Harper Raps Bernier's Knuckles In Public
This kind of thing does not happen very often in Right wing circles - a Conservative Foreign Affairs Minister is reprimanded in public by the Prime Minister:
OTTAWA-KANDAHAR - Prime Minister Stephen Harper publicly upbraided his foreign affairs minister Monday for creating a "misimpression" that the governor of Kandahar should be fired for corruption.
The prime minister's strong language capped what could prove to be a politically damaging trip to Afghanistan by Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier. Bernier told reporters that a key Canadian partner in Afghanistan - the governor of Kandahar - should be replaced. A short time later, the Foreign Affairs Department in Ottawa issued a statement in Bernier's name retracting that comment, suggesting that Canada has no right to opine on the internal affairs of a sovereign country.
The discrepancy sparked the opposition to call for Bernier's firing and Harper's own characterization of Bernier's performance. "As you know, minister Bernier very quickly corrected a misimpression that I think had been left from some earlier comments," Harper told reporters in Winnipeg."
Canada.com
OTTAWA-KANDAHAR - Prime Minister Stephen Harper publicly upbraided his foreign affairs minister Monday for creating a "misimpression" that the governor of Kandahar should be fired for corruption.
The prime minister's strong language capped what could prove to be a politically damaging trip to Afghanistan by Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier. Bernier told reporters that a key Canadian partner in Afghanistan - the governor of Kandahar - should be replaced. A short time later, the Foreign Affairs Department in Ottawa issued a statement in Bernier's name retracting that comment, suggesting that Canada has no right to opine on the internal affairs of a sovereign country.
The discrepancy sparked the opposition to call for Bernier's firing and Harper's own characterization of Bernier's performance. "As you know, minister Bernier very quickly corrected a misimpression that I think had been left from some earlier comments," Harper told reporters in Winnipeg."
Canada.com
The conservatives were so long out of power that not a single member of cabinet has previous federal experience.
Provincial experience doesn't count so that excludes Baird, Flaherty and Clement.
Why is most of the cabinet made up of rookies? Being out of power for so long a time because the public didn't want them in the first place.
That helps to explain why we have seen so many red-faced ministers come and go and eat crow in public.
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The last Prime Minister of any consequence for the conservatives was Borden. He led the country through the first world war.
Diefenbaker was elected because St.Laurent made us all very exasperated and a change was what the country needed.
Not long after we got Pearson.
Clark came and went faster than some African dictators and Mulroney was elected because we wanted to get rid of Trudeau and his lot.
Mulroney deserves special mention because he took one party and split it into three factions. If anyone brought the party to its knees, it's him.
It's hard to lead when you're so accustomed to following. Thus the Harper mis-administration.
Posted by
Anonymous |
7:38 am, April 15, 2008
By your logic, Canada really really hates the NDP.
Politics is so boring in Canada, every party gravitates towards the center. Its the only way to win seats.
Its good, but it makes Canada soooooo god damn boring if your an observer of politics.
Posted by
Philltaj2 |
8:04 am, April 15, 2008
philltai2
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I never said Canada hates the NDP and how you arrive at that conclusion is beyond me.
There is a thing called the persistence of elector preference.
That should also help explain why there isn't a major third party in politics in the US.
If it makes the country so boring, why not move to somewhere like Zambia or Bosnia Hercegovina or Chechenya? Because it's too good here to move away from, perhaps?
Posted by
Anonymous |
8:25 am, April 15, 2008
Its good, but it makes Canada soooooo god damn boring if your an observer of politics.
Good. Politics isn't a spectator sport to keep you entertained on my dime. When I want excitement, I look elsewhere. So should you.
Posted by
Ti-Guy |
8:39 am, April 15, 2008