Stephen Harper thought the Senate should be abolished. As part of that, he appointed senators who were unqualified and who’s conduct could be easily manipulated, who would dishonor the institution. Making that House and by extension Canada’s bicameral system look ridiculous was a strategy to undermine trust in our institutions as a method of eroding them.
I like to distinguish between the unintelligent and the stupid. But this irritates some people. I think undermining the Senate is stupid. But another person might say that undermining an institution you want to abolish is an intelligent strategy for achieving a political end.
And maybe in here somewhere is a source of much confusion. How could a Conservative government govern so badly? How could their policies be so stupid? Ah, well if your political ideology is that modern representative government is bad; that Peace, Order and Good Governance are trade irritants; that the right roll of a government is to protect money and privilege from the masses… If you BELIEVE these things then it would hardly be right to govern well.
You cannot be seen to provide effective leadership. Instead, you must sow division.
You cannot be seen to dispense justice. Instead, you must dole out privileges.
You cannot be seen to preserve or protect resources. Instead, you must pursue exploitation.
You cannot govern well, in the best interest of the public good if the basis of your political ideology is that Government should not be allowed to do that.
So as the ONConGov just keeps failing on pandemic response and public health measures and instead concentrates on its war with unionized teachers and nurses, this may seem stupid. However, it is also a cynical and deliberate attack on the role of government itself.
I was told recently, “Conservatives like nothing better than for you to call them stupid,” as that distracts from the fact that their terrible policies are deliberate and calculated and that doing governance badly is an important element of undermining the civil society that they fundamentally do not believe in.