The last Canadian
He was born in 1959 in Toronto. He was highly educated and earned a master's degree in economics from the University of Calgary. He can best be described as the voice of reason amid the cradle to grave nanny state that would one day become modern Canada. Throughout his political career he always advocated tax relief, a balanced budget, and limits on spending.
In 2006 he became the Prime Minister of Canada and instituted his 4 pillars of government:
1) accountability
2) security
3) environmental protections
4) strong economic management
His management skill became evident when he shocked even his own party by introducing a motion to recognize the Québécois forming a nation within a united Canada. The motion was structured to be symbolic rather than real and what it did was to take the steam out of a plan by a bunch of extremists in Quebec. He also steered Canada away from an extreme environmental policy to a more sustainable one under a more reasonable Clean Energy Act. And it was he who set a firm date for Canadian forces to leave Afghanistan.
In 2011 the Liberal party found his government to be in contempt of Parliament for failure to provide budgetary information. It was the first time in Canada's history that a government had been charged with contempt of Parliament. The move triggered an election, one in which he emerged victorious, but gave his party a majority in Parliament. That gave his government the chance to pass a budget and bills that they were unable to enact in the past. I won't list it all here. It has become irrelevant now.
He spared Canada from many of the pitfalls taking place throughout the western world, but it was world oil prices and budget deficits that denied him a fourth term. It also led to the rise of the misfit son of Pierre Trudeau and the demise of Canada.
Canada once had a golden age, and I doubt Canada will ever find another PM like him.
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I don't think I have to name him.
I liked Harper, but come on, Vic, he wasn't the "last" Canadian.
If Harper did one thing to be praised for it was appointing present PM Carney as governor of the Bank of Canada.
Gee, I thought it was the warning about middle eastern immigration
One needs be a zenophobe from Alberta to heed such warnings. Harper listened far too much to Stockwell Day. (In highschool we referred to him as Stinkall Day)
Hey lay off us Albertans, I favour immigration, without it I would have neither a dentist or doctor.
To the best of my memory, every doctor or dentist I used in Canada was born in Canada. Besides immigrants, there are Canadian-born ones as well.
Well all mine have accents so I'm pretty sure they're first generation. Note I live pretty rural so we don't have a lot of options so I'm glad anyone practices here
My opinion is most likely coloured by the fact that I lived in Hamilton and then Toronto that were bound to have lots of doctors, dentists, clinics and hospitals, besides the fact that I have not lived in Canada for almost 20 years.
Lol could be
PS: Hopefully you're already watching the Jays cause the Leafs aren't making the post season this year
I've been a lifelong Leafs fan, starting from as a little kid I'd go to bed on Saturday night (Hockey Night in Canada) to listen to Foster Hewitt calling the game ("HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES!!!) back when the Leafs were consistent Stanley Cup winners, and my dad would take me to the Hamilton Tiger Cats football games. But when the Jays came to Toronto I learned to love baseball, was in the Skydome to watch them win the repeat World Series game - the most exciting sports moment of my whole life. Unfortunately the ball games are not broadcast here, and I had to watch the text of plays and scores on the computer. China does broadcast the NHL games, maybe because they're playing hockey here now, but no baseball. I have to watch movies like The Natural, Moneyball, Major League and Field of Dreams to get my baseball fix - just watched Field of Dreams again a couple of days ago.
Lifelong Leafs fan here as well, however they suck this year. Well at least my second favourite team the Oilers should make the playoffs.
I don't have a second fav team, but now that the Islanders are moving to my original home town, where I was born and educated up to university grad, Hamilton, Ontario (then moving to Toronto for the rest of my life in Canada) I may consider them my fav among their league.