Seeing the Prime Minister striding arrogantly down the Hall of Honour with King Abdullah II of Jordan the other day gave us second thoughts on Stephen Harper’s future plans. He has run out of time to flee. With just days more than five months until the statutory call for a federal election, there is no time to choose his successor. And, if he quits, who will pay for his hairdresser?
This is an important question. It is also why he will fight so hard to stay in power. As long as he can maintain a steel grip on the reins of the Conservative Party of Canada, he will have a place to send the bills for his hairdresser.
Even if he is Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition next year, the Conservative Party will have to pick up the tabs for his hairdresser.
But what will happen when he goes on his foreign trips? That is when his hairdresser does her best work. She is expected to do his hair, his make-up, brush the lint off his suit and make sure his fly is done up. Is the Conservative Party going to want to pay for the airline tickets and her per diems? There will be rude questions about that.
The Conservatives could never appoint him to the Senate. In fact the very possibility of the Conservatives getting back in power in his lifetime is starting to look unlikely. Sure it only took about 13 years between Mulroney and him but that was because Mulroney was no hard-ass demagogue. Mulroney actually liked people even if they thought less of him. The inconsistent reforms and ugly ideology of the current Conservative government are souring Canadians on the future of the Conservative Party. We have already found out at Senator Duffy’s trial that the Senate does not pay (directly) for make-up and hairdressers.
And if we were really smart we would be rid of the appointed Senate before the Conservatives could ever weasel their way back into power. Stephen Harper might be forced to line up lucrative board of directors appointments. Will the private sector want to pay for his hairdresser?
It looks as though the Prime Minister has assessed the problem and has decided to stay on. He figures that he might as well become prime minister for life. It is the only way he can find for Canadians to pay for his hairdresser.
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Copyright 2015 © Peter Lowry
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