EE © the other press ¢ Opinions December 3, 2003 Right Hook Crt Chrétien’s legacy of lies CORRECTION: In my last article I described Adbusters as being a “$15 publication.” In reality, the magazine costs around eight bucks. It’s still overpriced. J.J. McCullough OP Columnist Well, Chrétien is finally gone, and not a e moment too soon. Come December, our J glorious Prime Minister's 40-year career in politics will firally come to an end. If you ask me, it’s 40 years too late. Recent polls show that somewhere around 60 percent of Canadians are unable to name a single accomplish- meant of the Chrétien era, and frankly, I am surprised the number is that low. Chrétien was elected on a thorough- ly legitimate platform of change and renewal, and yet, during his brilliant statesman—the best Prime Minister in history. Any speech he gives is likely to be full of self-congratula- tory praise about how he “saved Canada” by “keeping Quebec in.” This is quite a bold statement from a man who was notably absent during the 1996 referendum campaign, in which said referendum ended up only being rejected by an incredibly thin margin of less than 1 per- cent. True, the separatists are now out of power in Quebec, but this was largely due to the Parti Quebecois’ own political incompetence and not any brilliant scheme on the part of decade in power he ignored or if nN h 1s OWN M1 na Chrétien. Indeed, it was Chrétien’s broke practically every promise own unpopularity in Quebec that was he ever made. Ch ré; tie nN 1s n0 th 1 Ng able to keep the separatists in power Chrétien promised to abolish the GST. Instead he kept it, and less than a brilliant raised just about every other tax, as long as they were. Behind all the rhetoric, the real Chrétien legacy is clear: higher taxes, as well. He promised to increase statesman the best greater debt, an_ ever-increasing healthcare transfer payments to the provinces, but instead made socialistic beuracracy, US-Canada relations up in smoke, and a parlia- over 25 billion dollars in cuts. P rime M: inister 1n mentary government so manipulated He promised to slash govern- and centralized that it has turned the ment excess, and instead govern- h 1S tory country into—as the Globe and ment spending ballooned out of control, with billions of taxpayer dollars being funneled into bizarre art grants, private luxuries for his cabinet, useless Crown corporations, and general boondoggles like the infamous gun registry. Chrétien championed the cause of parliamentary reform, and vowed to abolish the Senate. Today the senate is packed with Chrétien loyal- ists, parliament has been reduced to all but a rubber stamp, and government corruption remains rampant. We still don’t even have an independent ethics coun- selor in this country, but we do have a vast array of diplomatic posts being staffed by Chrétien’s closest friends and family members. Of course, a few of his flip-flops worked out for the better. He did not destroy Free Trade, despite numerous promises to do so while in opposition. He also failed to bring back his pet cause of the 70s—the infamous National Energy Policy in which the Federal Government had seized control of Alberta’s oil in order to pay off the debt of their various failed schemes. Chrétien criticized Prime Minister Mulroney for abolishing this idiotic, socialistic ploy, but thankfully, once in power, Chrétien made no moves to re-implement it. Both Free Trade and the liberated Alberta oil industry have proven to be extremely successful, and need- less to say Chrétien has eagerly taken credit for the benefits they have brought to Canada. It’s truly a sad state of affairs when a politician’s greatest suc- cesses come from breaking his own election plat- form. Chrétien has only really been consistent on one policy over the years, and that is his anti- Americanism. I don't think Chrétien viciously hates America, (he seemed to get along well Bill Clinton) I just think that Chrétien possesses the “knee-jerk anti-American” gene that is so popular among Canadians. Throughout his whole career, the PM has refused to admit the Americans have ever gotten anything right, be it drug laws, tax cuts, or foreign policy. This, in turn, makes Chrétien very attractive to the super-left wing Liberal Party, who see no problem in calling the President of the United States a “moron” or the American people “bastards” in public. In his own mind Chrétien is nothing less than a _/ttp:/Avww.filibustercartoons.com Mails Jeffery Simpson memorably put it—a “friendly dictatorship.” It remains to be seen whether or not Paul Martin will be an improvement over Chrétien. Martin is spouting all the right lines right now, about lowering taxes, cutting spending, and reforming parliament. He says the Liberal party under his rule will bring in a new era of govern- ment, one of fairness and accountability. Stop me if youve heard this one before. ae Page 10 http://www.otherpress.ca Cartoon by J.J. McCullough