On public will

One of Harper's more amusing actions after taking office was his call for people to write letters to MPs in support of the Con platform. Today, CanWest reports that at least based the comments received in response to the Cons' budget plan, Harper's request was something less than a smashing success:

A majority of citizens urged the new Tory government to abandon plans for a GST cut, in the first-ever Web-based consultations carried out before a federal budget.

More than 500 people -- responding to the Finance Department's call for submissions -- sent the minister e-mails commenting directly on Goods and Services Tax policy, documents obtained under the Access to Information Act show.

Of those, 239 people opposed cuts to the GST promised by the Tories during the last election campaign, while 209 said they supported them.

Another 72 people offered other suggestions, such as using GST revenue for highway improvements...

Finance Canada did not specifically ask for suggestions on spending increases, but people offered them anyway. Ignoring obvious write-in campaigns, only one area stood out clearly: the environment.

"If one discounts write-in campaigns, more Canadians supported increased funding for the environment than any other single priority," says one document.

Note that the listed results doesn't include orchestrated letter-writing campaigns (as identified by the reporter in any event). Which means that despite Harper's call for all the public support he could muster, the citizens who took the time to write in with their own views lined up generally against the Cons - particularly in the citizens' demand for action on the environment.

Not that Harper could be bothered to listen when it came time to put the budget together. But there should be all the less doubt that the Cons' priorities are far from reflecting those of Canadians generally. And contrary to Harper's presumed plan, the lesson to opposition MPs is that the public doesn't want to be subject to any more of Harper's budgetary choices than it can avoid.