Writing a new spite-fest.

From the Toronto Star:

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He also puts Harper, his one-time rival, squarely in the crosshairs, charging that the Conservative leader has a 'long career' showing that he favours 'dismantling many social programs, including important elements of medicare'

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'The Conservatives have tried to undo much of what we accomplished. But the day will come when we find our way back as a nation to the principles and policies I laid down. The delay will cost us,' Martin writes, claiming the Conservatives have squandered progress with natives, climate change and relations with India and China.

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Top of the list of the Harper government's imprudent moves, in Mr. Martin's view, is the GST cut that took some $12-billion out of government coffers.

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But didn't the inhouse liberal official opposition support that budget move by voting for the budget that did that or well abstain or not show up?

But my favourite Martin comments are this:

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Mr. Martin dislikes how the Tories walked away from his childcare plan and agreement to boost funding for native education and health, but he recognizes Mr. Harper came to office with his own agenda. "But how they could walk away from the fiscal agenda is simply beyond me," he said.

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AND

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In his book, Mr. Martin describes the Tory abandonment of the Kelowna accord - a $5-billion, five-year plan struck with natives and the provinces to bring aboriginal living standards up to the Canadian average - as "beyond the pale" and his "deepest regret at losing the election of 2006."

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Kelowna is not his only regret. Mr. Martin wishes he had pushed to move Omar Khadr to Canada to face justice.

While most countries have repatriated accused terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to face justice at home, Mr. Khadr, who was 15 at the time of his alleged crime, awaits trial by a U.S. military tribunal. "If you don't protect your civil liberties you give the terrorists victory," Mr. Martin said. "It does strike me that ... the balance got somewhat out of kilter."

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Originally posted by janfromthebruce:
Perhaps, I was asleep during this time, but does anybody remember one liberal who wanted Khadr brought home?

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Before 2007 you mean? No. Not one Liberal. And but one NDPer:

Botched trial has forced MPs to acknowledge rights of the Canadian (June 2007)

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In the five years since Khadr's incarceration, his name has been raised in the Commons a total of once – by former New Democrat MP Svend Robinson. That happened in October 2002, shortly after U.S. troops wounded and captured the then 15-year-old after a fierce battle in Afghanistan.

Outside the Commons, politicians weren't much more vocal. At one point, then-NDP leader Alexa McDonough called on Ottawa to ensure that Khadr was accorded the full protection of international law. The then-Liberal government said that it would.

In fact, it did the reverse. ...

Neither the Liberals nor their Conservative successors said or did anything when Khadr alleged he was mistreated by U.S. guards ...

Nor, except for isolated comments like those of McDonough and Robinson, has the NDP been much better. On Monday, Windsor MP Joe Comartin made all of the appropriate civil liberties noises. But otherwise, the silence from that party has been deafening. I can find no record of NDP Leader Jack Layton uttering Khadr's name.

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I also believe the NDP were derided relentless about it. Taliban Jack comes to mind here. And no, I am not making an excuse for the party. I do remember around the same time they went to bat for Arar and which again, the libs did nothing.

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Originally posted by janfromthebruce:
...who did have a better record if one takes into account MAHER ARAR.

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As far as social programs went under the Chretien-Martin Liberals, which party campaigned against Mulroney and the very neoliberal FTAA in 1993, and then signed the expansionary version of it with NAFTA?

I can see the Liberals claiming fiscal madness after the big bank heist in 1991 under Mulroney. But then they voluntarily knuckled under to national debt mania as a result and followed neoliberal prescriptions to a tee when there were alternatives.

[ 25 October 2008: Message edited by: Fidel ]