Tories not too wacky, after all

It has to be said.

Stephen Harper's Tories have been doing a good job in their first year of operation.

When the Tories won last year, I wasn't so concerned they didn't have the talent or expertise to form and maintain a government. It was more about the system letting them.

After all, the government apparatus and direction have been Liberal creatures. The fact the Tories believe in less government meant they were at even greater disadvantage. The national media, too, had covered for the Liberals for years. (After all, how could Pierre Trudeau's true Second World War activities have been hidden in plain sight for so long?)

Harper snapped the media's shorts a good one. (Mind you, he had better watch them like a hawk.)

In international trade, the government got as good a softwood lumber settlement as possible from the Americans.

The Tories have done well in foreign affairs - taking a stand in the Middle East for Israel won't be the liability some may think. A strong stand is respected in that area. At the same time, MP Wajib Khan's mission is sure to have opened doors. Harper has also been seen supporting the Afghan mission.

The child care benefit and the sports credit seem to be a hit.

As for daycare spaces, who really worries about such things for any more than when the kids are little? We all know the Liberals’ programs and spaces wouldn't be available until the kids are in university.

Even the same-sex marriage issue received fair treatment - a free vote and off the agenda, just as it should have been the first time.

The environment has been an issue for years and will be for many more, regardless of who is in power. After all, we're going through a warming period anyway. We're still warming up from “the little ice age” of 1500 to 1850. That, however, doesn't let us off the hook. In fact, because of that, we have to be even more cognizant of aggravating the situation. The Kyoto Accord isn't the answer. We can't allow China and India to pollute while we pay Third World countries not to industrialize. It would hurt our own development and industrialization. We are, after all, a developing country. Harper is right in seeking a better way - even if it's in cooperation with the NDP.

Meanwhile, the Liberals are now getting used to their new leader, Stephane Dion. He's sort of like Pierre Trudeau: an academic and little else; and sort of like Jean Chretien, because he was in his cabinet. I see him as Chretien lite. The corruption and arrogance that should have been red flags don't seem to have phased the Liberals a bit. We'll see how the electorate responds in the next election.

As for the NDP, they are stuck propping up the Tories until their fortunes change. Leader Jack Layton still has naive views of our Afghan mission and other foreign affairs, but seems to have gotten onto something with bank charges that are driving us all nuts. Believe it or not, the Tories and NDP do have common ground - generally the populist elements, as opposed to the big government, big corporation and big paycheck Liberals.

The recent Tory/ NDP co-operation in Nova Scotia - based as much on the good relationship between then-premier John Hamm and Opposition leader Darrell Dexter - worked well for those parties and the electorate.

No, the Tories aren't nearly as wacky as we thought they would be.