A number of media outlets have reported that today’s Speech from the Throne will be called “A Stronger Canada. A Stronger Economy.” and will focus on the theme of innovation.
Unfortunately, the Conservatives weren’t innovative in the choice of title for today’s speech which appears to be a direct rip-off of former Australian Prime Minister John Howard’s 2004 election platform: “A Stronger Economy. A Stronger Australia.”
If only the government could blame this latest bout of Aussie plagiarism on former Conservative speech writer Owen Lippert who took the fall for Mr. Harper’s word-for-word rip-off of Prime Minister Howard’s 2003 speech on Iraq.
Well, maybe they can! Disclosure records from the Privy Council Office reveal Mr. Lippert was given a sole-source research contract last summer valued at $24,570 – just below the allowable limit for untendered contracts. (http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/dc/Contracts_Contract_Details.asp?lang=eng&UniqueID=19965&Quarter=20092)
We hope the contract was not to research innovative titles for the Throne Speech. If so the Conservatives didn’t get their money’s worth.
A copy of the 2004 John Howard platform “A Stronger Economy. A Stronger Australia” can be found here: http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/library/partypol/8G1E6/upload_binary/8g1e63.pdf;fileType%3Dapplication%2Fpdf
Video of the Howard-Harper Iraq speech can be viewed at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8YwJC_nBgw
