Harper's Bizzare.

Did someone never tell the Prime Minister of Canada that secrets aren't polite? Because he seems to like them.

For the first time in recent memory the media is being blocked from several parts of parliment house, also, cabinet meetings are no longer announced, which means that the media can no longer ask the cabinet questions as they come in and out of the meetings. This has been a long standing tradition, and now its gone. On top of that, before cabinet ministers can talk to the media they have to get permission from the PMO, which The Thought believes is rediculous. The content of these meetings? Also secret.

Several things bother The Thought about this. First of all, remember freedom of the press? It affects alot of things, including this blog. Well one of the things about freedom of the press, a constitutional freedom Mr. Harper, is that the press needs to have the freedom to do its job. The exclusion of the media from both the ability to candidly question the cabinet and their ban from cabinet meetings as well as several key parts of parliment infringes on this freedom.

Secondly, The Thought doesn't like the party line. In fact, in general The Thought is against anything that tows things. If they didn't exist, The Thought wouldn't have to pay so much money to keep getting his car back. Cabinet ministers should be able to speak their mind. They all have various opinions and they all are human. The idea that once an idea is solidified in a secret cabinet meeting and then thrust upon the members, who must present it by script... Is atrocious. A presidency would not work if it was forced to behave like parliment, and a parliment won't work when it behaves like a presidency. What The Thought means by a parliment behaving like a presidency is this: The president is generally the sole voice for government, the figurehead, and the head of state. The big power source. (This is an overly simplified explanation.) In the Canadian government power is consolidated over a large number of people, and by making them all the mouth pieces of the PM... Essentially a system of government with only one power source is created. Like in the presidency. If I know Canada that won't wash. The Thought also wonders if the cabinet meetings the government has are at all democratic or just meetings where policies are issued...

Thirdly, David Emerson is an idiot. (The Thought hates rhetoric but sometimes can't resist.)

Another thing that makes The Thought angry is the whole issue of the "liberal media." The Thought feels that the government is using this as a tool to disable the media. Its crafty, but The Thought is craftier, (you should see his macaroni art.) He sees through the PM's plan. Basically, by saying that the media is biased, any opposition the media has can quickly be blamed on a bias, which makes the media look bad. And the plan has worked, the media has largely been quiet about this issue. An issue which The Thought expected would be on the front page of several Canadian media websites, but wasn't. The Thought often couldn't find any mention of the new conservative rulings at all, and when he did it was usually tucked away in a pile of links at the bottom of the screen. The media should be ashamed. Backing down from an issue like this is irresponsible at best.

To sum things up: Stephen Harper's move was cowardly at best. Conspirital at worst. These times are rediculously paranoid and if the PM thinks being secrative is a good way to get votes... Unfortunately he might be right. The public can't vote on what they don't know. Even if its a huge issue. The Thought sincerely hopes Canada can overcome this new policy.

Thats all for tonight. Tomorrow: The immigaration issue. The Thought addresses it three days late.