If Canada’s Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney is getting all he has wished for, why does he not look happy these days? Is it possible that he has been in his present position with the Conservative government too long? Is he wearied of the tasks Mr. Harper has set him? There is also the possibility that he is hurt by the growing criticism of how he is doing that job. He knows that it is time for a change. The problem is that the change he wants is Stephen Harper’s job.
Other than the fact that Prime Minister Stephen Harper is in no rush to step aside, many agree that Kenney could be a leading contender for the leadership of the Conservative Party. Kenney is just worried that there will be scorched earth when he gets there. It is not all smooth sailing on the good ship Harper.
Jason Kenney is a contender because he is the darling of the religious right of the Conservative Party. This is despite his only post-secondary education being at a Jesuit College in San Francisco where he was noted for organizing against female students who wanted the right to birth control information. He has also never held a job other than in politics or with right-wing pressure groups. He was first elected as a Reform candidate and then United Alliance, before the Alliance united with the Conservatives. He is not noted for his balanced view of issues.
This has been a constant aggravation for many Canadians as he has besmirched Canada’s reputation around the world for fairness and understanding. He insults the immigrants he does encourage to come to Canada but then brings in temporary workers to do the jobs that should be taken up by new immigrants. There are astute observers of the Kenney portfolios that say he has made a mess of all three because of his prejudices.
His campaign use of ethnic groups is almost a farce as he lines up backdrops of visible minorities behind Harper and other party luminaries. A speech by Kenney seems to be a long list of catch-words that work on prejudices that he might want to exploit.
The major concern with Kenney is whether he could tone down his religious bias enough that someone like Defence Minister Peter MacKay could work with him. Stephen Harper would obviously prefer to eventually turn over his job to some one who is an economic conservative such as him. No Conservative minister stands out.
Even the other half of the Baird-Kenney Bobbsey Twins duo, Foreign Minister John Baird, would be a more popular choice with the economic Conservatives. He probably does not have the same passion for the job as Jason Kenney.
Of course, Kenney has to hope that Harper will pull his government out of its current tailspin and restore the marketability of the Conservative brand.
-30-
Copyright 2013 © Peter Lowry
Complaints, comments, criticisms and compliments can be sent to [email protected]