Canadian Politics, Yet Again

It's a beautiful morning in Prague, the sun is shining, the tourists are touring, the river has receded to a more picturesque level, and as I gaze out my window, a thought occurs: what is the new Canadian prime minister really like?

Knowing that for some of you I am the last word on all things Canadian (and the first word, and all the many slurry words in between) I realize I've been remiss in not providing you with some information on our new PM, so today, I'll try to remedy that. [Googles: "harper canada what like?" Tries again without the question mark]

Stephen Harper is head of the Conservative Party in Canada (or whatever they're calling themselves these days, I lost track after Preston Manning left the scene, he was the head of the right wing Reform party whose speeches were said to have been a lot better in the original German).

According to my "research" Harper is the spit of Tony Blair: a premier "in his mid-'40s with a self-possessed wife and appealing children" (Note to self: would exorcism help the self-possessed? Google later).

He is also the mirror image of Australia's John Howard (he apparently stole his entire campaign strategy from Howard, simply by saying "Canadians" wherever Howard said "Australians.")

He is, I've read, neither telegenic nor charismatic.

He looks (this is my own opinion) like he's part Husky (check out those eyes).

He thinks Canada is a Northern European welfare state "in the worst sense of the term" and is a vocal admirer of George W. Bush's America, as in "I don't know all the facts on Iraq, but I think we should work closely with the Americans."

He is, according to one insightful opinion offered by a reader of McLean's magazine (think of it as a less cerebral Newsweek) "like every other politician before him, sometimes good, sometimes bad."

He doesn't believe in gay marriage but he does believe in Stockwell Day, his Minister of Public Safety, who, in his turn, believes:

1) The earth is 6,000 years old
2) Adam and Eve were real people
3) Humans and dinosaurs co-existed; and
4) There's as much evidence for creation as evolution

So there you have it: the new Canadian PM is Tony Blair, John Howard, George Bush and every other politician who has ever existed rolled into one.

I hope that helped.