I know the guy who cribbed the Howard speech has "retired" from his position as Harper's speechwriter. But it looks like someone in Harper's camp has also cribbed a Mike Harris speech from 2002. I'm sure Harper will just shrug it off and claim it was the same speechwriter who fed him the Howard speech but this excuse is getting older by the minute. Appearances matter and Harper is now appearing like a guy who:
A) surrounds himself with serial plagiarists who can routinely dupe him into repeating just about any second-hand dogma - as long as it is sufficiently right wing in content.
B) has a propensity to accept (and endorse) messages from semi-disgraced leaders who were either much too "in sync" with the Bushies and their military excesses or who allowed their right wing ideology to override their duty to protect the public. ie: Mike Harris' "Common Sense Revolution" made risky cutbacks that contributed to the deaths or serious injuries of a great many people in Walkerton. So the fact that Harper was happy to repeat Harris' message will resonate with voters.
C) claims to understand, represent and protect Canada's business community - ie: those crucial creators of wealth and employment - from our largest multinationals all the way down to our smallest mom & pop operations. So if Harper was such an astute and capable business maven, how did his organization get caught out by a lowly staff speechwriter who was basically fucking them with second-hand material because he knew it was exactly the kind of right wing shit his employers wanted?
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNe...lagiarism_081003/20081003?s_name=election2008
Harper accused of plagiarizing Harris speech
Updated Fri. Oct. 3 2008 2:04 PM ET
CTV.ca News
For the second time in five days, Liberals are accusing Conservative Leader Stephen Harper of plagiarism.
In a press release issued by the Liberals, Ottawa-South candidate David McGuinty accuses Harper of copying a speech given by former Ontario Premier Mike Harris in 2002.
The press release compares the speaking notes used by Harris on December 4, 2002, which are posted on the website of the Montreal Economic Institute:
"Thinking about things from a new and different perspective is never easy. It takes courage, conviction and the strength to know that in taking a new and innovative course, you are making change for the better. Genuine leaders are the ones who do the right thing."
Two months later, on February 19, 2003, Harper gave a similar address in the House of Commons in response to the Liberal budget:
"Thinking about things from a new and different perspective is not about reading the polls and having focus group tests. It is never easy because it takes courage, conviction and the strength to know that taking a new and innovative course is going to make change for the better. Genuine leaders are the ones who do the right thing."
The new allegations come just days after a campaign worker for the Conservatives resigned after admitting he used parts of a speech from then-Australian prime minister John Howard in a 2003 speech for then-opposition leader Stephen Harper.
McGuinty accused the Conservative leader of lacking the capacity to think for himself.
"It's time for the prime minister to take responsibility for his repeated plagiarism, for passing off the thoughts and words of others as his own. Or perhaps he'll simply find another junior speech writer to fire," McGuinty said in the release.
The Conservatives initially downplayed Liberal candidate Bob Rae's accusations of plagiarism on Tuesday.
But Conservative aide Owen Lippert, who had been Harper's former speechwriter, took responsibility for cribbing Howard's words and resigned.
"Neither my superiors in the office of the leader of the Opposition nor the leader of the Opposition was aware that I had done so," Lippert said in a statement.
"I apologize to all involved and have resigned my position from the Conservative campaign."
A) surrounds himself with serial plagiarists who can routinely dupe him into repeating just about any second-hand dogma - as long as it is sufficiently right wing in content.
B) has a propensity to accept (and endorse) messages from semi-disgraced leaders who were either much too "in sync" with the Bushies and their military excesses or who allowed their right wing ideology to override their duty to protect the public. ie: Mike Harris' "Common Sense Revolution" made risky cutbacks that contributed to the deaths or serious injuries of a great many people in Walkerton. So the fact that Harper was happy to repeat Harris' message will resonate with voters.
C) claims to understand, represent and protect Canada's business community - ie: those crucial creators of wealth and employment - from our largest multinationals all the way down to our smallest mom & pop operations. So if Harper was such an astute and capable business maven, how did his organization get caught out by a lowly staff speechwriter who was basically fucking them with second-hand material because he knew it was exactly the kind of right wing shit his employers wanted?
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNe...lagiarism_081003/20081003?s_name=election2008
Harper accused of plagiarizing Harris speech
Updated Fri. Oct. 3 2008 2:04 PM ET
CTV.ca News
For the second time in five days, Liberals are accusing Conservative Leader Stephen Harper of plagiarism.
In a press release issued by the Liberals, Ottawa-South candidate David McGuinty accuses Harper of copying a speech given by former Ontario Premier Mike Harris in 2002.
The press release compares the speaking notes used by Harris on December 4, 2002, which are posted on the website of the Montreal Economic Institute:
"Thinking about things from a new and different perspective is never easy. It takes courage, conviction and the strength to know that in taking a new and innovative course, you are making change for the better. Genuine leaders are the ones who do the right thing."
Two months later, on February 19, 2003, Harper gave a similar address in the House of Commons in response to the Liberal budget:
"Thinking about things from a new and different perspective is not about reading the polls and having focus group tests. It is never easy because it takes courage, conviction and the strength to know that taking a new and innovative course is going to make change for the better. Genuine leaders are the ones who do the right thing."
The new allegations come just days after a campaign worker for the Conservatives resigned after admitting he used parts of a speech from then-Australian prime minister John Howard in a 2003 speech for then-opposition leader Stephen Harper.
McGuinty accused the Conservative leader of lacking the capacity to think for himself.
"It's time for the prime minister to take responsibility for his repeated plagiarism, for passing off the thoughts and words of others as his own. Or perhaps he'll simply find another junior speech writer to fire," McGuinty said in the release.
The Conservatives initially downplayed Liberal candidate Bob Rae's accusations of plagiarism on Tuesday.
But Conservative aide Owen Lippert, who had been Harper's former speechwriter, took responsibility for cribbing Howard's words and resigned.
"Neither my superiors in the office of the leader of the Opposition nor the leader of the Opposition was aware that I had done so," Lippert said in a statement.
"I apologize to all involved and have resigned my position from the Conservative campaign."
Do you really think that anyone outside of Toronto begrudges him spouting some Harrisisms ?
