Aloofness is Harper's worst enemy

By Barbara Yaffe
Canwest News Service

Polls now suggest a majority government is out of reach for Conservatives. (Chris Wattie/Reuters)

VANCOUVER - In the end, the decisive factor in next week's election will be Stephen Harper's trademark aloofness.

The Conservative leader's icy demeanour is dangerously dragging down his party's brand just days before the vote, the result of an excessively cerebral response to the global financial crisis.

Polls now suggest a majority government is out of reach for Conservatives.

According to the latest Harris/Decima poll, Conservatives have support of 31 per cent of decided voters - down from a high of 41 per cent one month ago.

The party's support is just ahead of Liberals, at 26 per cent, who have greater positive momentum behind them. Importantly, the Tuesday poll has Grits ahead of Conservatives in the seat-rich battlegrounds of Ontario and Quebec.

Harper's response to the economic challenge is key because his one-man-show style of leadership has resulted in him alone being the face of the party.

The PM made an aggressive bid Tuesday to reverse the downward trend in support, releasing his party's election platform - True North Strong and Free, Stephen Harper's Plan for Canada - and reassuring an elite crowd that his government has a firm hand on Canada's economic tiller.

"The worst thing a prime minister could do is respond in a way that shows panic, that you're unnerved or upset," he asserted to reporters after his speech. "That would be an extremely dangerous signal in terms of the markets."

At the same time, Harper acknowledged: "I'm not the most emotionally expressive guy."

Indeed he's not. His lack of empathy persisted through his luncheon address.

And the fact he delivered the speech to the Empire Club of Canada rather than, say, a group of seniors, did little to convince that Harper truly is feeling Canadians' pain.

He would have had to reach out and do some symbolic hand holding - express personal dismay over the fiscal mess, acknowledge what everyone knows - Canada is going to be steamrollered by a reduction in the purchase of our exports by an economically hobbled American market, talk about the worries of older workers contemplating early retirement before their stock portfolios got pummelled, lament that homes have been losing value across the country.

Instead, he stuck to a script aimed at convincing voters that his government anticipated the current problems back in August of 2007, and has taken measures to deal with them.

Harper again pointed out that economic facts in Canada differ from those in the U.S., which is in deficit and has experienced a sub-prime mortgage mess.

That Ottawa lowered taxes, tightened bank regulations, made mortgage conditions more onerous, planned for infrastructure spending and investments in research and development and technological innovation.

He argued the Conservative recipe of balanced budgets, low inflation, lower taxes and lower government spending would suffice to protect Canada. (In fact, Conservative spending has been broadly criticized for being too high.)

Intoned Harper: "It wasn't raining when Noah built his ark. When the rain came, Noah didn't panic and didn't need to switch boats."

He accused opposition leaders of panicking, offering plans that would put Canada in deficit and result in higher taxes.

But Liberal Leader Stephane Dion, whose party has been gaining in polls during the past week, has surprised many by showing an ability to put a fatherly arm around taxpayers.

Dion has referred to "the hard-earned savings of Canadians," spoken about mortgages and pensions. Dion said he'd even consider adjusting provisions that force seniors to convert their RRSPs to RRIFs at age 71.

In a news release Tuesday, the Dion asserted: "Government can be a partner with Canadians during times of turmoil."

Positively for Liberals, the economic turbulence has prompted the leader to quit speaking about his unpopular Green Shift.

Equally, NDP Leader Jack Layton has also talked at the 'micro' level, making reference to individual investors, working families, people facing job losses and retirees worried about pensions. He has focused his campaign on the kitchen table rather than the boardroom table.

Another signal Conservatives are trying to reverse polling trends: On Tuesday they cancelled plans to restrict which film and TV projects can receive tax credits. The move had upset the arts community.