"You need to have some people around you who are going to disagree with you. My concern is some of the people around Harper reinforce his worst instincts whereas I'd like to see him get some calming influence," said one top Conservative insider who spoke to Hill Climbers on condition of anonymity.



"Caucus and the Cabinet want to see changes, not the leadership changes, they're firmly behind Harper but they want to see changes around him, people who are giving him advice. He has to get better advisers," said the source.



Declared another Conservative insider: "I agree totally with that. While the Prime Minister does have good people with him, one of his challenges is to expand the circle so that there can be a variety of views that are reflected to him and variety is helpful in these circumstances."

I suppose that it is a good sign that some Conservative Members of Parliament are now feeling secure enough to speak anonymously on their authoritarian Leader. Harper should quietly take their advice and remove some of the rabid characters that surround him ... both staff and strategic mouthpieces. He may want to start by pushing Pierre Poilievre and John Baird back into the ranks of the far back bench. These two goons do more to turn normal average Canadians off than any other voices in the government. Harper should take note!