Look for the ideologue

Photo Agence QMI, Dominick Gravel

Mario Dumont

Friday, 2 march 2018 05:00

UPDATE
Friday, 2 march 2018 05:00

Look at this article

In Quebec, we tend to be wary of politicians stuck too rigidly into an ideology. We prefer people with a good practical sense, able to adapt to situations. People who are able to share things between their personal beliefs and the reality of the events.

Stephen Harper has often been described as an ideologue. Re-read the press review of his decade in power, you will see that in the quebec press, he was often portrayed as the bearer fierce ideology of the right. The word “dangerous” ideologue lingered always in watermark as to make fear in the world.

Justin Trudeau has never been portrayed as an ideologue. His side, a cheerful, good-natured, projects the image of a man soft. His election was presented as a liberation for the Canada, the end of ideology Harper.

Certainly in 2015, Canada has gone from a man rather a right to a man, rather to the left. This is a no-brainer. But are we really gone from an ideologue to a leader more pragmatic ? And if it was the other way around…

The test of the facts

At the end of the summer of 2008, a financial crisis has hit hard, putting an end to a cycle of favourable economic. In a short time, this financial crisis turned into an economic crisis. Serious. Stephen Harper was to adopt balanced budgets since coming to power. It must be said that he inherited sound finances thanks to Paul Martin. Budgets without deficits, this coincided perfectly with his political beliefs.

In Quebec, we liked to present Stephen Harper as an ideologue. And if Justin Trudeau was more ?

How prime minister Harper has said he reacted to the crisis ? An ideological reaction would have been to stand on your head to balance the budget. Stephen Harper hates the borrowings and the debts of the governments. But this is not what he has done.

The Harper government has chosen the approach practical in such circumstances : a government that spends in a period of crisis to maintain a stimulating the economy and lessening the recession. Mr. Harper has left his minister of Finance submit budgets with deficits ranging up to $ 50 billion.

He has shown everything except ideologue. That said, his vision more to the right encouraged him to spend massively in infrastructure programs temporary, easy-to-halt after the recession. Much more wise to spend in the hiring of civil servants, which leads to an outflow of funds for decades to come.

Justin Trudeau

Compare this with the approach that has guided Justin Trudeau in the preparation of its budget this week. The economic context is exactly the opposite. Rather than a recession, we have an economic thrust, a period exceptionally favourable to them.

Justin Trudeau is more to the left. It will tolerate deficits. But in circumstances as favourable, the pragmatist would still have avoided to borrow unnecessarily. Mr. Trudeau has widened the deficit by choice. His decision is purely ideological.

Obviously, you have not read anywhere that mr. Trudeau is an ideologue (on the border of being dangerous). It is necessary to believe that when it goes to the left, the eyes change.