Harper to Quit Politics

missharper1

Former prime minister Stephen Harper will resign as member of Parliament by the fall to pursue business interests and look to establish a foreign policy institute.

Harper won’t return as MP for the fall sitting of Parliament, as he considers multiple offers in the corporate sector, according to media reports.

The MP for Calgary Heritage has been offered jobs with large U.S. companies, including global private equity firm KKR, according to CBC News.

Waffle

I don’t blame him. Parliament no longer exists in any meaningful sense and Harper is too principled to take money for nothing.
- DD_Austin
  
  Politicians in Canada take the payoffs after they resign
  
  Harper isn’t principled, ask any reformer
dance…dancetotheradio

I was born after Diefenbaker was PM.
So, Harper is the best PM I’ve ever known.
He could probably stay in Parliament as long Diefenbaker but what is there left for him to do there?
Osumashi Kinyobe

He knows what is coming down the pipe.

Get out while one can.
- dance…dancetotheradio
  
  I do wonder the feeling of liberation he must have had being reduced to a backbencher.
  He could just sit in the back of the house and hang out without any stress watching the boy wonder try to carry his jockstrap.
  - Osumashi Kinyobe
    
    Or humiliation.
    
    He lost to Pierre’s extra useless son.
    
    But Harper does not stay down for long, hence the career change.
    - dance…dancetotheradio
      
      Every PM loses eventually unless they take the easy way out and don’t go down with the ship.
      - Osumashi Kinyobe
        
        WE are that ship.
        
        Crap.
ontario john

The way the boy prince Trudeau and the Star are always talking about him, you would think he is still prime minister.
- Osumashi Kinyobe
  
  And everyone loves Trudeau! YAY!
  
  Do you notice how these positive Trudeau articles pop up whenever Trudeau does something stupid, which is, like, all the time?
Maggat

The Right Honourable Prime Minister Stephan Harper. Damn, I miss that man, finest PM this country has had for a hundred years.
All the best to you in your new path.
- V10_Rob
  
  Classier than we’re likely to see again.
- T.C.
  
  I would agree with that sentiment.
andycanuck

I disagreed with his handling of the post-election.

I think he should have stayed for a year or so until the CPC organized a proper leadership convention; and then kicked the crap out of the Clown Prince every Question Period the Clown Prince deigned to attend. To all intents and purposes he’s as up-to-date as Justin for most important issues so he’d have been able to really have held Justin’s ass to the flames.

After that, then I’d agree with retirement.
- Alain
  
  That would have also been my preference. I found it disappointing that he has pretty much remained silent as a member of the opposition when there has been no shortage of issues to raise. Still waiting to see if the CPC continues in its drift left and permanent defeat.
  - dance…dancetotheradio
    
    It’s still Harper judo, man.
    If you put too much pressure on the toddler you might make him better.
    It’s preferable to let the rookie make his mistakes and hang himself with his own rope.
- dance…dancetotheradio
  
  I think it is bad form for a former PM to stick around unless he’s got a realistic chance of regaining his place.
  - andycanuck
    
    A year or a Sitting wouldn’t have been all that long IMHO. (Especially along with the clear statement that it was just until the new leader was quickly selected.) But we’ll never know now.
rufusrastasjohnsonbrown

We now have a Prom Minister and our own First Lady Mooch !
- Will Quest
  
  La chatte-Sophie, has really expensive tastes, high-maintenance & we are paying for the maintenance……….
Frances

Thank you, Mr Harper, for your service. May your future and that of your family be really great. You deserve it.
Curmudgeon

PM Harper, I’ll be cheering myself hoarse tomorrow night during your speech. I won’t have a chance to say it to you personally so I’ll say it here, loud and clear. You were the best Prime Minister in my lifetime and that covers many decades.
Dave

You deserve a thousand thumbs up for that comment!!!
ricardojaime

All the best Stephen Harper and family — best Prime Minister of my lifetime, for too many reasons to list. God bless you.
DavidinNorthBurnaby

Caption for pic: “Sophie has told me Justin’s wienie is like *this*.”