Is Stephen Harper Planning a Spring Election?

As Stephen Harper skips around like Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music.

Telling anyone who will listen that Canada is leading the world economic recovery thanks to him. Because he's a nice nun guy AND an economist,

I see that a little red light is flashing.

Maybe it's a false alarm. Maybe Stephen Harper doesn't really want an election, as all the pundits claim.

But I don't believe that for a moment. I believe that crazed ideologue wants a majority so bad they have to put a stick in his mouth at night, so he doesn't bite off his balls.

And if he is going to go for it, sooner is probably better than later. Because that economist act is wearing thin.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and scores of economists all trumpeted the rapid jobs recovery as evidence that Canada beat the world in getting back on its feet after the worst global slump in more than a generation. Unfortunately, it’s not true.

Higher interest rates could make matters worse. The high dollar could kill even more jobs in places he needs to win, like Ontario. In hard times giving big corporations juicy tax breaks is even harder to defend.

According to the nation’s official number crunchers, if you want policy to encourage job creation, cutting corporate taxes is the weakest option (20 cents growth from every dollar of tax cut).

There are many things that drive business investment practices, and while taxes are a consideration they are not the primary factor in investment decisions. The historic evidence shows a commitment to this strategy is a costly faith-based proposition.

And all Harper has going for him is the absurd belief that he is a good money manager. When that goes it's OVER. Which might explain why he is so desperate.

And so SHAMELESS.

Can this political thug find a way to trigger an early election? I have no idea. And in a more decent time, with a saner Prime Minister, I'd say it wouldn't happen.

But these are Con times.

Stephen Harper isn't an economist. Or a nice nun. There will be an early election.

And this ain't the Sound of Music...



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