The Old Man in the Hat
in·teg·ri·ty:
noun; adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty
antonyms: The Harper Government
I am not sure what to think. If I understand it correctly, the Government of Canada Harper assumes that I am a thief. They think that of my neighbours, my friends, my co-workers. Atlantic has become the new scarlet letter A on our chests. We slovenly Atlantic Canadian workers, who are unfortunate enough not to have been elected to political office or appointed to the senate, are cheaters, liars, prevaricators. To wit, we are mandated, required and compelled to invite, on pain of public ridicule, “Integrity Officers” into our modest abodes and to smile and offer tea and cookies to these employment police.
I think that it is fantastically ironic that a government, whose veracity is so incredulous, would be so bold as to use integrity, government and Harper in the same sentence.
First and foremost, I assume that my fellow Canadians, East, Middle and West, are, on balance, fair, generous and honest. Of course, some stray from the ideal. Let those who have not sinned cast the first stone!
I have yet to hear of an unemployment millionaire. That is to say, it has been my experience that
individuals want to work, and that the preferred nature of this work is full time, without interruption. Employment insurance is not a known path to wealth and leisure.
What is the real issue? Fraud is indeed wrong. Since the unemployment program has been a government program for decades, surely someone in the civil service has figured out how to deal with improper claims. So what is the real problem?
Some would argue that it is an attempt to download the cost of unemployment to the provincial welfare programs, so as to further support fiscal reduction at the federal level. I think it is simpler than that. I think it that it is a deep ideological need to play to the Conservative political base. THE NATURAL RULING MASTERS [the Conservative Party of Harper] are: tough on crime (even though the rate is falling) ;sober managers of your money (even though we have a current account deficit- and spending is Ottawa for the machinery of government has far outstripped inflation); insistent that unemployed people are lazy slackers who deserve the boot (even though our role models, federal politicians, enjoy an annual base salary of $157,00 per year, about 2 and 1/2 times the median income of an Atlantic Canadian, have reasonable job security and enjoy a generous pension after a relatively short term of employment- nice work, if you can get it!).
So what are we to do? If you buy the Harper vision of your fellow Canadians, you should do your patriotic duty and promptly inform the “integrity police” of your neighbours shortcomings as advocated by “Big Brother” in George Orwell’s famous work, 1984.
If, however, you should actually reflect on the moral virtue of your fellow man in comparison to that of the Government of Harper, I think you should not to have to ponder long or search far to find that the scales are far more weighted on the side of the populace. I think you should have to look no further than the recent fishing tragedy in Nova Scotia and the short comings of the actions of the federal Coast Guard and the federal Mounted Police. It was the good, kind, moral citizens of Woods Harbour who risked life and limb to bring comfort and closure to their community. Maybe Harper should stick to selling Western oil. If his government is going to try to sell his idea of integrity to us, he better start by improving the product!
