On February 6, the new Conservative government was sworn in by the Governor General. The day began with the announcement of David Emerson's defection to the Conservatives. Emerson, who was elected as a Liberal in Vancouver-Kingsway, was the chief executive officer of the forestry monopoly Canfor and was brought in as a star candidate by Paul Martin in the 2004 election much like Michael Ignatieff in the most recent election. The defection secured Emerson a cabinet position as Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics. It also secured an urban riding for the Conservatives in Vancouver -- as well as the utter contempt of the Canadian working class and people.

Adding insult to injury, the Prime Minister's Office announced the creation of a cabinet "designed to deliver the change mandated by Canadians on January 23rd." Stephen Harper repeated what has become the mantra of the Conservatives: "Our mission is clear. We will restore faith and trust in our public institutions as we keep Canada strong and united."

Emerson's defection -- all in the name of the greater good -- underscores that the election of the Conservative government was a coup against the people. The aim was to seize hold of the people's institutions to further bring in arrangements that the ruling economic elite require to make Canadian monopolies number one in the global market. For the people it means a deepening of the vicious anti-social and anti-national offensive. Far from this second minority government presenting the workers with possibilities to advance their agenda, the workers must step up their struggles to affirm their rights. They must work to expose the electoral coup so that the working class and people can defend their interests within the situation.

This electoral coup has created yet another corrupted government with the help of media disinformation which pushes that it is a government of change and accountability. This disinformation campaign not only covers up that the election was a coup, but the media's role in it to render the people passive in the face of the retrogressive changes which will be put in place.

The Liberals and NDP also participated in this electoral coup and are now pushing the fraud that they will use the minority government to keep the Conservatives in check and defend the people's interests. It is a repetition of the myth that because a minority government was elected, nothing radical or damaging can be done. This is accompanied by the fairy-tale that Harper is sincere about making government accountable to the people. Such talk aims to cover up precisely what is being done, who it serves and that Canada is being taken onto the path of aggression and war led by the U.S. It is all done in the name of Canadian values, good government, human rights, stability, balance, democracy, progress, human security and rule of law at a time the very opposite are being imposed.

As numerous corporate scams have shown, corruption runs in the veins of the rich -- those who the political parties in the Parliament represent. This means that corruption also runs in the veins of these parties and the party system of government. To suggest otherwise is a serious mistake. Far from Harper's reforms achieving "clean" government, the party system of government and the political institutions will be further mired in crisis. The self-serving measures taken by the government, Liberals and NDP will only serve to spin this crisis out of control, increasing the dangers facing the people. This is why it is urgent the people discuss these matters, find their orientation and step up the struggles they are waging in defence of rights.

Oppose the disinformation which seeks to present this government as an advance for accountability, transparency and change! Everything shows that the Conservatives have formed another corrupted government which is taking over from where the Liberals left off.

• Significance of the Election Results - TML Daily Interview with Sandra L. Smith, Jan. 24, 2006
• Stephen Harper's "Open Federalism" - TML Daily, Jan. 26, 2006