January 25, 2006	Wednesday	Zilhaj 24, 1426

CALGARY (Alberta): In Canada’s 2004 election campaign, Conservative leader Stephen Harper seemed to wince every time he shook a voter’s hand. He went on to lose.

This time around, he went out of his way to pat babies and greet as many backers as he could. He was rewarded with the top job in Canadian politics, that of prime minister, although he has a fragile minority government that will need support from other parties to stay in power.

“I look forward to working with all of the parties and all of the members of Parliament to build consensus the move this country forward,” Harper said in his victory speech on Monday night. “We will govern as we campaigned, in a spirit of hope, not fear.”

Harper, 46, is an economist and policy wonk who is instinctively uncomfortable with Canada’s generous welfare state and industrial subsidies. But has grown to accept them at least for now as he broadens his political base.

He has written about the dangers of “moral nihilism” and wants to reverse last year’s law legalizing gay marriage. But he says he would discourage any attempt to curb abortion rights and the issue should not be addressed “in the near future.”

“I’m a normal, thoughtful person,” he said. “I don’t think my fundamental beliefs have changed in a decade but certainly my views on individual issues have evolved.”

The ruling Liberals, seeking desperately to stay in power, tried repeatedly to portray Harper as a pro-American right-wing, scary extremist with a hidden agenda.

Harper dismissed that and stressed the need for hope and change. His top priorities are to lower sales tax, cut waiting times in the public health system, crack down on crime, give all parents of preschoolers a child-care allowance, and clean up what he calls Liberal waste and corruption.

He also promises to improve often rocky ties with the United States, Canada’s southern neighbor and its largest trading partner by far.

Harper’s message was designed for a broad appeal after Liberal kickbacks created the impression of a government that was tired and complacent after 12 years in power.

“We need a government that will always stand up and work in the interests of the people who work hard, pay their taxes and play by the rules,” he said on the campaign.—Reuters