The Conservative government has shut down hundreds of federal and world renowned research facilities as part of their war on science. The bulk of facilities affected pertained to the climate science that has actively gotten in the way of the government’s coveted pipeline projects. The Conservatives are silencing their critics as they cut scientific funding in the name of ideological gain.

While the Conservatives would say the economy is “still strong,” Finance Minister Jim Flaherty warns “the economic recovery remains fragile ” amid 45,900 in job losses in December – the steepest since the 54,500 drop in March. When all months are considered, only 102,000 jobs were created in 2013 and the unemployment rate rose 0.3% to 7.2% – which is higher than that of the United States (6.7%) for the first time since 2008. In addition, the US registered a 74,000 net increase for December.

Some economists are raising red flags on the topic of the economy which has been dear to the Conservatives’ electoral strategy. Job creation has been the weakest in a decade for a non-recession year and the low quality of these limited jobs are cause for concern. If that isn’t enough, the national deficit ticked $1.3 billion upward this year.

Canada’s armed forces are being suffocated by bureaucracy and cutbacks in the equipment and training they need. The Conservatives claim to be there for our military but former officials will tell you otherwise.

Canadian citizens have a right to be concerned, their government is taking the most unprecedented steps in recent history to monitor and manipulate our rights and freedoms. George Orwell wrote his “1984” as a warning and Harper’s government is obsessed with turning it into a handbook.

There is no going back on The Duffy Affair, the breach of trust and scar to the Conservative brand will last a while. The story is on people’s minds and despite an aggressive effort to get it off the agenda, the fall session of Parliament is picking up where the spring session left off – in an interrogation room setting with an opposition playing whack a mole with a defiant prime minister.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s bold showcase in New York City on September 26 cost taxpayers $65,500 and featured keystone lobbyists.

Canadians angry about Conservative austerity measures have a new reason to be upset. While the cuts the Conservatives made directly impacted services, bureaucracy and federal payrolls ballooned as a result of their governance. In short: Canadians lost services and meat so they could keep useless bureaucrats and fat.

Despite a report two years ago outlining wasteful bureaucracy in the Department of Defense, and despite a cut to the department as part of the Conservatives’ effort to reign in their deficit, the number of civilian staff members rose 30% in six years. For a government that preaches fiscal prudence, there is no place they want to seal off more than the Defense department.

It is telling when a charity, which has clear links to the Conservative Party and PMO, demands a refund a year after enjoying an event with Liberal leader Justin Trudeau. Numbers discovered through the Canada Revenue Agency show an organization that’s doing very well, contrary to the claims they made as part of an opportunist act orchestrated by the PMO. Just when the PMO didn’t have enough problems with the Duffy affair…