The Blue Shaft versus the Green Shift

This is from the Star.
Williams has coined a great term "The Blue Shaft""Do not let Stephen Harper turn your attention onto a 'green shift' in his attempt to turn your focus away from a Conservative blue shaft, because that's what will happen," said Williams.

Maybe opposition campaigners will pick up on this and use it as a theme! I wonder if the Conservatives will now sue Williams since they are suing the Liberals for the same sort of allegation! Actually there are plenty of provable shafts out there without having to resort to claims that carry considerable doubt and risk.Certainly Williams is correct that Harper has a much more radical agenda that he will unveil if he gets a majority. Harper is simply pulling out all the stops to try and buy this election any way he can. Even if this means going against everything he stands for and having to see his former ideological soul mates in the Canadian Taxpayer's Federation howl with hurt he is intent on purchasing his way into power if he possibly can.


Newfoundland premier says: 'Anyone but Harper' TheStar.com - Federal Election -Newfoundland premier says in scathing attackSeptember 10, 2008 Tonda MaccharlesOTTAWA BUREAUOTTAWA — In a blistering intervention into the federal election campaign, Newfoundland and Labrador premier Danny Williams called Conservative leader Stephen Harper a "fraud" and warned all Canadians that Harper would implement a right-wing "hidden" agenda if he wins a majority."There is nothing Harper will not do in order to win a majority government," said Williams."This is a party who purportedly offered a terminally ill MP a life insurance policy to get his vote. How low can you go?"The reference was to an allegation, flatly denied by Harper, that Conservative officials offered an insurance package in 2005 to MP Chuck Cadman, then dying of cancer, to cast a vote that would defeat the then-Liberal government.Harper has sued the Liberal party for defamation over a similar allegation that he was party to a bribery of Cadman. The case is in court.At the outset of the speech to the St. John's Board of Trade that was nationally televised, Williams paraded a "Buddy the Puffin" mascot through the hotel ballroom with an "ABC" sign — meaning "Anyone But Conservative" — and told Harper to leave the province's bird out of his "nasty, disgusting personal attack ads."The Conservative party's website had briefly featured a puffin pooping on Liberal leader Stéphane Dion's shoulder. Harper apologized for the "belittling" ad yesterday, and it was removed.But Williams returned to an old complaint against Harper. He cited Harper's broken promise as Opposition leader that he would remove non-renewable oil revenues from the calculation of transfer payments to the province.He went on to point to cuts by the federal Conservatives in spending for arts and culture, women's groups, and students.He warned Canadians of "dire consequences" if Harper is re-elected, and referred to the Conservatives' main campaign message, which attacks the Liberal "green shift" carbon tax plan."Do not let Stephen Harper turn your attention onto a 'green shift' in his attempt to turn your focus away from a Conservative blue shaft, because that's what will happen," said Williams."His list of broken and unfulfilled promises portrays a lack of integrity in his character and shows us that he truly cannot be trusted."Williams said the Conservatives have gone "so far" as to "break their own laws, and call an election even though they mandated fixed dates."He said Harper wanted an election before he would lose four by-elections that were in progress, before the economy "declines any further due to his fiscal mismanagement, and before findings released on various ethical breaches against his government.""If Stephen Harper gets a majority government I remind you of words of Bachman Turner Overdrive: You ain't seen nothin' yet."Williams said Harper has kept "his agenda carefully hidden," and urged people to read Harper's writings over the past 10 years."The only reason we haven't seen his full plan for Canada implemented is because he's had a minority government to keep it in check. A majority government for Stephen Harper would be one of the most negative political events in Canadian history."