Harper was either getting cocky at that point and giving into his base instincts, or he was pressured by the the increasingly radical direction of the party and was trying not to get knifed by some up-and-coming fascist bootlicker like Scheer or Poillevre.
Thing is they could have marketed it as a domestic abuse hotline and actually gained votes, but I guess they couldn’t grok the concept without racism.
Oh no, they knew.
Harper was either getting cocky at that point and giving into his base instincts, or he was pressured by the the increasingly radical direction of the party and was trying not to get knifed by some up-and-coming fascist bootlicker like Scheer or Poillevre.
I’m betting it’s a bit of both, frankly.