The putative justification for the visit was a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a wetlands research station on the New Brunswick-Nova Scotia border. That’s right, a research station, which seems odd. The mere thought of the PM going pro-science would cause some Tories to spill their War of 1812 commemorative teacups.
But the Beaubassin Research Station in Aulac, N.B., is privately financed by Irving Oil, Acadia University and Ducks Unlimited Canada. Sure, it aims to study and conserve the Tantramar wetlands and waterfowl habitat. But it’s not like those annoying federal research facilities that must be ignored, cut and gagged.
The prime minister supports privately funded research. And fair enough. Private sources and universities are already the two largest streams of research funding in Canada and they can always be ignored if they differ from government policy.
The Beaubassin project shows what’s possible when private money (Irving), science (Acadia) and conservation (Ducks Unlimited) join wings. And it brought the PM to the border, where he could spend some time doing real work: politics. Aulac is just a duck pond west of Amherst, where Conservative MP Scott Armstrong was putting on his annual Tory barbecue and the PM was the star attraction.
His message? Atlantic Canada is “at heart, Conservative country,” a variation on the theme of “Conservative values are Canadian values and the Conservative party is Canada’s party.”
Now, not many Maritimers or Newfoundlanders would consider the East to be Conservative country, at heart or otherwise. But Harper’s claim is plausible. In the 2011 election, Conservatives won more seats across the Atlantic region and captured a higher percentage of the vote than any other party.
But there’s a message beyond the electoral numbers, about Harper’s larger mission to replace the liberal ethic, that was traditionally at the heart of Canadian politics, with a conservative one. If he succeeds, Canada will change fundamentally and the Conservatives will become a dynasty.
But people here are skeptical of that, partly because of the caustic relationship the Tories have had with Atlantic Canada. So the PM went against the grain of opinion held by many of his own supporters, suggesting that East Coasters aren’t just, um, coasting.
The Halifax shipyard won the naval construction project over competitors from across the country, and “How did Atlantic Canada get it? My friends, like you always do, you earned it fair and square. And that’s why it’s here.”
We earned it fair and square. Write down those words. And let’s all hope members of Harper’s rank and file pick up on their leader’s cue. Bashing equalization, employment insurance, health and social transfers, and federal jobs in the region are the leading reasons why Atlantic Canada isn’t really Conservative country.
Our prime minister is an astute guy, way smarter than a lot of his followers. You know, the noisy Tories who can’t understand that Canadians everywhere work hard to pay the bills and share the burdens, and not just Westerners.
The PM has a duty to remind everyone of that from time to time, or else allow deeper divisions to be driven into important national foundations. Canadians have always shared the workload and the bills, along with the dreams of a better country for everyone.
But lately, peevishness tinged with greed has been creeping into the national discourse. Did Ontario get jobbed by Alberta’s resource success? Does Alberta get stuck with too many bills? Who cares about Quebec’s alienation anymore? And are the Maritimes deserving of disdain merely because of their hardscrabble economies?
Beyond his duty as head of government, building and maintaining bridges is also in Harper’s political interest, even in a region with only 32 seats. People here tend to see him as a divisive figure, not a nation builder. The prime minister can change that and maybe win votes. That’s what he was really doing on the border. It had nothing to do with ducks.
Original Article
Source: the chronicle herald
Author: DAN LEGER
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