Stephen Harper’s War on Canada
January 30, 2015 § 6 Comments
Last weekend, the Toronto Star published a scathing article, looking at how Canada’s elected government, led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, has muzzled, shut down, and otherwise sullied government branches. Harper has silenced scientists working for Environment Canada and Health Canada, all in an attempt to keep them from publicising the harm caused by the Tarsands in Alberta.
Then there’s Harper’s war against the Library and Archives Canada. This is the national archives and library of the country. In other words, it’s kind of important. Rather than fund it properly, ensure that Canadians have access to their national history, Harper has cut funding, shut down branches, and done everything it can to prevent us from knowing the history that his government spends too much time blaming us for not knowing. This is unacceptable, and downright terrifying.
Mark Bourrie, the author of the article notes that: “In 2008–2009, Library and Archives Canada spent $385,461 on historic documents. In 2011–2012 it spent nothing. In Washington, the Library of Congress’s acquisition budget was between $18 million and $19 million annually from 2009 to 2012.” Think about that. In 2008-09, LAC’s acquisition budget was .02% of that of the Library of Congress. In 2011-12, it was 0%. This is a national disgrace.
During Daniel Caron’s reign of error at the the LAC, he and his management team came up with a code of conduct for employees:
Caron and his management team came up with a code of conduct banning librarians and archivists from setting foot in classrooms, attending conferences and speaking at public meetings, whether on the institution’s time or their own. The 23 pages of rules, called “Library and Archives Canada’s Code of Conduct: Values and Ethics,” came into effect in January 2013. Employees could get special dispensation from their bosses, but the fine print of the gag order made it unlikely that permission would be granted. The rules called public speaking, whether to university students, genealogy groups, historians and even other archivists and librarians, “high risk” activities that could create conflicts of interest or “other risks to LAC.” The code stressed federal employees’ “duty of loyalty” not to history or to Library and Archives Canada, but rather to the “duly elected government.” Employees breaking the code could find themselves reported to LAC managers by colleagues who turned them in on what James Turk, executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, called a “snitch line.”
“As public servants, our duty of loyalty to the Government of Canada and its elected officials extends beyond our workplace to our personal activities,” the code said. It reminded librarians and archivists, many of whom do not consider themselves public menaces, that they must maintain awareness of their surroundings, their audience and how their words or actions could be interpreted (or misinterpreted). They were warned not to fall into the trap of social media. And LAC employees were warned that teaching a class or speaking at a conference put them at special risk, since “such activities have been identified as high risk to Library and Archives Canada and to the employee with regard to conflict of interest, conflict of duties and duty of loyalty.”
This is appalling. I cannot think of a universe where giving a pubic talk is “high risk.” Especially for an archivist. How is it high risk? University students might learn how to use the archives? Various publics may learn how to look for their ancestors? And the very fact that Harper has farmed out aspects of LAC’s geneaology department to Ancestry.ca is criminal, and nothing short of that.
Then there’s the part about “loyalty to the Government of Canada and its elected officials.” Um, no. Civil servants DO have a loyalty to the Government. It’s part of their job. But a loyalty to the elected officials. No. Wrong. The loyalty of civil servants in Canada is to Canadians, the taxpayers and citizens. We have a right to know whether or not the tarsands are harming our environment. We have a right to be able to go to the LAC to discover our history.
Harper’s war on brains, as The Star terms is, is unacceptable, wrong, and dangerous. The way to build a healthy nation is through an educated populace. But Harper clearly does not want this. He wants Canadians to be poorly-educated, to not have the essential information they need to make decisions on matters of public policy. Stephen Harper needs to be stopped. The Government of Canada needs to recover its moral compass. The government should serve Canadians, not see them as contemptuous and a nuisance to the government.
Harper’s behaviour is nothing short of undemocratic and un-Canadian.
Matthew Barlow 
And our PM, Tony Abbott is hand in glove with him. Two great nations led by two vandals. Ans we voted for them. Why?
I don’t know much about Australian politics, but I do know enough to know that Abbott is a piece of work. But don’t look at me, I did not vote for Harper and never would.
Matthew this is a great post. Harper has done much to put this country backward and you have picked a couple of great examples. Many others come to mind including the horrible treatment of scientists, the chopping of the census, the treatment of veterans, etc, etc. Not to mention the screwing around with budget numbers, backbenchers, the military procurements, etc. These people would fit perfectly in the Tea Party. And I’m sure Harper and Abbott would hit it off very nicely at a party…
Now the question is how to ensure they are not re-elected in October. Many (most?) Canadians seem to care less about voting (as in the USA). I say ABH – Anyone But Harper – but the opposition could split the vote.
One of the things that I am beginning to see that is helping Harper is the main-line CBC and others that talk ONLY about the economy and seldom about the things these guys have done to the country. They have done a passable job and so people will support them is often stated. Are they (CBC) also being throttled by the PMO? Note the so-called “At Issue” panel – only the “BIG” picture and not the truth of their nastiness comes through. In fact they have also screwed up the economy but seem to think they are the saviours of the country!
We must try to get them out of office. I will take either opposition parties over the Harperites.
Dave Schurman
I agree Dave. I thin the smug, self-satisfied lot of Canadians will also help Harper. Given the collective shrug to the massive voter-fraud activities of the party in the 2011 election, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him win another majority. The opposition is clueless. I personally wouldn’t trust Mulcair farther than I can throw him, plus I just don’t trust the NDP. I know too many Dipper, good people all. But. And JT is creating a cult of personality, with very little substance behind him.
As for the CBC, I think it has to suck up to Harper to survive.
My country is being destroyed by Harper. Absolutely destroyed. The Tea Party could get elected here and the US would continue to chug along, the institutions of this country are strong enough. That’s not the case with Canada. Whenever Harper leaves office, he will be remembered as the man who killed Canada.
I keep seeing these Government of Canada propaganda ads when I watch hockey. And I see this slogan: Canada. Strong. Proud. Free. Canada will be none of those three things when he’s done. And that’s not hyperbole.
“And LAC employees were warned that teaching a class or speaking at a conference put them at special risk, since “such activities have been identified as high risk to Library and Archives Canada and to the employee with regard to conflict of interest, conflict of duties and duty of loyalty.””
What the everloving FUNK did I just read?! So, basically, LAC librarians were warned by their employers against an *integral* *part* of their career development, i.e., giving conference talks?!? Never mind the fact that most library / archives positions I know of also include education & outreach (=teaching classes) as an integral part of the job. I’m flabbergasted and outraged at these kinds of bully tactics – in Canada, of all places.
Yup. Welcome to HarperLand, formerly known as Canada.