600 Conservatives attend barbeque with Prime Minister Stephen Harper

James Wood The StarPhoenix
Wednesday, August 30, 2006 REGINA -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper's first visit to Saskatchewan since the Jan. 23 federal election seemed like a prelude to the next national vote.

In a stump-style speech to an excited crowd of about 600 Conservative supporters at the Sherwood Forest Country Club just outside Regina Tuesday night, Harper bashed the Liberals and reeled off a laundry list of his minority government actions since it took power, ranging from child-care money for parents and the one-point GST cut to a more aggressive foreign policy approach.

"We want a Canada that leads instead of follows, a Canada that decides instead of dithers. That will be the choice my friends, that your friends and neighbours and relatives will face in the next election regardless of when that next election comes. The choice will be clear -- do Canadians want to move forward with a new government that gets things done for families or taxpayers or do they want to turn back the clock?" saidHarper, who did not take questions from the media but pressed the flesh for an hour and a half with Conservatives who had spent $25 each to attend.

MICHAEL McCAFFERTY SAYS: It truly was a wonderful event and the Prime Minister gave a very inspiring and awesome speech. As I have said before --
I very much admire Canada's Prime Minister.