The Canadian National Newspaper: Stephen Harper's Conservatives: Elementary my dear Watson

“That government is best which governs least.” A line from Henry David Thoreau’s essay “On Civil Disobedience” tells us even mid 19th century men were writing about their fear of too much government interference. British North America was young and her separate colonies struggled to secure their place financially in the face of American imperialism near the end of the American Civil War. It was then our constitutional founders pushed for a Confederation that would unite the provinces together, and form Canada.

This new federal power would help preserve the interests within each province; mining, fishing, forestry, manufacturing. The selling point was the transcontinental railroad being built that would connect the provinces and carry their goods to each other as well as the sea. Today, the Federal Government is not working with the provinces as it did in 1874 because this government has signed so-called "Free Trade" agreements. These Agreements strip each province of their rights over water, minerals, oil, electricity, fishery, forests and manufacturing.

It is also ironic that a Conservative government under Sir John A. MacDonald realized the importance of unions and recognized them by creating the Trade Union Act that gave individuals the right to join one, yet on the very same day would also pass legislation making strikes illegal. Today, there is legislation that makes it very difficult to join a union, yet easier to dissolve one. Canadians have the right to assemble and protest, but are limited to where and how many people can be demonstrating.

The federal government was created to help industry and the workers employed within those facilities, yet corporations are now controlling governments with free trade deals. The 1965 Auto pact created a fair system to prevent foreign companies from dumping their vehicles into the "North American marketplace" without investing here. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) even made allowances for the pact to co-exist until the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled it a subsidy and brought about its downfall, thus crippling the North American auto industry. So in order to sell cars in other countries like China, we have to build them there. But there are no restrictions for foreign cars to be sold here.

These days, as the Canadian dollar value rises against the American currency, more foreign owned companies have begun leave Canada in search of lower wage paying countries. Some of these companies have been in Canada for over 100 years, yet they no longer have to invest in this country, and are seeking to move to places like China, India and Mexico.

The Federal Government has done nothing to stop the exodus of jobs and companies disappearing from Canada. Each Province has been losing its livelihood because of so-called "Free Trade" and even though provincial governments are doing everything they can to entice these companies to stay we need more help from the Federal Government. We are not looking for handouts. We are asking for a grant or loan of money that was taken from us by taxation.

Stephen Harper’s Conservative government took the reigns of power on February 6, 2006 and he refused to meet Canadian Auto Workers president , Buzz Hargrove to discuss an auto policy. In September 2006, Ford announced they would close the Essex Engine plant in 2007 where approximately 730 workers built V-6 engines. In October 2006, a town hall meeting was held at the Caboto Club with over 2,500 people attending to send back a message to both the Provincial and Federal Government through the attending Ministers of Provincial Parliament and Ministers of Federal Parliament from our area to prevent our 100 year relationship with Ford from disappearing. The message was loud and clear, “Our Communities, Our Jobs, Our Future!”

Again as Mr. Hargrove pressed Essex MP Jeff Watson to set up a meeting with Stephen Harper, it never materialized. On November 23, 2007 the last engine ever built at Ford of Canada’s Essex Engine Plant came off the assembly line at approximately 2:00 PM. The Provincial Government indicated that they would put up $30 million dollars to entice Ford to re-open the plant, but the Federal Government declined to match that offer. C.A.W. Local Union 200 president Mike Vince and two opposition Federal Ministers of Parliament, Brian Masse and Joe Comartin continued to lobby on behalf of the union and it’s members. In January Finance Minister Jim Flaherty indicated that the Federal Government was not in the business of giving subsides to individual corporations.

According to Windsor Star reporter Dalson Chen’s February 13, 2008 article, Mr Hargrove finally got his wish to meet with Prime Minister Harper to discuss the engine plants future. Harper would not say one way or the other what the government would do except that, “We’re looking at that project in Windsor.”

Asked if he (Hargrove) felt the purpose of the meeting was merely to placate him, Hargrove replied, “ The thought crossed my mind. There is an election in the making. Whether he would’ve met me if there was no election, if he had a majority government—I don’t know. I could be cynical and say probably not, but I want to be positive.” Then in The Windsor Star article by Dave Hall and Craig Pearson (dated Wednesday February 27, 2008) the headline appeared in bold black letters; "Essex Engine Ignored, critics of budget say." C.A.W. Local 200 president Mike Vince blasted the Federal Government Tuesday for not making any commitment in its 2008 budget to provide $30 million to help re-open Ford’s Essex Engine Plant. “We’ve been talking with representatives of the Federal Government and also with (MP) Jeff Watson (C—Essex), so there seems to be a real disconnect here in that there was absolutely no mention of it today.” Flaherty’s budget announced $250 million over five years for research and production of fuel-efficient vehicles, and according to Provincial Finance Minister Dwight Duncan (L—Windsor, St.Clair) would not have $30 million available for the Ford Essex Engine Plant.

Jeff Watson believed Ford has “a shot at some of the $250 million.” He also believed the budget will help Canada’s economy in these tough times. Mike Vince and Buzz Hargrove said the investment was a small step. The budget did not indicate who would have access or qualify for the funding, or how and when the money would be distributed.

MP Brian Masse said “Providing $300 million to (Crown Corporation) Atomic Energy of Canada and $250 million to capture carbon from coal fired plants, while giving $50 million a year to the auto industry indicates the governments priorities.”

Seven months pass by and then on Wednesday, 3 September 2008 in the Windsor Star reporter Chris Vander Doelan headline reads, Feds spur Ford plant rebirth: ‘Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to pledge $80 million worth of financial support toward a $600 million Ford investment to reopen its mothballed Essex Engine Plant during a pre election visit to Windsor on Wednesday.”

According to Doelan his source indicated the federal government has been holding discussions with Ford heads in Dearborn, Michigan for some time. Conservative MP Jeff Watson would also be on hand for the announcement. “This is the biggest news for our region in a long time,” Watson said Tuesday evening. “I’m thrilled, frankly. This is symbolic. It signals a turning point for our economy.”

The financial aid will be tax credits used to pay for retooling the plant to assemble fuel efficient diesel engines. The money comes from a federal fund labelled the Auto Innovation Fund, available only to environmental, sustainable technologies. When C.A.W. Local 200 president Mike Vince was told of the talks held by the Federal Government and Ford he dismissed the Federal aid as “too little, too late.”

According to a September 3rd article in the New York Times by Ian Austen, “ The decision by Mr. Harper, a Conservative, is a sharp turnabout. In January, the finance minister, Jim Flaherty, said that providing support to the plant reflected the kind of old-fashioned thinking that’s proven to be a failure of short term, Band-Aid fixes for specific companies.” What appears to have changed is the political climate. Mr. Harper has been hinting that he may soon call an election. “This is not money being thrown around on the eve of an election,” Mr. Harper said, adding the money was coming from a budget measure approved by Parliament.

The Governor General dissolved Parliament on September 7th which in turn cancelled four Federal by-elections that were to be held in September, and so an election has been called for October 14th 2008. The Federal Governments last act of kindness is to give Windsor a band-aid ( as Mr Flaherty called it) and MP Jeff Watson a shoe in for re-election because of all the hard work and dedication he has given to the Essex Engine Plant reopening. It is hard to believe that the Conservative government or Mr. Watson is solely responsible for the Ford plant reopening without giving credit to any one else. Only Sherlock Holmes and intelligent people with good memories can figure this mystery out. Elementary my dear Watson.

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