Den Tandt: Seven political surprises of 2014

The year 2014 was full of political surprises. Here are seven that jumped out at me:

Let Harper be Harper

We know that Prime Minister Stephen Harper is no Rick Mercer. He’ll never win the Conrad Black prize for loquacity and perspicacious verbosity. But it seemed safe to assume that, upon emerging from the steaming rubble of the Senate spending scandal, the PM would at least try to unfurl himself a little. What we got instead were bellicose barbs aimed at Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, a few romantic bits about the lost Franklin Expedition, and several more musical outings. For better or worse, Harper has ignored suggestions from within his caucus that, as the government’s strongest communicator of substance, he should communicate more often about substance. He heads into an election year holding some strong cards. Engagement with the electorate is not among them.

Jim Flaherty, R.I.P.

The Honourable Jim Flaherty’s sudden death in April, due to a heart attack, plunged Parliament and the country into mourning. The outpouring of grief was spontaneous, deep and crossed all party lines. A political surprise had occurred some months before, as he unveiled his final budget. In a rare show of independence by a senior Harper minister, Flaherty expressed reservations about income-splitting, the Conservatives’ signature tax-cutting promise from the 2011 election. His concern was that the benefits accrue unevenly to the wealthy, because only they can afford to have one parent stay home. Flaherty’s concerns did not outlive him: Income-splitting is a signature plank in the Harper government’s platform heading into the 2015 election.

Tom Mulcair, whither art thou?

It was a tough year for the NDP leader. Coming off the triumph of his inquisitorial performances in the House of Commons in 2013, it seemed that Mulcair had the wind at his back. But he has not managed to convert this into support, especially in English Canada. In successive byelection rounds, the NDP has seen its vote share decimated, compared with the results of the May 2, 2011 election. Mulcair’s opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline project cost him votes in Ontario, and his support for the Energy East project is problematic in Quebec. A vow to revive the federal long-gun registry landed with a resounding thud. Mulcair is a strong rhetorician, perhaps the best now in the House of Commons. It looks as though he will need all those skills, and then some, to prevent seat losses in October.

Oh, Obama

U.S. President Barack Obama had one big thing to do in 2014 for this country, Canada, just one: To green light the Keystone XL pipeline project. It was a simple-enough task, given that the State Department has already signed off. Could he deliver? Nope. There was only more delay. As the year progressed Obama sounded progressively more negative. Keystone is now in full symbolic, political-football mode. Its chances of being approved while this president is in office are nil. The continuing pipeline bottleneck, and now plunging oil prices, may combine to make 2014 the oilpatch’s annus horribilis.

Don’t cry for me, Jacques Parizeau

What a delicious rout that was. As the Quebec campaign got underway in March it seemed unity squabbling was back on the boil. Then neophyte politician Pierre Karl Peladeau stuck a pin in then-premier Pauline Marois’ bubble, by pumping his fist in the air and declaring himself for independence. Why would a separatist declaring himself for independence be in any way controversial? Ah, my friend, but you just don’t understand Quebec. For the longest time separatists have done well when they declared themselves to be in principle for breaking up the country, only later, after taking care of the laundry and running a few errands. For his honesty, which cost the Parti Quebecois the election and installed ardent federalist Phillippe Couillard with a majority, all Canadians owe Peladeau a debt of thanks.

Kathleen Wynne wins

That’s three in a row now, the Ontario Progressive Conservatives have blown. It’s getting to be a way of life for them. There was John Tory with religious schools; then Tim Hudak with his anti-immigration cant; and then in May Hudak again, with his magnificent promise to kill 100,000 well-paying public-sector jobs. This may be recorded by history as the stupidest pledge ever made by a Canadian politician. On the plus side Hudak was brutally frank about the province’s parlous finances, and he consoled himself with that thought as his political career ended.

Wild roses bloom in Prentice’s garden

Another one for the annals. You take a staunchly combative, principled, plucky, rigorously grassroots party, which has done a terrific job of holding the Alberta Progressive Conservatives to account; you ad a dollop of ambition, and a big dose of Jim Prentice, and presto! Nine Wildrose members, including leader Danielle Smith, cross the floor and join the Prentice government, with nary a nod to the party membership. How could they not have known this would backfire? Preston Manning, who had a hand in this deal, was the first to apologize. It doesn’t seem he’ll be the last.

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Source:: canada.com