I'm not sure what is the bigger news story, that Prime Minister Stephen Harper is now regarded as the greatest PM (since 1968) by 19% of Canadians (putting him in second place, well ahead of Jean Chretien), or that 36% of Canadians still think Pierre Trudeau is the best in a new Angus Reid poll. The momentum however belongs to Harper, who has jumped from 11% last year to 19% after winning a majority government. By the time he wins his 2nd majority, Stephen Harper should be the unanimous choice as the greatest leader in the history of Canada...
I'd be curious to know how Quebec sovereigntists voted in this poll since they have never had one of their own in the top job. 48% of respondents picked either Trudeau or Chretien, so that should provide some indication of who Gilles Duceppe and his ilk might have selected as Canada's greatest Prime Minister.
The poll was for greatest prime minister since 1968, not of all time. Otherwise MacKenzie King would have walked away with it.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to see Harper so well regarded. Otherwise a poll like this is pretty meaningless; it basically asks, who got good press and did you notice that? Even if you took it seriously, as hardly anyone would, just how do you assess the greatness of a prime minister? From what perspective? In his time, Trudeau was conspicuously more successful than Mulroney, and the same is true even of Chretien; but in terms of his influence on the country as we know it today, Mulroney is at least the equal of Trudeau and Chretien doesn't even rate.
But what the hell. Good for Harper.
Jean Chretien was a thug who pushed the Federal Development Bank to fire Francois Beaudoin, its president, because he didn't want to give a further massive loan to a pal of Chretien's for an inn in Shawinigan.
ReplyDeleteBeaudoin had to go to court to get back his pension and receive indemnity for this scandalous attempt to ruin his career and reputation. Luckily for him a Quebec Superior judge ruled in his favour and was very outspoken about how horrendously he had been treated, with the RCMP searching his house, chalet and locker at this country club several times to find proof of supposed expensive account abuse. The settlement unfortunately remained secret.
Trudeau brought in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which has been pure manna for lawyers across Canada and which doesn't even enshrine property rights.
PM Harper is on the top of my list for bringing back respect for the armed forces, although Paul Martin did start this process.
Nothing that happened before 1970 matters anyway. MacKenzie King is overrated...
ReplyDeleteMy favourite would be Chretien followed by Mulroney. If Campbell had stuck around longer I think I could have really liked her.
ReplyDeleteSince 1968...LOL I like you Iceman you just say crap that you wish was true rather than what is true. I wish I smoked what you smoke!
ReplyDeleteSo 36% think a Nazi sympathizer and English hater like fancy pants Pierre was the best PM. Hmmmm... kinda like a Eugenics promoting creep like Tommy Douglas being voted as the "greatest Canadian". I'm surprised that when Trudump was busy destroying Canada, trying to create a French speaking State and distorting Canadian history beyond recognition, that he didn't make speaking of Canada before 1968 illegal. Kinda like when Turdo was making it against the law to call the BNA Act the BNA Act. Perhaps PM Harper should start denying, distorting and destroying Canadian history and tradition the way Peeair did, seeing as forced historical revisionism and tribalism are so respected.
ReplyDeleteSean M...Nothing that happened before 1970 matters.
ReplyDeleteTrudeau was a child during ww2. It is just silly to say he was a nazi sympathizer. Surely you can find fault with the Trudeau record without making crap up.
It was a piece of cake governing prior to 1970.And Trudeau was no child during the war,just a coward
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