Who dare challenge Harper like party members did in past governments.It’s hard to think about any cadre of similar people in the Harper government, so completely dominant is the Prime Minister over this government. The new Foreign Minister Rob Nicholson is known as someone with steady hands, but no independent standing. Peter MacKay, the Justice Minister, is not regarded as Mr. Harper’s intellectual or political equal. Nigel Wright, the former chief-of-staff who didn’t grow up politically as a Harper aide, seemed to be able to push back occasionally. But he is gone, too.

The Conservatives have even developed a strategy, on display this week, whereby the Prime Minister replaces what used to be responsibilities of the Governor-General, the representative of Canada’s head of state. Early on, Mr. Harper asked Mr. Baird to think of ways of associating the Prime Minister with national awards. Since then, new awards with the Prime Minister’s title attached to them were created.
Last week, 50 flags were given to distinguished Canadians to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Canadian flag. Since the flag is a national, not political, symbol it might have been thought that the awards would be in the name of the Governor-General. Instead, the Prime Minister announced them.
Almost all (there have been exceptions) the important announcements in this government are made by the Prime Minister. Ministers tend to be in the wings, not in a portion of the limelight.
Inside the government, Mr. Harper is such a formidable and private person that not many people summon the courage to challenge him. Outside the government, he doesn’t have the network of friends that previous prime ministers did to tell him casually how things look.
He is the loneliest of all prime ministers.