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Stephen Harper imposed conservatism by reducing the federal share of the sales tax and gradually collaring public sector spending— a respectable strategy but one that left him with no room to innovate or broaden his electoral base when the Liberals rebounded from their anomalous position as the third party. Bernier’s is a program to make Canada an enterprise state and generate higher economic growth. There has never been any excuse why Canada has had a lower per capita income than Australia, and has not had a stronger capital market. This is a plan to attract investment, torque up the economy, and bet on Canada’s ability to compete. It is the logical sequel to Brian Mulroney’s highly successful Free Trade initiative of 30 years ago. Many always doubt that we can compete, but we can.

The Liberals are confident that they can embarrass Bernier, including over his skepticism about climate change, the climate’s connection to human activities, and the desirability of a horribly expensive pursuit of renewable energy. The entire Liberal ethos in this area was born in the false, green debacle that has turned mighty Ontario into a deficit-raddled have-not province, including the migration from Toronto to Ottawa of many of the people responsible for the McGuinty-Wynne negative economic miracle.

The Liberal government has no cause for electoral complacency. The only significant initiative it has taken in 18 months is the legalization of marijuana.

The government has no cause for electoral complacency. The only significant initiative it has taken in 18 months is the legalization of marijuana, and that has been an attempt at a political free lunch by pitching to the pot lobby while sending Ralph Goodale and Bill Blair out on a Toews-Fantino memorial tour on how any excesses would be suppressed with redoubled zeal. Especially on this subject, it is implausible to inhale and exhale at the same time. (I am for legalizing all drugs, with compulsory treatment of hard drug addicts, because the war on drugs has been a crushing defeat for society, and government — rather than the criminal community — should have the revenue from it.) The government has failed to require reasonable accountability from First Nations leaders, and now wishes strikes in the public service to be called without a vote, by union leaders whose predecessors this prime minister’s father incarcerated for doing what he is about to legalize. Fiscal performance has been mildly irresponsible, without stimulating enhanced growth. And the defence minister’s lies are excused as mere mistakes. It has been far from a disastrous performance, but it hasn’t challenged any records for good government either. And contrary to well laid Liberal plans, Canadians will not sit down under a 53 per cent top personal income tax rate in most of the country, especially when it is 35 per cent in the U.S.