Harper unmoved by polls, remains firm on Mideast crisis, softwood
Ahnimus
Posts: 10,560
Yea, fuck the people eh harper? Who gives a shit what they think, it's not their country.
Principles not polls will govern how the Conservatives establish policy, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said at a Friday news conference in Cornwall, Ont., when asked about his stance on the Middle East and the softwood lumber agreement.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Canada's position on the conflict in the Middle East 'remains unchanged.' (Tom Hanson/Canadian Press) "We don't make decisions in our governments based on polls," Harper said.
About 80 protesters, mostly from Montreal, gathered outside the Conservative caucus retreat in response to the prime minister's refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
Some have criticized Harper for supporting Israel in the conflict. At a news conference Thursday, the prime minister did not comment on the conflict.
'We want stability in the region'
On Friday, however, reporters questioned the prime minister about his stance as support for the Conservatives continues to drop in opinion polls.
The prime minister responded that he and the other G8 leaders want to create the conditions for a lasting peace.
"The position of Canada remains unchanged," Harper said. "We decided together with all the members of the G8 three weeks ago that what we want is peace. We want stability in this region in the world."
"What we have to do is create the necessary conditions to make sure a ceasefire is possible and to make sure there is a lasting ceasefire," he said.
Softwood agreement 'the best Canada's ever had'
Harper also defended the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber agreement, saying that he believes he will have sufficient industry support to implement the agreement.
But, he said he will not introduce the agreement unless he has support from the premiers and softwood producers.
"There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this agreement is the best Canada's ever had, the best Canada is ever going to get and it is infinitely better than pursuing litigation for many more years without any recourse to a negotiated settlement."
Trade Minister David Emerson is expected to meet with key members of the softwood lumber industry next week in Toronto.
It's pretty sad this dumb fuck is following in the footsteps of another dumb fuck, neither of which know how to run a country.
Principles not polls will govern how the Conservatives establish policy, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said at a Friday news conference in Cornwall, Ont., when asked about his stance on the Middle East and the softwood lumber agreement.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Canada's position on the conflict in the Middle East 'remains unchanged.' (Tom Hanson/Canadian Press) "We don't make decisions in our governments based on polls," Harper said.
About 80 protesters, mostly from Montreal, gathered outside the Conservative caucus retreat in response to the prime minister's refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
Some have criticized Harper for supporting Israel in the conflict. At a news conference Thursday, the prime minister did not comment on the conflict.
'We want stability in the region'
On Friday, however, reporters questioned the prime minister about his stance as support for the Conservatives continues to drop in opinion polls.
The prime minister responded that he and the other G8 leaders want to create the conditions for a lasting peace.
"The position of Canada remains unchanged," Harper said. "We decided together with all the members of the G8 three weeks ago that what we want is peace. We want stability in this region in the world."
"What we have to do is create the necessary conditions to make sure a ceasefire is possible and to make sure there is a lasting ceasefire," he said.
Softwood agreement 'the best Canada's ever had'
Harper also defended the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber agreement, saying that he believes he will have sufficient industry support to implement the agreement.
But, he said he will not introduce the agreement unless he has support from the premiers and softwood producers.
"There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this agreement is the best Canada's ever had, the best Canada is ever going to get and it is infinitely better than pursuing litigation for many more years without any recourse to a negotiated settlement."
Trade Minister David Emerson is expected to meet with key members of the softwood lumber industry next week in Toronto.
It's pretty sad this dumb fuck is following in the footsteps of another dumb fuck, neither of which know how to run a country.
I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire
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Comments
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
I disagree with everything this guy does. The tax plan saves me 42 cents on one hundred dollars, and that's only if I don't buy alcohol. The tax on a bottle of bear when up some 30 cents. That calculation also assumes that every last penny I spend is taxable under both PST and GST. Check out the budgetary report for 2007 when it comes out and compare it to 2006. I bet you will see an increase in income from taxes as a whole.
But it will hurt him in the long run...b/c people labelled him a war monger and an American in wolves clothing...I dont see it as that...however he got thousands of votes from people that wanted to punish the Liberal party....more body bags coming home will only see the numbers plummet more....he has yet to prove to me he is any more compotent than Martin...and I am trying to leave my bias behind....
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
Okay I do give him credit for sticking to his guns...but surferdude I have really tried to revert my thoughts since the last election and I just feel that his Middle East decison, although to his principles, will undoubtly hurt him.
I just feel that this is a decision that involves Canadian lives directly (refering to Afganistan as well) and the voice of the populace on these matters should be a reality check.....for matters on how he fiscally runs the country, if he wants to try something new, its not near as bad when the polls show skeptiscm...lives in this country are put on a higher pedastal than money....
I despise this type of attitude when Quebec does it regarding staying in Canada. I despise it even more when the Canadian public adopts this type of attitude. Belonging to NATO and the UN means we as a country will have an obligation and responsibility to do some things occassionally that our public would prefer we didn't.
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
I agree, we should pull out of NATO and the UN if we are going to be obligated to these activities. I mean, we pulled out of Kyoto didn't we? and for what? so we don't have to worry about polution? The goals in Kyoto may have been hard to reach or even impossible, but it is possible to be satisfied and accomplished without always meeting our goals. Not having any goals on the other hand is a bad thing. In the case of the Mid-East conflict, Canada should have remained neutral.
You make a valid point...in regards to NATO...as a contributing nation we do have obligations in the orginization....I guess its not like we went in their under our own initiative like the States with Iraq...very good point...however his Middle East decision was very very bad...plus it made it worse when those Canadian civilians got killed.....time will tell my friend how this really effects him....we shuld blame Martin for Afganistan just as much or more than Harper than
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
What's the relevancy to picking sides? To kiss ass?
It creates a threat to Canada from the Arab/Persian world which we alone can't deal with. It also shows are total lack of understanding for the conflict.
So what is the middle east situation that is beyond Canada's understanding.
Look at the outfall of making a principled statement. Does it really seem to be kissing ass to you?
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
There's a solution to all this:
Don't vote for the Conservative party next time.
Vote for CAP!!
Canadian Alliance Party?
Canadian Action Party
I couldn't agree with you more
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
http://canadianactionparty.ca/temp/articles/Anti_Terrorism_law.asp
Agreed, actually. Some people's ignorance really shines through when the topic of Harper comes up. Not all Canadians cheer for Islamic extremists, though. Canuckistan isn't a funny comment.
So you'd be happier huddled up in fear, acting like the "Arab-Persian world's" little bitch? Is that it? ooh, scary stuff!
Sorry, but appeasing extremists doesn't make them less threatening. It actually encourages them to become more brash.
No, I just prefer not to pick sides. When two of my neighbours are fighting, I let them go at it. It's their fight, not mine. If things got way out of hand I might step in as mediator, but I certainly wouldn't pick sides.
Really? Yea it's like identical to the US patriot act. We even have a big Terrorism section in the Criminal Code.
And with that you need a special team Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams (INSET)
Really? it seems to me you've already picked one, long long time ago.
Hizbullah is a terror organization, who is destroying northern Israel's & lebanon's civilians life. I'm happy that Canada at least care's about what's going on here. In case you haven't heard yet, Int forces are the key for our cease-fire around here. That doesn't seem like "picking sides", but more like "helping us get back to sanity".
Do you know what is going to result from us stating that we back israel? Is Canada going to launch a full-scale invasion of Iran? No. All that could possibly come out of it is an attack on Canada. What good does that do us?
What in the world are you talking about, did you read the first draft of the cease-fire agreement? What Iran has to do with launching an Int forces to southern Lebanon?
You are not backing Israel, you are backing sanity and our (Israel's & Lebanon's civilians) right to live here without any fanatic people to take us as their hostages. You are basically saying "yeah, it seems right but I'm scared Iran will do something bad to Canada". Well, according to that logic none of you should have rescued the jews in WW2 (btw, that was the logic in the begining of that war, a logic which costs 3 millions of people).
So do you know what? lets not help Sudan cause Bin Laden or Iran might come and gets us. god...
I'm just saying I liked Canada's role in international conflicts in the past. We used to send people in to clean up the mess and provide humanitarian aid. We didn't send troops in to fight for one side or the other. Not very often anyway. Harper was quick to stand behind Israel in this conflict. I understand the logic. However, in the context of Israel, it's a complicated situation. I have to apologize, I mean, what did the Jews expect would happen when they went to Israel? Especially with the attitude that Jews should only live amongst other Jews and everyone else basically sucks. I don't mean to knock Judaism, but it seems Christ was right when he called the Pharisees hipocrits. It would seem that many of their followers are too. Israel has continuously played the holocaust card to win world view, however the genocide of palestinians was no different. For some reason we just see them as terrorists and potential terrorists. When are the 250,000 Israeli settlers going to pack it up and move out of Palestine? I mean, you can't expect to ever have peace with palestinians with Israel's foot in their door. This is a two-sided war, it's not just one factions fault, that's what I am trying to express. I don't want WW3 and I don't want billions of dead arabs or millions of dead jews. I just want them to work this shit out and if that means exposing one side or the other, then that's what I do. We already know Hizbollah's evil, I'm showing Israel's.
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley