藤儿点评：加拿大总理Stenphen Harper弹得一手好琴(钢琴)，令人啧啧称奇，同时也为他验明正身——[戏子]。 在他看来，那些笑说“戏子”的人，只不过是不明白[戏子]背后经历的那些一般人可能永远都不会经历的传奇——从[戏子]到一国之君。 做[戏子]其实也很不容易，成功都是必须要靠自己努力的。尤其是要跨越从[戏子]到一国之君的飞跃。 Stenphen Harper的人生经历表明，[戏子]们要力争为自己辩清白，扭转家人和社会对[戏子]的诸多偏见和茶余饭后话语中流露出来的对“戏子”的不屑态度，不但要下定决心要努力做一名好[戏子]，而且必须用多年的实际行动证明[戏子]努力就一定会成功的信念。 如果你也是一位[戏子]——比如会弹钢琴，那么，只要努力，你也有希望成为一国之君。 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 来源：网络 Biography Explores Stephen Harper, the Politician and the ManBook Review: Stephen HarperBy Pam McLennan, Epoch Times | September 8, 2015 
Prime Minister Stephen Harper plays the piano with a band at his official residence in Ottawa on April 22, 2011. John Ibbitson’s biography of the PM was released this week. (The Canadian Press/Fred Chartrand)
Whether you admire Stephen Harper or not, John Ibbitson’s biography of our current prime minister is a fascinating read. Clearly, a lot of research went into the book, simply titled “Stephen Harper,” as it chronicles Canada’s recent political history while revealing the PM’s personality and leadership style. The book is divided into two main sections, “Rise” and “Power,” first narrating the making of the man and then examining his governing of the country as prime minister. Harper was born in the Toronto suburb of Leaside in 1959, the eldest of three sons. Ibbitson describes him as an academically gifted but introverted and bookish non-athlete, whose social awkwardness followed him into adulthood. After graduating high school, Harper went to the University of Toronto for a few weeks and then quit. He moved to Alberta to work as an office clerk for Imperial Oil, the same company his father was an accountant for. Harper felt at home in Alberta and, except for a few short stays in Ontario, lived there until he became prime minister in 2006. While living in both Edmonton and Calgary, Harper learned the “Western political ethos” that opened his eyes to the Canadian government’s manipulation of Alberta’s resources and historical ignoring of its needs. He eventually studied economics at the University of Calgary, and after graduating became involved in politics tangentially when he moved to Ottawa in 1985 to work as legislative assistant for Jim Hawkes, a Progressive Conservative candidate in Calgary West. Within a year he was back in Alberta where he met Preston Manning in May 1987. Harper joined the Reform Party and ran for MP for Calgary West. Although he lost he continued to work with the Reform Party as it formulated its mandate for Canada. He also met Alberta-born graphic artist Laureen Teskey in 1991; they married in Dec. 1993. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ibbitson describes him as an academically gifted but introverted and bookish non-athlete, whose social awkwardness followed him into adulthood. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ibbitson, a columnist for the Globe and Mail, describes Harper as a “good writer and powerful analyst” as well as a good speaker. The “clever tactician and far-sighted strategist” worked with Peter MacKay to unite the Progressive Conservative Party and the Reform Party of Canada to form the Conservative Party in 2003. Harper was elected PM in 2006 and set up a cabinet that included Jim Flaherty, John Baird, and Tony Clement. He proceeded to fulfil the items promised during his election campaign. Strengths and WeaknessesIn the second half of the book Ibbitson lays bare some of Harper’s less likeable qualities, such as his bad temper, paranoia, and micro-managing of party members. Laureen Harper is credited with keeping her husband on an even keel during his “funks” and getting him back on track when it seems he would turn his back on an issue rather than deal with it. We also learn about Harper’s passion for music, his love of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team (he wrote a book about them called “A Great Game”) and the “Seinfeld” and “Coronation Street” TV shows, and his encyclopedic knowledge of Canadian border disputes. Ibbitson writes about six “Big Things” that Harper accomplished during his nine-plus years as prime minister, starting with lessening tensions between the federal and provincial governments. He did this by reducing the federal fiscal footprint, transferring funds to the provinces “without strings,” and removing equalization from programs that didn’t require it. Secondly, he successfully managed the economy during the global recession while reducing the GST twice and lowering corporate taxes. Harper believes that Canada’s foreign policy should be governed by values, and although he reoriented it, he also demonstrated hostility to Russian leader Vladimir Putin and has a weak relationship with U.S. President Barack Obama. He overhauled immigration and refugee policy with Jason Kenney, introduced his “tough on crime” policies, and successfully set up trade agreements with South Korea and Europe. During his tenure as PM, Harper has demonstrated both strengths and weaknesses. Two of his strengths: He apologized to aboriginal people for the government’s past maltreatment in a moving speech he wrote himself, and recently endured the senate scandal while in the midst of campaigning for re-election. Overall, Ibbitson writes that Harper is a good leader who follows his “core mandates” and has changed the politics of Canada. His final legacy in the history of Canadian politics remains to be seen. ---------------------------------------- 来源：RCI 2015-10-28 卸任总理哈珀自己推箱子 搬出总理府 
即将离任的总理斯蒂芬·哈珀和他的妻子劳伦（Laureen）、女儿雷切尔（Rachel）正在开始搬离渥太华的官邸，回卡尔加里居住。而哈珀的儿子本（Ben）将留在安大略省，到金斯顿的皇后大学读书。 哈珀以前很少让自己的孩子出现在公共场合，但在此次大选中开始带他们出席一些保守党的竞选和筹款活动。而保守党的一些支持者参加竞选活动也有想见到哈珀的两个孩子的因素。 哈珀领导的保守党在上周一的全国大选中败给自由党，由执政党降到议会的官方反对党，自由党获得了议会多数席位。 虽然哈珀在此次大选中仍然在卡尔加里的家乡选区胜出，继续担任议员， 但他已辞去保守党领袖职位。至于他是否会参加保守党的党团会议，现在还不清楚。但评论认为，他可能会保持低调。 虽然在大选将公布结果的演说之后， 哈珀还没有公开讲过话，但却与候任总理特鲁多一起参加了在渥太华举办的纪念去年在国会山枪击案中军人逝世一周年纪念活动，二人一起敬献了花圈。 
星期二，有关以哈珀的名字重新命名卡尔加里国际机场的倡议在网上引发了激烈的争论， 同意和反对的加拿大人都有不少。这等于是大选后又一场支持与反对哈珀的对抗。但显然这次的对抗已经没有选举那么重要，很多参与者仅留下调侃的文字，却没有留下名字。 |
