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What is Stephen Harper’s legacy after six years in office?
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Canada Politics
Monday marks the Conservative government's sixth anniversary: on Feb. 6, 2006, Stephen Joseph Harper became Canada's 22nd prime minister.
While the history books about his administration have yet to be written, pundits and analysts will no doubt take advantage of this time to question the man's legacy.
Over the years, public opinion about Harper has been polarizing.
On the one hand, you have people like former Prime Minister's Office communications director Dimitri Soudas calling Harper "the greatest prime minister Canada has ever had."
Then you have others, who complain about the Harper Conservatives' penchant for using heavy-handed tactics to govern the country.
So just how do you measure the success or effectiveness of a politician?
While there will never be any consensus about Harper's legacy, an analysis of several factors indicates that, so far, he's been one of Canada's most successful prime ministers.
Here's why:
Longevity
In politics longevity means a lot.
According to Randy Boswell of PostMedia News, Stephen Harper is now the ninth longest serving prime minister and quickly making his way up the list.
He's already passed the likes of John Diefenbaker and Lester B. Pearson. By the end of this term, Harper will pass Louis St. Laurent, Robert Borden and Brian Mulroney, becoming the sixth longest serving prime minister in Canadian history.
Domestic policy - promises made, promises kept
Whether you agree or disagree with Conservative government's policies, you have to give it credit for keeping its promises.
Since earning their first majority government last spring, the Tories have checked-off many of their high profile items from their campaign platform including legislation on the Wheat Board, human smuggling, the long-gun registry, the omnibus crime bill and the copyright bill.
Foreign Affairs - Canada now has a voice
After nearly a decade of a muddled foreign policy, Harper has re-engaged Canada in foreign affairs.
Over the the past two years, Canada has been active in places such as Haiti, Afghanistan and Libya. The country has prominently voiced its concerns about conflicts in Iran, Israel and Syria.
Harper and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty have also earned respect from the international community for successfully steering Canada through the last recession.
Ian Lee, assistant professor at Carleton University's Sprott School of Business says the international community has taken notice.
"Canada's reputation has grown in the past three years, people have become more aware of what we've done and the things we've done right," Lee told Embassy Magazine.
"Now these virtues are being recognized by other people and other countries, so I think Canada is able to punch above its weight now."
Positive approval ratings
In their fifth annual Mood of Canada survey in December, Nanos Research noted 40.2 per cent of those polled described the performance of the Harper government as 'very good' or 'somewhat good,' up 10 points from 2010.
Only 24.3 per cent of respondents gave it a score of 'somewhat poor' or 'very poor.'
Scandal-free
Brian Mulroney was plagued with allegations he had accepted bribes in the Airbus affair concerning government contracts.
Jean Chretien and Paul Martin had to deal with Shawinigate and the Sponsorship scandals.
But for the most part, Stephen Harper has avoided major scandals.
We'll see if this continues.
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