“As opposition leader, [Stephen Harper] wrote in the Montreal Gazette in the year before he came to power: 'Information is the lifeblood of a democracy. Without adequate access to key information about government policies and programs, citizens and parliamentarians cannot… — Lawrence Martin Copy Share Image
“Earlier in [2007] the [Prime Minister's Office] had also drawn criticism for trying to muzzle the judiciary. The reproach came from Antonio Lamer, the former chief justice of the Supreme Court…'I must say I was taken aback,' said Lamer, who… — Lawrence Martin Copy Share Image
“The conservatives had started bringing demagoguery to the table on the [Afghan] war issue the previous fall [fall 2006]. Whenever opposition members criticized the… — Lawrence Martin Copy Share Image
“Bill C-9 was supposed to be a budget bill, but it came with innumerable measures that had little or nothing to do with the nation's finances. It was, as critics put it, the advance of the Harper agenda by stealth, yet another abuse of the democratic process. The bill was a behemoth. It was 904 pages, with 23 separate sections… — Lawrence Martin Copy Share
“[Stephen] Harper had said he would use all legal means, and what [John] Baird suggested was an option the prome minister was considering. If… — Lawrence Martin Copy Share Image
“As opposition leader, [Stephen Harper] wrote in the Montreal Gazette in the year before he came to power: 'Information is the lifeblood of a… — Lawrence Martin Copy Share Image
“[Harper] once told a friend, "I think about strategy twenty-four hours a day," and it was only a small exaggeration.” — Lawrence Martin Copy Share Image
“Earlier in [2007] the [Prime Minister's Office] had also drawn criticism for trying to muzzle the judiciary. The reproach came from Antonio Lamer, the… — Lawrence Martin Copy Share Image
“For [Stephen] Harper, a national daycare plan bordered on being a socialist scheme, a phrase he had once used to describe the Kyoto Protocol… — Lawrence Martin Copy Share Image
“Attempts to thwart or muzzle the media continued as well. At a conservative caucus meeting in Charlottetown in August 2007, journalists assembled in the… — Lawrence Martin Copy Share Image
“The real power in Ottawa, as in Washington, is in the executive branch. At the White House, there are daily briefings for reporters. In… — Lawrence Martin Copy Share Image
“In the run-up to the election, Stephen Harper had rolled out the rhetoric on the need for clean and transparent government, expressing frustration with… — Lawrence Martin Copy Share Image
![“As opposition leader, [Stephen Harper] wrote in the Montreal Gazette in the year before he came to power: 'Information is the lifeblood of a democracy. Without adequate access to key information about government policies and programs, citizens and parliamentarians cannot make informed decisions…” quote by Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a8a/lawrence-martin-40750_access-to-informatio_as-opposition-leader-stephen-harper-wrot_1717755.jpg)
![“Earlier in [2007] the [Prime Minister's Office] had also drawn criticism for trying to muzzle the judiciary. The reproach came from Antonio Lamer, the former chief justice of the Supreme Court…'I must say I was taken aback,' said Lamer, who sat on the Supreme Court for twenty years. 'The prime…” quote by Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d56/lawrence-martin-40750_antonio-lamer_earlier-in-2007-the-prime-minister-s-off_2163281.jpg)
![“The conservatives had started bringing demagoguery to the table on the [Afghan] war issue the previous fall [fall 2006]. Whenever opposition members criticized the war policy, assorted Tories accused them of being disloyal and of failing to support the troops…[Harper] was gaining the reputation of…” quote by Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e8a/lawrence-martin-40750_canadian-politics_the-conservatives-had-started-bringing-d_528161.jpg)
![“[Stephen] Harper had said he would use all legal means, and what [John] Baird suggested was an option the prome minister was considering. If the governor general had refused his request, he could have replaced her with a more compliant one, making the case to the Queen that the people of Canada…” quote by Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4a0/lawrence-martin-40750_canada_stephen-harper-had-said-he-would-use-all_1053260.jpg)
![“[Harper] once told a friend, "I think about strategy twenty-four hours a day," and it was only a small exaggeration.” quote by Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/790/lawrence-martin-40750_canadian-politics_harper-once-told-a-friend-i-think-about_2053816.jpg)
![“For [Stephen] Harper, a national daycare plan bordered on being a socialist scheme, a phrase he had once used to describe the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. For [Paul] Martin, whose plan would have transferred to the provinces $5 billion over five years, the national program was what…” quote by Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/be8/lawrence-martin-40750_canada_for-stephen-harper-a-national-daycare-pl_2174969.jpg)
![“Attempts to thwart or muzzle the media continued as well. At a conservative caucus meeting in Charlottetown in August 2007, journalists assembled in the lobby of the hotel, as they usually do at such gatherings, to talk to caucus members as they passed by. The [Prime Minister's Office]…” quote by Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/32a/lawrence-martin-40750_canadian-politics_attempts-to-thwart-or-muzzle-the-media-c_2488258.jpg)
