Jack Layton

He who seeks to be Canada’s first President, tries to remind Canadians the Canada is not the United States.

Harper, at his campaign stop in Val d’Or last evening, sought to comfort skittish investors and to distance the campaign debate from the turbulence south of the border. “Today we see more volatility in financial markets due to the crisis in the United States,” said the prime minister. “Remember, Canada is not the United States.

Sadly though Harper then chooses almost the exact same words as the Republican Presidential candidate with which to assure us all is well.

The fundamentals of the Canadian economy are sound.

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On the campaign trail in Jacksonville, Florida, the Senator declared this morning that “the fundamentals of our economy are strong,” despite what he described as “tremendous turmoil in our financial markets and Wall Street.”

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Layton tried to convene an all party conference on the apparent economic collapse going on, however was rebuffed by the others who are more concerned with partisan sniping than in recognizing that economic depression in the US is certainly going to affect our economy as well. Harper, in fact, rejected any co-operative effort outright saying that such matters are for debates. Well it is hardly surprising that the same mindset that sees human rights, reproductive rights etc. as fodder for debate would also see the economic security of Canadians as simple debate material.

One can imagine the Harper Government™ having the opinion as Bush spokesman Tony Fratto; “It’s unfortunate that those people will lose their homes, and there are other options,” Fratto said. “You know, they can rent.”

Has Marie Antoinette taught them nothing?

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