By Their Deeds Shall Ye Know Them

Well c'mon, get real. We know, dear Mr. Prime Minister, that yours is a (relatively) new government. We aren't entirely dense, after all. Certainly you're not. Canadians have learned, grudgingly perhaps, rather slowly I grant, that you're a man to be reckoned with, that you are resolute and commited and highly intelligent and a credit to the country that you're now leading. But really, to initiate such a silly device as to brand your new Conservative government as "Canada's New Government" is ridiculous.

It was all right for the first month, as a casual reference point, but to emblazon it on official web sites, to insist that on official papers and throughout the civil service it be officially utilized? That's going just a tetch too far, isn't it? You're not convinced, obviously you're not. Either that, or you've simply forgotten about it, then realized that people haven't and now you don't know what to do about it. As a device it remains a reminder that you're still a trifle insecure, although on the surface you don't appear to be.

But look here, drop it. It isn't necessary, it isn't even useful to you. Its existence leaves you open to ridicule, and you surely aren't interested in that. I believe you've suffered that kind of finger-pointing before and found it wanting. Prime Minister, Mr. Harper, apart from a few really disappointingly bad early decisions you made which cost you dearly at the time, you've moved unerringly in the right direction. You've made Canadians sit up and take notice. You've brought Canada back onto the world stage with distinction and dignity.

You've performed some needed house-cleaning and amends-making. You're making decisions which can only enhance your position and assist Canada in its obligations to itself and to the world at large. We're proud, really, of many of the positions you've taken - unequivocally and intelligently. But trust me. Cast this brittle little device aside. Labelling is for products. Do you really believe yourself and your governing style, your colleages to be a product? Do you really think that advertising your 'product' in this manner will endear you to the electorate?

Think again. It is the quality of your decision-making, your unabashed ability to recognize when you haven't sufficiently realized the gravity of a situation, then to embrace necessary change that will distinguish you. It is your determined efforts on behalf of good governance for the country as a whole that will persuade people to commit you and themselves to a longer and more secure opportunity to govern this country.

You govern, Stephen Harper, the Government of Canada. Most definitely do you not govern Canada's New Government. This is reality. Really.