Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Mansbridge Re-introducing Hidden Agenda Card?

You have to respect our Prime Minister for returning to do interviews with CBC's Peter Mansbridge after some of his past treatment. This time around, pistol Pete decided to ask which classic "hidden agenda" items Harper has planned if he's able to win a majority government. Abortion, death penalty, gun laws, etc; the items that the Martinites campaigned on in 2004 and 2006. We will see if Ignatieff dusts off the old strategy now that Mansbridge has opened the door.

You may remember during the 2008 election campaign at the start of this economic downturn Harper encouraged weary investors to invest in Canada in a Mansbridge interview, and Pete expressed dismay that the PM would do something so morally insensitive. Let the record show that the TSX was at 9,000 points at the time of the interview and is currently sitting around 13,000 points (a gain of 31%).

Here is the hidden agenda sequence of questions from the most recent Mansbridge interview (note that the Prime Minister did not bite on the partisan questions):

1: As you mentioned earlier, you said you haven't been able to do all the things that you wanted to do, given the minority situation. Let's assume you wind up with a majority. The gun laws - would they change according to the way you were hoping to change them?

2: Would you re-open the abortion issue?

3: Capital punishment?

4: You don't sound as firm as...

5: You've appointed dozens of senators.

6: Senate reform. What would you do with senate reform if you had a majority?

7: Because of doing something you said you'd never do?

8 comments:

  1. I think this post only makes sense if you can watch the CBC segment, a link to it would help. Just saying...

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  2. I watched the full interview a little while ago, and my only impression was that the Prime Minister did remarkably well. It was a stellar performance.

    I thought Peter asked fair questions for the most part. The questions about abortion and capital punishment were wasted questions. His positions on those issues aren't going to change because he has a majority.

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  3. On the other hand ... the questions on abortion and capital punishment have given the electorate the chance to hear the PM's views directly from him, rather than from his detractors. I wish he had expanded on when he thinks capital punishent is justified, though.

    Also, regarding the gun registry, he cleared up some misconceptions, again created by his detractors. Gun licensing, background checks, bans on certain types of firearms remain in place even if the long-gun registry is abolished. Those among the general public who did not follow the gun registry debate very closely may not have heard MP Candice Hoeppner make those same points, so it's good the PM got to make that clear.

    -- Gabby in QC

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  4. Mansbridge was doing HIS "ATTACK" ads, low ball questions to the Prime Minister. With friends like him, the broke Liberals don't need "ATTACK" ads. Mansbridge looked cheap and PM Harper looked classy, under the vicious meany Peter attacks, for his buddies. Time to close CBC down...can't wait till March.

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  5. I really liked PMSHs answer on abortion,
    'you have to change hearts, not laws'

    More telling is what pistol Pete didn't ask PMSH about
    2 tier healthcare
    Is that issue off the hidden agenda list?
    If it is, it's because Liberals don't want to take a stand against the Dippers.
    That could fracture their coalition agreement.

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  6. Also liked PMSH putting into perspective, the F35 jet purchase,
    -no spending for 5 years (2016 first purchase)
    -spending over 40 years, not a lump sum

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  7. And another thing Mansbridge didn't bring up in the interview,
    the largest free trade agreement since NAFTA just isn't important enough to Canada like the 'hidden agenda' thing!

    'OTTAWA — Canada and the European Union have entered the sixth round of trade talks this week for what could be the largest free trade agreement since NAFTA.'

    http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2011/01/18/16938216.html

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  8. I must admit I felt Mansbridge appeared defensive or almost afraid to insert digs from the Liberal war room.
    He did it failed and now the left will go freaking out taking our PM out of context after slamming the CPC for doing to Ignatieff.

    Our PM is a genius. The opposition will raise law and order issues: Capital punishment, abortion etc.

    Watch them fall into hysteria for the next few days while the tour of Ignatieff goes unnoticed (again).

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