The Washington Times LETTERS TO THE EDITOR December 11, 2005 Stephen Harper, for the record Patrick Basham of the Cato Institute calls me "pro-free trade, pro-Iraq war, anti-Kyoto, and socially conservative" ("Gift from Canada?" Commentary, Dec. 2). While I certainly consider myself to be a friend of the United States, I am afraid this greatly oversimplifies my positions. For the record: While, unlike the current Liberal government, I have always supported free trade, there is a deep concern in Canada about the commitment of the current U.S. administration and Congress to free trade. The United States is withholding some $5 billion in duties held from Canadian softwood lumber producers, despite the fact that a NAFTA panel has ruled that these duties are illegal. In a recent speech, I stated that Canada must determine "the willingness of the United States to strengthen the dispute resolution mechanism and to subordinate domestic political pressures to a shared system of rules" and that "if this is not a direction in which the United States wishes to go, then Canada will have to make other long-term choices in its economic infrastructure," including expanded trade relationships with Asian countries such as India, Japan, and China. On Iraq, while I support the removal of Saddam Hussein and applaud the efforts to establish democracy and freedom in Iraq, I would not commit Canadian troops to that country. I must admit great disappointment at the failure to substantiate pre-war intelligence information regarding Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction. While I think that the Kyoto Treaty is deeply flawed, I support developing a plan, in coordination with the United States and other countries, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by developing new technologies and energy conservation. And while I have promised a free vote in Canada's parliament to reconsider the recent change of law to allow same-sex marriages in Canada, and will vote myself for a return to the traditional definition of marriage, I have said any changes must protect the existing status of same-sex couples who have been legally married. As well, a new Conservative government will not initiate or support any effort to pass legislation restricting abortion in Canada. Despite my differences on many issues with some American conservative politicians, I look forward to a cooperative, constructive relationship with the United States as our principal trading partner and ally under a new Conservative government. HON. STEPHEN HARPER House of Commons Ottawa --------------------------------------------------------------- The Washington Times COMMENTARY December 2, 2005 Gift from Canada? By Patrick Basham Why does President Bush hope Christmas comes a little late this year? Because on Jan. 23, Canada may elect the most pro-American leader in the Western world. Free-market economist Stephen Harper, leader of the opposition Conservative Party, is pro-free trade, pro-Iraq war, anti-Kyoto, and socially conservative. Move over Tony Blair: If elected, Mr. Harper will quickly become Mr. Bush's new best friend internationally and the poster boy for his ideal foreign leader. Both north and south of the U.S.-Canada border, this vote matters. Canadians are facing an election that may be the closest in a generation. The first opinion poll of the campaign, a new CanWest News Service/Global News survey by Ipsos Reid, finds Prime Minister Paul Martin's center-left Liberal Party tied with Harper's Conservatives at 31 percent support each. Over the cold, wintry eight-week campaign, there is everything to play for on both sides of the partisan and ideological divide. If Martin's Liberal Party is re-elected for the fourth consecutive time, Canadian taxpayers will continue footing the bill for an expensive welfare state epitomized by its archaic government-run health-care system. Social policy experimentation on issues such as drugs and homosexual rights will continue in an incremental but decidedly progressive direction. What will happen if Mr. Harper's Conservatives win? Most important, Canada will have its first leader in living memory who actually believes Big Government is a real problem. A Prime Minister Harper may not be able to pass all the legislation he wants, but he would push to cut taxes and spending and the regulatory burden on Canada's business sector. The Liberals count on their overblown reputation for sound economic stewardship over the last decade to carry them across finish line in first place. In addition, a close race will undoubtedly feature much negative advertising. This pretty much guarantees the Liberals will use the nationalism card against the Conservatives. In practice, this means crude anti-American rhetoric to appeal to undecided electors of the vote-rich province of Ontario -- the same voters who decided the last election, 17 months ago, following a Liberal campaign that successfully tarred Mr. Harper as "too pro-American." The Conservatives, meanwhile, could benefit from a growing public sense that, 12 years after the reins last changed hands, it may be time for a change. This sentiment has been reinforced by the recent judicial investigation into a corruption scandal surrounding the Liberal Party's past funding of pro-Liberal advertising agencies in Quebec. Though the judicial report did not implicate Mr. Martin, it documented kickbacks among federal Liberal politicians, senior federal bureaucrats and advertising agency heads, thereby tarnishing the legacy of former Prime Minister Jean Chretien, Mr. Martin's predecessor. The findings also have irreparably harmed the Liberals' short-term prospects in Quebec, a shake-up that has proven a boon to the separatist movement in the populous and predominantly French-speaking province. Though still a young man in political terms, Stephen Harper may not receive a better opportunity to gain power and to steer Canada in a more conservative direction. If he and his fellow Conservatives can seize this opportunity to recast the policy debate, it will reveal a great deal about the evolving nature of Canadian political culture. A Harper victory may prove to be the exception to the international rule -- a rare foreign event that manages to put a smile on President George W. Bush's face. Patrick Basham is senior fellow in the Center for Representative Government at the Cato Institute.