Speaking at a Conservative Party fundraiser in Vancouver last Saturday evening, Hon. Jason Kenney, Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity, lauded the Conservatives' tax cuts while having a dig at the Liberals.
Addressing a crowd of about 260 at the Austria Club of Vancouver, Kenney called the Liberals "the save-the-GST club under Stephane Dion," as he reminded the audience of the 1 per cent reduction of the GST on January 1.
He went on to say that Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government is "creating incentives with over 36 different tax cuts, and fueling a strong economy with the lowest unemployment rate in 40 years."
Enhancing this positive scenario for the Conservatives, a December nine-country poll conducted by Angus Reid for MacLean's ranked Harper number one as the most admired head of government in the world. Germany's Angela Merkel ranked second.
Kenney's own star is also rising. He has been named by Maclean's as one of Canada's "100 Leaders of the future," and by the Financial Post as "one of 21 Canadians to watch in the 21st century."
"It is an impossible standard to live up to," Kenney told the audience.
In his first year as Secretary of State, Kenney has met with the Aga Khan and the Dalai Lama, and celebrated Asian Heritage month.
Last week he celebrated Raoul Wallenberg Day with the Jewish community in Ottawa, commemorating the legacy of the man who has been credited with saving over 100,000 Jews from the Holocaust. Wallenberg is Canada's first honourary citizen.
Kenney has been balancing his Heritage Canada portfolio between what he calls "new Canadians" and the cultures that were part of the founding of the nation.
Ho told the audience that the Harper government remains dedicated to seeing more Chinese M.P.s in office — part of the Conservative's strategy to chip away at the ethno-centric base long associated with Liberal politics.
Kenney described the universal choice in childcare allowance as helpful "especially to those with modest means," adding that the elimination of the marriage penalty in the tax code is another incentive to the economy.
The economy may prove to be a dominant issue in 2008 — what with talk of a recession as stock markets plunge north and south of the border — along with the possibility of a federal election.
Attempting to engender enthusiasm about the prospect of several candidates preparing for a possible 2008 election, Kenney praised "the quality of candidates in the Lower Mainland."
He acknowledged that the number of seats in the House of Commons occupied by Conservatives is "a little shy of a majority. But look at what we have achieved, with the press gallery not apparently friendly to us."
Harper's first year in office included some spats with the press gallery, and he has often been portrayed in news reports as unapproachable or unappealing. Ironically, it was Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion's steady low poll ratings all year that stopped the Liberals from calling an election, leading to the view that it may be Dion's personality issues rather than Harper's that mirror the true party image problem.
Putting the spotlight on policy, leadership style and accountability may prove to be a beneficial tack of the Conservatives in the event of an election this year.
And the electioneering may well have begun. Kenney criticized Dion's recent gaffe regarding relations with Pakistan, saying, "we cannot afford to give him leadership of this G8 country."
He was referring to the political firestorm set off by Dion last week when he suggested that Canada should pull out of Afghanistan and invade Pakistan to prevent terrorists crossing the border into Afghanistan.
The High Commissioner at the Pakistan Embassy in Ottawa, Musa Javed Chohan stated, "there was no way foreign troops would be allowed on Pakistan's soil" and suggested Dion was in a state of delusion to have even thought about it.
The Daily Times in Lahore, Pakistan, described Dion in a headline as "uninformed, irrational and deluded."
Dion's comments likely made the diplomatic corps' job tougher this week.
Observers say Canada cannot afford to come across as ignorant of other nation states' sovereignty or appear gauche when it comes to delicate matters of diplomacy and negotiations.
In this context, he reminded the audience that Canadian troops are serving in Afghanistan "at the profound request of the Afghan government." "If we are going to ask young men and women to risk their lives and invest their time in war, we need to protect our brave men and women in the field. The Prime Minister has done it on the world stage."
Feeds