Stephen Harper intends to dumb down the Order of Canada (Order
of Canada reform in budget, Apr 23). The Prime Minister is correct in his
belief that certain sectors of society are under-represented such as
discredited Conservative senators and inhabitants of the yahoo element. The
reported feeling is that there is too much Margaret Atwood and too little Don
Cherry among Order recipients.
By coincidence, elsewhere in today's National Post (Where
culture wars were worth fighting), we read, "A TV-ready image is valued
considerably more than any literary pedigree . . . People today go to pundit
school. They learn how to be on TV as a pundit, but they don't have any
substance. Intelligence has been replaced by volume."
Honours are not intended to be brought "closer to the
people," as Harper asserts. Their purpose is to recognize quality
achievements to which we should all aspire. Is it time to bid farewell the
nobility of the Order of Canada?
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