Quotes By Stephen Harper
I think in Atlantic Canada, because of what happened in the decades following Confederation, there is a culture of defeat that we have to overcome.
Stephen Harper
Human rights commissions, as they are evolving, are an attack on our fundamental freedoms and the basic existence of a democratic society... It is in fact totalitarianism. I find this is very scary stuff.
Stephen Harper
I do not intend to dispute in any way the need for defence cuts and the need for government spending cuts in general. I do not share a not in my backyard approach to government spending reductions.
Stephen Harper
Canadians know that the promise of a recession didn't happen because of anything we did here. If you look at all the causes of the recession, problems in mortgage markets, the problems in the banking sector, the problems in government finance in countries like Greece, none of those problems were in present Canada.
Stephen Harper
The Leader of the Opposition's constitutional obligation - the obligation to Parliament - it's the reason we did the merger! - is to make sure Canadians have an alternative for government.
Stephen Harper
We got into a recession because the global economy went into the recession and we're a big exporting nation.
Stephen Harper
This party will not take its position based on public opinion polls. We will not take a stand based on focus groups. We will not take a stand based on phone-in shows or householder surveys or any other vagaries of pubic opinion.
Stephen Harper
I think first and foremost everybody should understand that Canadians are strongly committed to the system of universal health insurance, to the principle that your ability to pay does not determine your access to critical medical service.
Stephen Harper
First of all, I can't forget my first responsibility - which is to be the Leader of the Opposition and that's to provide an alternative government.
Stephen Harper
I think the way to change it is to handle issues individually when it's essential to do so.
Stephen Harper
Universality has been severely reduced: it is virtually dead as a concept in most areas of public policy.
Stephen Harper
We'll support the government on issues if it's essential to the country but our primary responsibility is not to prop up the government, our responsibility is to provide an opposition and an alternative government for Parliament and for Canadians.
Stephen Harper
Make no mistake. Canada is not a bilingual country. In fact it is less bilingual today than it has ever been.
Stephen Harper
The world is now unipolar and contains o-nly o-ne superpower. Canada shares a continent with that superpower.
Stephen Harper
On the justification for the war, it wasn't related to finding any particular weapon of mass destruction.
Stephen Harper
I just think it would be unrealistic to suggest we're going to eliminate every last domestic insurgent in Afghanistan. Certainly, the history of the country would indicate that's not a very realistic objective, and I think we have to have realistic objectives.
Stephen Harper
The government can only be brought down because it alienates several parties in the House.
Stephen Harper
We have to remember we're in a global economy. The purpose of fiscal stimulus is not simply to sustain activity in our national economies, but to help the global economy as well, and that's why it's so critical that measures in those packages avoid anything that smacks of protectionism.
Stephen Harper
I believe very strongly that in this world you have to have values and you have to stand up for your interests and if you don't do those things you're not going to get anywhere.
Stephen Harper
Canada is in budgetary deficit now only because of the recession, only because of stimulus measures, and we will come out of it. We will go back into surplus position when the economy recovers. So there is no need in Canada to raise taxes.
Stephen Harper
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.
Stephen Harper
We've got to see a state where the Afghan government can handle its own day-to-day security.
Stephen Harper
Look, I think the worst case scenario is obvious. I think first of all it doesn't work for very long. It's an unstable government that raises taxes and destroys the image we're building for Canada as a strong place to invest.
Stephen Harper
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
I think because we're such a trading nation, I think Canadians understand that first and foremost we're part of the global economy.
Stephen Harper