BY ALL accounts, the fifth anniversary of Stephen Harper and the Conservatives being in power was celebrated in a quiet yet self-satisfied fashion.
No wonder. For despite two elections resulting in two minority governments, Mr. Harper has had things pretty much go his way and is conducting himself as if he had a majority. Even when it comes to controversial issues, Mr. Harper seems untouchable.
Consider the imposition of the Harmonized Sales Tax in B.C. It has been a federal plan right from the start to the point the federal government was offering money to the provinces to make the increased tax burden easier to bear. That explains, for example, the $1.6 billion the feds are sending our way.
Now consider the ban on the sale of 75-watt and 100-watt incandescent light bulbs in favour of the forced acceptance of mini-fluorescents. This also began as a federal program, part of a bureaucratic plan to deal with climate change, and was adopted by the province just last month.
In both cases in B.C., reaction was swift and harsh from citizens. Imposition of the HST rather quickly ended the career of Gordon Campbell. The ban on light bulb sales is regarded as another example of arrogant and heavy-handed state interference with the province being tagged as the bad guy.
As for Mr. Harper, he gets off scot-free. Skilful? You bet.