I don't know if it's already been said before in this thread, but my main beef with Harper is the threat he is posing to democracy in this country. In no other time in history has the government message bordered so closely to propaganda - ministers and MPs are barred from speaking to media (and, in fact, run away from them), they hand pick which members of the media can attend press conferences, plant questions from reporters, and even for this election, they've built their own media centre (that media outlets cannot hook their own equipment up to), all with the hope to 'control the message'. Civil servants are afraid to do or say anything that can potentially embarass the party in power as it may cost them their jobs (i.e. CNSC Chalk River fiasco). They put up endless roadblocks to committees and ship their ministers away when they are supposed to be testifying at inquiries. Power is so grossly concentrated now in the Prime Minister's Office that it seems the party is only there for show and it, in fact, is a dictator state. Simply look at how none of the Conservative campaign is actually talking about the party, it is talking only at Harper. In Canada, we elect parties, not prime ministers.
It is disheartening that Dion is focusing so much on the Green Shift (although it is a logical policy, albeit with some problems). He should be focusing on how the Conservatives have basically gone against everything they campaigned on in 2006 - accountability, transparency, and ethics.. and may win simply because they followed through on their five promises that arguably have been worse off for the country (i.e. GST cut). That is what Dion could have won on, but sadly, that might not happen.
