In light of criticism in Vancouver this week for describing First Nations communities as “socially dysfunctional,” other comments by natural resources minister Joe Oliver this week have come to light in which he accused critics of the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline of a “naive ideology that opposes any major initiative” in Canada's interests.
The controversial comments are buried deep in Oliver's speech to the Canadian right at the Manning Networking Conference last Friday, which also saw defence minister Peter Mackay say that soldiers - “those who carry the gun” - are “our greatest citizens.”
“When we circle our Conservative wagons, we need to fire outwards, not inwards,” Mackay added, speaking about uniting the country's right-wing movement.
A glance through years past at the famous gathering of conservatives from across the country reveals some other interesting gems, notably a speech by BC Premier Christy Clark's new chief of staff, in 2009, in which he praised Prime Minister Stephen Harper – his boss at the time – for rebranding the national anthem and the entire Arctic region in a Conservative mould, and defeating “politically correct” proposals like national public child care, the Kyoto climate change accord, and a historic First Nations agreement.
The Vancouver Observer brings you some key points from those three speeches:
National resources minister Joe Oliver (March 16)
- At the outset, it's essential to recognize the key role that natural resources play in the Canadian economy. There is no longer the old tendency to see mining, oil and gas, and forestry as remnants of some distant economic past, and Canadians as hewers of wood and drawers of water. Now, most people understand that the opposite is true, Canada's resource industries are more than ever a cornerstone of a modern economy.
- We have the resources, and we have the opportunities to make the most of them. In fact we have more than opportunity, we have an imperative. It's not news to close observers that we are witnesses a major shift in the global economic balance, with geopolitical implications.
- When discussing the oil sands, it's important we deal in facts. Too often, this is a subject distorted by excessive rhetoric and scare tactics. The fact is, oil sands represent 0.1 per cent, or about one one-thousandth, global (greenhouse gas) emissions.
- To put it plainly, the impact of the oil sand on global warming is miniscule, and to say the oil sands will destroy the planet is preposterous, and any person making that statement is at the minimum misinformed . . . Those are the facts we need before we can have a rational public policy discussion about the oil sands.
- Projects that are environmentally benign and safe, thousands of new jobs, and access to new markets, cannot be allowed to die off because they are needlessly stuck in the review process.
- Meeting our economic objectives – jobs, growth and prosperity – does not mean lowering our environmental standards, and despite what some high-profile voices are telling us, this is not an either-or proposition. Canadians see these arguments for what they are: arguments based on a naive ideology, that opposes any major initiative, however important for the country, and however obvious the need. As I've said on a number of occasions, we can do this – Canadians have proven themselves to be a pretty clever bunch.
National defence minister Peter McKay (March 14)
- Over the years, Conservatives have had times of influence, but we've also had times that we were sidelined. In fact, during that time we spent our collective efforts patiently honing our ideas, developing policies and plans to make our country even better. And in fact, Conservatives have never strayed from the reality that it is ultimately Canada's well being that matters most. In fact, we've often paid a political price for putting the country's interest first.
- We were stronger when we stuck together, when we stuck to our guns – even when we were forced to register them (audience laughter). And over the last six years, and in fact nearly a decade as a united Conservative family, we have shown a great deal to stand by our convictions, to bring about important change that we felt would inf country in right direction, and if I can use another firearms analogy, when have learned sometimes hard lessons, when we circle conservative wagons we need to fire outwards, not inwards.
- I cannot overstate the importance of our military to the history of our nation, and the future success and sovereignty of a prosperous Canada. As we commemorate the bicentennial of the war of 1812, it's worth remembering that our nation was in fact born out of conflict, and we had a military before we had a country. There is simply no greater symbol of our liberty, or a more fundamental guardian of our freedoms, than the men and women of our Canadian Forces. . . the warrior spirit lives in this generation.
- In addition to providing aerospace industries with access to contracts, production and sustainment of an entire fleet of aircraft . . . access to a global supply chain that puts Canada's industry on a competitive footing that can reap huge rewards.
- These investments and achievements. . . have shown the world, not just Canadians, that Canadian Forces can make a tangible difference at home and abroad. . . Thanks to a Conservative government's investment in defence, and the extraordinary efforts, first and foremost, of the military and the civilian members of the defence team, Canada is frankly more influential and more respected on the world stage today than at any other point in recent history.
- No matter how advanced our technology or capabilities might become, the government knows that, the single most important factor is the continued health and well-being of the men and women who serve in uniform. . . Those in uniform who willingly put themselves in harm's way have to be the primary focus of any government – we owe the greatest debt of gratitude to those individuals in our country. They are our greatest citizens. My obligation as minister, first and foremost, is to those who carry the gun.
- (Closing comment): God bless Canada and those who defend it.
Ken Boessenkool, former Harper aide, now premier Christy Clark chief of staff (Dec. 9, 2009)
- Let's start talking about a couple of areas where the principles this Conservative government has put forward, defended and moved forward have been revolutionary. Foreign policy – Canada is consistently the first country in the world to defend Israel, our democratic ally in the Middle East. This is a huge thing they've done: they've stood on principle on that, and they've been consistent right through the piece.
- Defence: we are rebuilding our armed forces, we are putting billions of dollars into our armed forces, and we are rebuilding our national defence in a principled, important and lasting way.
- Arctic sovereignty: we are defending and building national symbols for which Conservatives can be identified. The symbolism of the North, the Arctic stuff Harper is doing, defining the northern part of our country as a Conservative national symbol. Look at our government's website: “True north, strong and free.” The national anthem becoming more of a Conservative symbol.
- (Regarding Conservative “think-tanks” versus “do-tanks”): It's very good to have a “do-tank,” but what Conservatives need is an “undo-tank” - there's all kinds of bad policy that we need to undo.
- On justice: we have brought forward many bills to toughen up our criminal justice system – a very Conservative set of policies, a very consistent set of policies that we have pushed forward and advanced.
- On political correctness: there is no longer any credibility in this country for the Kelowna Accord (with First Nations), for the Kyoto Accord, or for court challenges programs. These are politically correct institutions that this government has systematically, in their conversation and their policy, undone, moved forward and changed the debate.
- The most important thing this government has done in my estimation . . . This government stopped cold . . . a national government-run, unionized child care system, and instead redirected billions of dollars so parents can make their own choices about their families. That's a Conservative principle.
- I'm kinda passionate about this, I've given a lot of my life to promote these values.