Stephen Harper quotes

Stephen Harper is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada. His leadership marked a period of conservative government and significant policy changes in the country. He played a major role in shaping Canada's economic and foreign policies during his time in office. Here are 120 of his quotes:

Human rights commissions, as they are evolving, are an attack on our fundamental freedoms and the basic existence of a democratic society... It is in fact totalitarianism. I find this is very scary stuff. (Stephen Harper)
We should have been there shoulder to shoulder with our allies. Our concern is the instability of our government as an ally. We are playing again with national and global security matters. View quote
Stephen Harper
There is a continental culture. There is a Canadian culture that is in some ways unique to Canada, but I don't think Canadian culture coincides neatly with borders. View quote
Stephen Harper
But I'm very libertarian in the sense that I believe in small government and, as a general rule, I don't believe in imposing values upon people. View quote
Stephen Harper
Canada appears content to become a second-tier socialistic country, boasting ever more loudly about its economy and social services to mask its second-rate status. View quote
Stephen Harper
It is imperative to take the initiative, to build firewalls around Alberta, to limit the extent to which an aggressive and hostile federal government can encroach upon legitimate provincial jurisdiction. View quote
Stephen Harper
I don't know all the facts on Iraq, but I think we should work closely with the Americans. View quote
Stephen Harper
You've got to remember that west of Winnipeg the ridings the Liberals hold are dominated by people who are either recent Asian immigrants or recent migrants from eastern Canada people who live in ghettoes and who are not integrated into western Canadian society. View quote
Stephen Harper
On the justification for the war, it wasn't related to finding any particular weapon of mass destruction. In our judgment, it was much more fundamental. It was the removing of a regime that was hostile, that clearly had the intention of constructing weapons systems. ... I think, frankly, that everybody knew the post-war situation was probably going to be more difficult than the war itself. Canada remains alienated from its allies, shut out of the reconstruction process to some degree, unable to influence events. There is no upside to the position Canada took. View quote
Stephen Harper
After all, enforced national bilingualism in this country isn't mere policy. It has attained the status of a religion. It's a dogma which one is supposed to accept without question....Make no mistake. Canada is not a bilingual country. In fact it is less bilingual today than it has ever been...As a religion, bilingualism is the god that failed. It has led to no fairness, produced no unity, and cost Canadian taxpayers untold millions. View quote
Stephen Harper
It may not be true, but it's legendary that if you're like all Americans, you know almost nothing except for your own country. Which makes you probably knowledgeable about one more country than most Canadians. (Stephen Harper)
Having hit a wall, the next logical step is not to bang our heads against it. View quote
Stephen Harper
This party will not take its position based on public opinion polls. We will not take a stand based on focus groups. We will not take a stand based on phone-in shows or householder surveys or any other vagaries of pubic opinion. View quote
Stephen Harper
When Ralph Goodale tried to tax Income Trusts they showed us where they stood, they showed us their attitude towards raiding Seniors hard earned assets and a Conservative government will never allow either of these parties to get away with that. View quote
Stephen Harper
Corruption is not a Canadian value! View quote
Stephen Harper
The treatment of children in Indian residential schools is a sad chapter in our history... Two primary objectives of the residential schools system were to remove and isolate children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures, and to assimilate them into the dominant culture. View quote
Stephen Harper
In terms of the unemployed... don't feel particularly bad for many of these people. They don't feel bad about it themselves, as long as they're receiving generous social assistance and unemployment insurance. View quote
Stephen Harper
Canada is a vast and empty country. View quote
Stephen Harper
I think people should elect a cat person. If you elect a dog person, you elect someone who wants to be loved. If you elect a cat person, you elect someone who wants to serve. View quote
Stephen Harper
I think there is a dangerous rise in defeatist sentiment in this country. I have said that repeatedly, and I mean it and I believe it. View quote
Stephen Harper
But the Progressive Conservative is very definitely liberal Republican. These are people who are moderately conservative on economic matters, and in the past have been moderately liberal, even sometimes quite liberal on social policy matters. (Stephen Harper)
Mr. Speaker, I am sure the picture of the hon. member of the NDP [Svend Robinson] is posted in much more wonderful places than just police stations. View quote
Stephen Harper
The world is now unipolar and contains o­nly o­ne superpower. Canada shares a continent with that superpower. In this context, given our common values and the political, economic and security interests that we share with the United States, there is now no more important foreign policy interest for Canada than maintaining the ability to exercise effective influence in Washington so as to advance unique Canadian policy objectives. View quote
Stephen Harper
"It [referring to calling a Minister "Idiot"] was probably not an appropriate term, but we support the war effort and believe we should be supporting our troops and our allies and be there with them doing everything necessary to win. View quote
Stephen Harper
Those of different faiths and no faith should seek areas of common agreement based on their different perspectives. View quote
Stephen Harper