Stephen Harper: Trending quotes (page 3)

“[The Liberal party is a] moderate Democrat, a type of Clinton-pragmatic Democrat. It's moved in the last few years very much to the right on fiscal and economic concerns, but still believes in government intrusion in the economy where possible, and does, in its majority, believe in fairly liberal social values.”

Stephen Harper

1990s, Speech to the Council for National Policy (1997)

“[S]ome basic facts about Canada that are relevant to my talk… Canada is a Northern European welfare state in the worst sense of the term, and very proud of it.”

Stephen Harper

1990s, Speech to the Council for National Policy (1997)

Sense

“We also have no history of colonialism. So we have all of the things that many people admire about the great powers but none of the things that threaten or bother them.”

Stephen Harper

At Press Conference at Pittsburgh, September 2009.
2009

People , History

“Last year, when we had the Liberal government putting the protection of sexual orientation in our Human Rights Act, the Reform Party was opposed to that, but made a terrible mess of the debate. In fact, discredited itself on that issue, not just with the conventional liberal media, but even with many social conservatives by the manner in which it mishandled that.”

Stephen Harper

1990s, Speech to the Council for National Policy (1997)

“The world is now unipolar and contains only one superpower. Canada shares a continent with that superpower. In this context, given our common values and the political, economic and security interests that we share with the United States, there is now no more important foreign policy interest for Canada than maintaining the ability to exercise effective influence in Washington so as to advance unique Canadian policy objectives.”

Stephen Harper

Canadian Alliance Defence Policy Paper: The New North Strong and Free, May 5, 2003.
2003

World , Exercises

“"It [referring to calling a Minister "Idiot"] was probably not an appropriate term, but we support the war effort and believe we should be supporting our troops and our allies and be there with them doing everything necessary to win.”

Stephen Harper

Montreal Gazette, April 2003: On the Iraq war.
2003

War , Support , Effort

“But I'm very libertarian in the sense that I believe in small government and, as a general rule, I don't believe in imposing values upon people.”

Stephen Harper

National Post, March 6, 2004.
2004

People , Sense

“Universality has been severely reduced: it is virtually dead as a concept in most areas of public policy…These achievements are due in part to the Reform Party…”

Stephen Harper

Speech to the Colin Brown Memorial Dinner, National Citizens Coalition, 1994.
1990s

Universe , Parting , Dead

“It is imperative to take the initiative, to build firewalls around Alberta, to limit the extent to which an aggressive and hostile federal government can encroach upon legitimate provincial jurisdiction.”

Stephen Harper

National Post, January 24, 2001, “Open Letter to Ralph Klein”
2001

Hostility

“On the justification for the war, it wasn't related to finding any particular weapon of mass destruction. In our judgment, it was much more fundamental. It was the removing of a regime that was hostile, that clearly had the intention of constructing weapons systems. … I think, frankly, that everybody knew the post-war situation was probably going to be more difficult than the war itself. Canada remains alienated from its allies, shut out of the reconstruction process to some degree, unable to influence events. There is no upside to the position Canada took.”

Stephen Harper

Maclean’s, August, 25, 2003: On the Iraq war.
2003

Hostility , War , Thinking

“Those of different faiths and no faith should seek areas of common agreement based on their different perspectives.”

Stephen Harper

Faith Today, January 11, 2006, "Faith and Politics: Party Leaders Respond".
2006

Faith

“[Y]our country, and particularly your conservative movement, is a light and an inspiration to people in this country and across the world.”

Stephen Harper

1990s, Speech to the Council for National Policy (1997)

People , World , Light , Country

“In exercising our sovereignty over these waters, we are not only fulfilling our duty to the people who called this northern frontier home, and to the generations that will follow; we are also being faithful to all who came before us, who through great hardship and sacrifice made a quest for knowledge of the North.”

Stephen Harper

Announcement of the John G. Diefenbaker icebreaker project, August 28, 2008.
2008

People , Faith , Exercises , Home

“In terms of the unemployed, of which we have over a million-and-a-half, I don't feel particularly bad for many of these people.”

Stephen Harper

Speaking in Montréal, 1997. Sourced from Rebel Youth magazine, Fall-Winter Edition 2006.
1990s

People , Feeling

“We should have been there shoulder to shoulder with our allies. Our concern is the instability of our government as an ally. We are playing again with national and global security matters.”

Stephen Harper

Canadian Press Newswire, April 11, 2003: On the Iraq war.
2003

“Then there is the Progressive Conservative party, the PC party, which won only 20 seats. Now, the term Progressive Conservative will immediately raise suspicions in all of your minds. It should. It's obviously kind of an oxymoron.”

Stephen Harper

1990s, Speech to the Council for National Policy (1997)

“A transition is taking place in Egypt. In my judgement, there is no going back. I think the old expression, “They’re not going to put the toothpaste back in the tube on this one.””

Stephen Harper

CPAC, February 11, 2011, http://www.cpac.ca/forms/index.asp?dsp=template&act=view3&template_id=1383&hl=e.
2011

Thinking

“They were in favour of gay rights officially, officially for abortion on demand… This explains one of the reasons why the Reform party has become such a power.”

Stephen Harper

1990s, Speech to the Council for National Policy (1997)

“It [the Iraq invasion] was absolutely an error. It's obviously clear the evaluation of weapons of mass destruction proved not to be correct. That's absolutely true and that's why we're not sending anybody to Iraq.”

Stephen Harper

To Gilles Duceppe during the 2008 English leaders' debate, October 2, 2008: On the Iraq war.
2008

Error

“After all, enforced national bilingualism in this country isn’t mere policy. It has attained the status of a religion. It’s a dogma which one is supposed to accept without question.…Make no mistake. Canada is not a bilingual country. In fact it is less bilingual today than it has ever been…As a religion, bilingualism is the god that failed. It has led to no fairness, produced no unity, and cost Canadian taxpayers untold millions.”

Stephen Harper

Calgary Sun, May 6, 2001.
2001

God , Religion , Question , Country