Well he may be making a fool of himself on the world stage. Posing as a champion of democracy and Vladimir Putin's worst nightmare.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Russian President Vladimir Putin is an “extreme nationalist” and an “imperialist” who is threatening global peace and security. And he doesn’t mind standing alone in the stridency of his denunciations of the Russian president.
And no doubt making other world leaders cringe, or laugh themselves silly.
But he does have one big groupie, Tony Abbott, the climate change denier from Down Under.
Stephen Harper is “a beacon” for conservative political leaders around the world, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Sunday.
“He has been regarded as something of a beacon to centre-right parties around the world and certainly I have regarded Stephen Harper as an exemplar of a contemporary, centre-right prime minister,” Abbott said after touring the National War Museum.
With whom he shares so much in common, and not just his taste in shirts...
He also shares his reactionary position on climate change:
Abbott underscored Sunday their shared political beliefs, praising Harper for campaigning against a carbon tax in the 2008 election, from which he emerged victorious. “Stephen Harper and I are like-minded on this and on many other issues,” said Abbott, who won election last September on a platform that promised to repeal Australia’s carbon tax.
And his love of killing government:
Australia, like Canada, is in the process of enacting a number of austerity measures aimed at eventually balancing the country’s federal budget. On that score, Abbott said he’s hoping to learn from Harper’s example.
“Certainly there are many things that Stephen Harper has done well but I guess most noteworthy is taking a $55 billion deficit in the immediate aftermath of the (2008 economic) crisis and turning that into a surplus in the coming financial year,” Abbott said.
And even when he's not sure what country he's visiting
But what Abbott probably won't tell Harper is that Australia is now a poster child for climate change.
And what Steve probably won't tell his bosom buddy Tony, is that his failure to impose a carbon tax on Big Oil will probably cost him the Keystone XL pipeline.
Or that his brutish austerity program has helped make him the most hated Prime Minister in recent Canadian history.
But yes, they do deserve each other.
Stephen Harper and Tony Abbott, joined at the hip. In Canadia.
And judging by the latest polls.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott insists he will not be deterred by disastrous polling results following his government's first budget, saying the public had been "on notice" that the Coalition would have to make tough decisions.
Mr Abbott's personal approval rating dropped by 21 percentage points following the budget, which 53 per cent of respondents believe is bad for the country.
Going down TOGETHER...
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Ha Ha, John Howard is Harper's speechwriter - for QP. Perhaps Abbott could be his sparring partner, knock his block off and return to Australia and watch the rest of it burn up.
ReplyDeletehi kootcoot...I replaced the video of him plagiarizing Howard's speech, with one of Tony Abbott calling Canada Canadia. I just couldn't resist. ;) But yes Harper's love affair with the Cons in Australia is yet another shabby episode in the life of his ghastly regime. But as I pointed out Abbott is really unpopular these days in Australia, and him and Harper are heading in the same general direction...
DeleteAUSTRALIA . . . ANOTHER FAILED STATE IN THE MAKING. No climate change problems there, either. Good thing he has stevie to look up to, eh?
ReplyDeletehi anon...yes it is a creepy mutual admiration society isn't it? And so criminally irresponsible. Especially since our north is so vulnerable, and Australia is slowly becoming a furnace. Let us hope at least that one day they share the same cell...
DeleteAustralia has had extreme weather patterns. There have been horrendous floods, severe drought and horrible forest fires.
ReplyDeleteSomeone should tell Abbott? We went to war so we wouldn't have, fascist dictators running our countries. However, Fascism is on the rise again and Harper and Abbott seem to support it.
Watching Abbott on TV? He lies and denies just as well as Harper does and that is disgusting. Abbott doesn't believe in climate change either.
hi anon...what is so stunning about Abbott's position is that Australia is so vulnerable to climate change, as are we, and still he gets elected just like Harper was here. Both of them are dinosaurs and should be removed from power as soon as possible...
DeleteAustralia has this wonderful organization. It is called CSIRO- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization. It is busy doing all sorts of research into everything. It has recently found a way to maximize solar energy to a point that it might power the country. I suppose Harper will convince Abbot to shut it down since killing scientific research has been part of Harper's austerity/ kill the deficit/ support the oil industry at all costs plan.
ReplyDeletehi anon...yes I am familiar with some of the scientific research coming out of Australia, and the stuff about solar energy is very exciting. That kind of research is what will take us into a new era, and let us hope that Abbott doesn't do to science what Harper has done here....
DeleteOf course Abbott will encourage Harper. It gives him something to say and not have to deal with Australia's problems. what is entertaining, is neither of them are saying anything about China. Most likely because Abbott is smart enough not to enrage China. It is much closer than Russia is to Australia.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that while Harper rants like a banchie about Putin, he has nothing negative to say about China, Pakistan, Eygptian rapes. Harper forgets, Putin, originally was democratically elected and then set about to dismantle that democracy. Sort of reminds me of Harper.
hi e.a.f...I find it mind-blowing that Abbott would use Stephen Harper as a good example of anything. But apparently he is trying to use Canada to further his brutish austerity policies. And of course as climate change deniers they do have to cling teach other, because their ghastly little club is shrinking by the day...
Delete“Certainly there are many things that Stephen Harper has done well but I guess most noteworthy is taking a $55 billion deficit in the immediate aftermath of the (2008 economic) crisis and turning that into a surplus in the coming financial year,” Abbott said.
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But wouldn't the uncritical reader THINK Harper's government is going to eliminate the net debt in 2015?
That is going to be part of the smoke and mirrors of the Con's 2015 campaign: confusing "net debt" with "deficit". The REALITY is that Canada's net debt will still be over $600 billion dollars whether Harper has a surplus for the 2015 budget or not.
In 2006-2007 Canada had a net debt of $523.9 billion
hi David...yes you're right, debt and deficit get confused all the time. But what it does show is that countries can prosper even when they are in debt. And reducing it too quickly can throw our moribund capitalist system into yet another recession.But then I see everything the Cons are doing these days as criminally irresponsible, and if I had my way they would all be on trial...
DeleteActually this is a laugh..NO one is Australia knows or cars a fig about S Harper OR Canada. Canada is insignificant.
ReplyDelete