Tom Flanagan: Too bad Harper isn't the one dealing with Donald Trump
The Liberals have undone his legacy of sound finance and sensible diplomacy
Stephen Harper’s ten years as prime minister began on Feb. 6, 2006. Twenty years later is a good time to assess his achievements in office and the legacy he left behind. I worked closely with Harper when he was leader of the Opposition, but not when he was in government, so this is a view from the outside.
The first thing to remember is the constraints under which he laboured. He led a minority government until he finally won a majority in 2011. Even then, he was still hemmed in by a Liberal Senate, a left-leaning judiciary, and a federal civil service that tends to tilt Liberal or NDP. Thus, it is not surprising that his greatest accomplishments were in areas where he could exercise his executive authority without impediment.