This is the first and last time I will bring Canadian politics to this blog. It is not without reason, however, as I am able to relate to you some tidbits about F.R. Scott (my all-time favourite Canadian poet).

In an essay, J. King Gordon relates an anecdote about Francis Reginald Scott, recalling a winter at a friend’s cottage. On the slopes near St. Saveur, Scott turned to Gordon, in the middle of the ski run, and said: ‘If someone were to ask you, say for a Who’s Who, what my recreations are, tell them: “Skiing and changing the social order”.’ (Gordon 27).

Although this may be perceived as a glib remark, it nevertheless illustrated how Scott’s many and varied interests and activities revolved around the hub of his socialism, with the result that there was a strong sense of unity in Scott’s literary, social, and political thought.

It also serves as an interesting juxtaposition to the obvious disconnection that today’s Canadian politicians have with their community, art, and politics. Namely, Canada’s leader of the official opposition, Republican, errr, I mean Conservative, Stephen Harper.

A quick and extremely elementary recap of what’s been happening in the Canadian political spectrum recently:

Canada’s reigning liberal government is in the midst of a meltdown, brought about, in part, by a conservative American blogger who broke a publication ban surrounding an inquiry into Canada’s answer to Watergate.

In what’s being termed as “Adscam” Liberal party members are accused of having taken kickbacks from Liberal-friendly ad agencies hired to promote national unity in the French-speaking province of Quebec, where separatism is popular.

In the ensuing fallout, it appeared that the Liberal government was about to be brought down in a parliamentary vote of no confidence by Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, until the unlikely defection of Conservative MP Belinda Stronach to the Liberal party today.

The Captain’s Quarters puts a spin on it thusly, for our American readers:

“Can you imagine the political shock waves that would happen here (and the weather forecasts for Hades) if Hillary Clinton announced her defection to the GOP in order to get an appointment to George Bush’s Cabinet?”

Well, that’s what happened today.

According to Canwest reporter Anne Dawson, the billionaire Ontario MP and former Conservative leadership candidate said the decision to leave her party was difficult, but necessary because her former leader, Stephen Harper, “fails to understand the complexities of Canada and is joining forces with the Bloc for his own partisan purposes - not the good of the country”.

It follows that Stephen Harper, who makes a lot of American Republicans appear moderate, is so inept, his vision so narrow, that it appears he cannot effect the overthrow of an obviously corrupt Liberal government. Moreover, he can’t even convince his own party faithful that he is the right man for the job.

Harper stands in stark contrast to F.R. Scott, who was committed to shaping the future of Canada in his view, which was in my estimation, not unlike his vision of life, which Sandra Djwa writes, was based on the assumption that “the ‘creative’ impulse can be seen as informing all spheres of human activity: art, philosophy, religion - even law, politics, and behaviour”.

In stark contrast, Harper’s vision of Canada is not infused with those “spheres of human activity”. Harper says “Canada appears content to become a second-tier socialist country, boasting ever more loudly about its economy and social services to mask its second-rate status.”

This is the man who would be King? Where are the nation builders of previous administrations? The Pierre Trudeaus?

I’ve got a prescription for Harper: get a little poetry in you.

I’m going to appropriate an excerpt from Scott’s parody, “My Creed,” a 1931 New Year’s message from the Honourable H.H. Stevens, then Minister of Trade and Commerce. It’s a message as relevant today as when Scott wrote it over seventy years ago:

Come and see the vast natural wealth of this mine
In the short space of ten years
It has produced six American millionaires
And two thousand pauperized Canadian families.

Let it serve as a warning to those who want to remake Canada in Stephen Harper’s image.