Harper says he would respect provicincial jurisdiction

This is from the Star. Respecting provinces jurisdictions is one thing jettisoning agreements such as that the Liberals had negotiated with the provinces is another thing. We can expect further weakening of medicare under Harper and with the CMA pushing for more private involvement we can expect that more and more of our health care funding will come directly out of our own wallets. This is fine for the rich but sickening for those with empty wallets. Of course Harper is playing this tune because it resonates with Quebec nationalists as well as other provincial rights groups.
The get tough on polluters policy sounds sound enough.


Harper says he'd respect provinces' jurisdiction TheStar.com - Federal Election - Harper says he'd respect provinces' jurisdiction
Tories would raise fines and streamline laws to protect environment
September 25, 2008 Les WhittingtonOttawa Bureau
VANCOUVER–Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he has no intention if re-elected of taking bold steps in national social policy that would interfere with the jurisdiction of the provinces.
"We believe a federal government should respect the jurisdiction of the provinces, including how it spends money," the Conservative leader said at a campaign event in a hotel on the Vancouver waterfront.
Partly as an appeal to soft nationalists in Quebec, Harper has often talked about limiting the ability of the federal government to take action on social policy or other initiatives that might be seen as falling within the provinces' jurisdiction.
"We concentrate in our own areas of jurisdiction," he said, citing daycare as an example of the Tories' approach. The Conservatives scrapped a $5 billion program the Liberals negotiated with the provinces in 2005 to set up early learning and child-care facilities nationally, replacing it with a $100-a-month baby bonus for each young child and tax credits meant to create daycare spaces.
Asked about the low-key, practical promises that have marked his campaign so far, Harper said he is asking for a mandate specifically on these campaign planks and will not interpret a victory on Oct. 14 as a wider mandate from Canadians.
"We obviously are running on our platform," Harper said. But he added that governments always "end up dealing with a lot of things that no one saw coming."
Harper cautioned voters in B.C., where a slide in Liberal support may leave a tight race between the Tories and the NDP in many ridings, not to choose the New Democrats.
"If you don't want a Liberal government, you should vote Conservative because if you vote NDP, you are probably voting for a Liberal government, one way or another."
A re-elected Conservative government would bring in new fines of up to $6 million for companies and $1 million for individuals convicted of chemical spills, dumping, despoiling nature preserves and other forms of environmental abuse, Harper said yesterday.
He also promised new legislation to let Ottawa refuse operating permits for companies with a poor environmental compliance history and to list companies' convictions under the act on a public database.
He said a Conservative government would streamline the government's environmental protection legislation and provide $113 million over five years – and then an additional $25 million annually – to establish a team of environmental prosecutors to pursue cases against individuals and companies suspected of abuses.