservative values but they also have a reverence for parliamentary institutions that appears quaintly outdated these days. This could be significant in the next election, according to Goar. “The Conservatives can’t afford to lose the support of older Canadians. Not only do they make up 37 per cent of the electorate; they carry disproportionate weight because of their high voter turnout.”