Rescind the Tony Turner ‘Harperman’ suspension
To the Expositor:
In April 2005, Stephen Harper said, “When a government starts trying to cancel dissent, or avoid dissent is, frankly, when it’s rapidly losing its moral authority to govern.”
Recently, Tony Turner, a concerned citizen and a migratory bird specialist with Environment Canada, composed a classic protest song, “Harperman,” about some of the Conservative government’s actions and policies that have adversely affected a broad spectrum of Canadians over the past decade.
Then, he got a few of his friends together to help him sing it. When he posted it to YouTube (Harperman.ca), he was suspended from his position, pending an investigation into whether he violated the public services code by being political on social media.
Given the prime minister’s 2005 position on dissent, you might have expected him to intervene on Turner’s behalf. Maybe he didn’t see the video. Maybe, despite nearly 2 million YouTube views of the video after Turner’s suspension, nobody in his office has told him about it.
Good news, Mr. Harper. There is still time to look into this situation, channel your 2005 self, go to Turner and say to him what Voltaire said to a rival contemporary in 1770: “ I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to write it.”
Then, maybe you could go to the Justice Department and have them rescind Mr. Turner’s suspension. Now, that would be a big step towards regaining your moral authority to govern.
Sincerely,
Deborah Wilson
RR#1 Little Current
