Harperman
Harperman is a 2015 protest song about Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper. It was written by Tony Turner, an Ottawa folksinger who worked as a government scientist.
Issues referenced
The following issues are referenced, in the order that they appear in the song.
- Harper's controlling attitude
- Canadian Senate expenses scandal, especially concerning Mike Duffy
- Environmental policy of Canada
- Cuts to CBC
- Veterans
- Beverley McLachlin
- Prorogation of parliament, especially during the 2008-09 parliamentary dispute
- Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
- Fair Elections Act
- Refusal to listen to, and silencing of, scientists
- Labeling people "terrorists"
- Suppressing freedom of the press
- Tough stance on crime
- Oil sands
- Omnibus bills
Background
Turner worked by day in habitat planning at Environment Canada, where he was coordinating a project to map priority areas for migratory birds. In March 2015, the 62-year-old Turner entered a songwriting contest, where he was given a choice between “a song of hope or a song of protest.”[1] With the election coming up, he chose the latter and won the contest. Turner was inspired by a list of government actions disliked by his Unitarian church's social justice committee, and added to it. The song was recorded on 12 June, with Turner backed by his church's choir, and posted to YouTube on the 22nd, where it has been widely viewed.
Reaction
On August 10, Turner was suspended with pay. The song was deemed to violate the code of neutrality that civil servants were expected to follow. Turner, who was close to retirement, decided to retire rather than wait out an investigation. However, the song caught on the popular mood, and on September 17 a cross-country sing-along was held.
References
- ↑ Kohut, Tania. "How 'Harperman' flipped Tony Turner's life upside down". Global news. Retrieved 3 September 2016.