Justin Trudeau and the Death of the Harper Cons

It was the most magical throne speech I've ever seen. The new leader stepping forward. the old one rotting in the shadows.

The promise to take our Canada back.

Justin Trudeau is signalling that his government will make a clean break from the policies and practises of its Conservative predecessors with a relatively short Speech from the Throne that promises a cleaner environment, an enhanced social safety net, and a new era of openness and transparency.

And to make it even more wonderful, the thought of the Cons screaming at the sound of the promise that will destroy them.

And no, those screams didn't come from Rona Ambrose yesterday. She was too busy squawking about bombing ISIS or whatever...



Rona Ambrose, the interim Conservative Leader, said the speech represents a move toward big government and lacks an economic focus.

She also expressed concern that there was no mention of the fight against Islamic State terrorists. “If you’re not prepared to actually name the threat, how are you prepared to take the fight to the threat?” she asked.

Trying to portray Justin Trudeau as soft on terrorism. Again.

But only making herself look even more like Stephen Harper, and even crazier than usual.

And no it wasn't Michelle Rempel either. 

She may have been screaming after realizing she had made a fool of herself on Twitter. Again.



And that far from looking like a Great Leader in Waiting, she had ended up looking like a crazed Celine Dion.

Or dare I say it? Somebody who had too many glasses of wine for lunch.

But no, the loudest screams must have been coming from Stephen Harper, wherever he was hiding yesterday. Because he must surely know what this little paragraph in the Throne Speech means:

To make sure that every vote counts, the Government will undertake consultations on electoral reform, and will take action to ensure that 2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system.



And that as even John Ivison admits, for the Cons it's an existential threat.

When the Governor General mentioned electoral reform, a chill will have run along the Conservative side of the Senate looking for a spine to run down.

The repeated commitment to look at the prospect of electoral reform, specifically use of a preferential ballot system, represents an existential threat to the Conservative Party of Canada. It’s a sleeper issue that could dramatically change the complexion of politics in this country.

For not only could it keep the Harperite cult from power forever. 

The reason this is such a hazard for the Tories is that brokerage parties like the Liberals do exceedingly well under ranked ballots. Parties that polarize voters and are rarely picked as second choice, like the Conservatives, fare badly.

The introduction of a ranked ballot system would take the Liberal heels off the Conservatives’ chest and thrust it hard into the party’s wind-pipe.

It would force them to become a very different party.

As one clear-eyed senior Conservative put it, adoption of preferential balloting would force the Tories to “water down” their agenda to become the second choice of more people. 

 “The reality is, if the Liberals do this, the Conservative movement is going to have to increase its appeal. We won’t be able to afford to be the 35-40% party,” he said.

And destroy what remains of Stephen Harper's legacy.

Which it seems will be bulldozed into rubble just like his monuments.  



The federal Liberals won’t fund the Victims of Communism or Mother Canada monuments, sources tell Global News. Both were public-private ventures that garnered the support of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government.

Which will either be demolished, or reduced to the size they deserve...



Or moved to a more fitting location...



And isn't that magical?

He's shrinking before our very eyes.

We finally have the Harper Cons where we want them.

And we really are going to destroy them...

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