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| Update: NDP, Bloc and Liberals sign agreement to form potential coalition government Monday, December 01 - 03:32:00 PM News1130 Staff/CP Files OTTAWA (NEWS1130) - Three opposition parties in Ottawa have signed an agreement to form a potential coalition government. But the Conservatives call the coalition plan "irresponsible and undemocratic", and they'll consider "all options" to prevent it from toppling their minority government. Liberal leader Stephane Dion has advised the Governor General that he has the confidence of the Commons to form a government, should the Conservatives fall after a December 8th non-confidence vote. Dion says he recommended to the Governor General that she approve a move to put the leader of the Liberal Party in charge of a coalition government, and replace Stephen Harper and the Conservatives. Conservative Environment Minister Jim Prentice, speaking on behalf of the party, says the situation is very serious and he's urging everyone to "take a step back". Asked if the government will consider proroguing Parliament (putting it on hold without dissolving it) until January in an effort to stop the opposition, Prentice said all options are on the table. Harper could ask the Governor General to put parliament on hold until he can draw up a new budget in January, or he could ask her to dissolve parliament, leading to another general election. The NDP has agreed to support the Liberals in the coalition until June 30, 2011, while the Bloc Quebecois has pledged their support for the coalition until June 30, 2010. All parties said it was a direct result of last week's Conservative economic plan, which they said did not provide any economic stimulus. The Liberals, NDP and Bloc have agreed on a massive economic stimulus package if they can snatch power away from the Conservative minority government. The tentative Opposition coalition has a $30 billion economic stimulus package, an economic advisory panel with Liberal heavyweights Paul Martin, John Manley Frank McKenna, and Roy Romanow. There's also promise of aid to the forestry sector, along with the auto industry. The NDP would get 25% of the seats in a new coalition cabinet under the arrangement. NDP advisor Ed Broadbent says Canadians will like what they see but the Conservatives say the Liberals are aligning themselves with "economic Neanderthals", a term used by the Liberals to describe the NDP during the election campaign. Meanwhile, the Conservatives announced concessions on their financial plan on the weekend as the minority government frantically tries to hold onto power. The confidence vote on that plan is set for next Monday. |
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http://www.reuters.com/ar...ews/idUSTRE4B34BC20081204 Canadian PM wins suspension of Parliament Thu Dec 4, 2008 6:16pm EST By Randall Palmer and David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper won a rare suspension of Parliament on Thursday, managing to avoid being ousted by opposition parties angry over the minority Conservative government's economic plans and an attempt to cut off party financing. Governor General Michaelle Jean -- the representative of Queen Elizabeth, Canada's head of state -- agreed to Harper's request to shut down Parliament until Jan 26. Parliament was reconvened just weeks ago after the October 14 election. Harper's request for suspension was unprecedented. No prime minister had asked for Parliament to be suspended to avoid a confidence vote in the House of Commons. Such a vote had been set for Monday and the Conservatives almost certainly would have lost it, and faced the possibility of being replaced by a coalition of opposition parties. After a two-hour meeting with the governor general, Harper reaffirmed his promise to present a budget on Jan 27 and called on the opposition to work with the government over the next few weeks to tackle the effects of the global financial crisis. "Today's decision will give us an opportunity -- and I'm talking about all the parties -- to focus on the economy and to work together," he told reporters. The opposition Liberals, New Democrats and the separatist Bloc Quebecois -- all to the left of the Conservatives -- had signed a deal to defeat the Conservatives and put forward a Liberal-New Democrat coalition to form a new government. The Bloc, which wants to take French-speaking Quebec out of Canada, pledged to back the coalition's budgets and general policy direction. The governor general's role in government, as representative of the Crown, is largely ceremonial, though she has the final word on constitutional matters. Should the government be defeated in a confidence vote, she would decide whether to call a new election or allow the opposition to form a coalition government. CONSTITUTIONAL BATTLE Harper's gambit was the latest development in a constitutional battle that erupted last week after he tried to eliminate direct subsidies of political parties, a move that would have hit the opposition particularly hard. He backed down on that, but the opposition parties also say they are upset that the government has not dealt adequately with the economic crisis and said it had lost the confidence of the House of Commons. Liberal leader Stephane Dion, who would have become prime minister under the opposition's coalition plan, said nothing he heard from Harper on Thursday had changed his mind about trying to bring down the government. However, he did appear to open the door a crack to not proceeding with such a plan. "This is about replacing Stephen Harper unless he made a monumental change," he told a news conference. "It means a recovery plan, a real recovery plan." The New Democrats and Bloc maintained their insistence that Harper could not be trusted and must be removed, as did some members of Dion's Liberal caucus. "You can run but you can't hide," said Bob Rae, who is looking to become Liberal leader when Dion steps down early in May. He predicted the opposition would topple Harper early next year. However the front-runner in the Liberal leadership race, Michael Ignatieff, said he imagined Jean may have told Harper "to have a think" and that would be good advice for all politicians on both sides of the dispute. Liberal legislator Keith Martin told reporters after a caucus meeting that bringing the Conservatives down was "not at all" a done deal. In the back of their minds may be the fact that in much of the country the idea of a formal agreement with the separatists did not go down well. An Ekos opinion poll taken as the crisis reached its peak showed the Conservatives had shot up in popularity to 44 percent, enough to get a parliamentary majority if an election were held today, up from the 37.6 percent they received in the October 14 vote. Liberal support dropped to 24.1 percent from 26.2 percent, the New Democrats fell to 14.5 percent from 18.2 percent and the Bloc edged down to 9.2 percent from 10.0 percent. The poll, released late on Thursday by CBC television, covered 2,536 respondents from December 2-3 and carried a 1.9 point margin of error, 19 times out of 20. (Additional reporting by Louise Egan, editing by Peter Galloway) |
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| Liberals split on how to replace Dion Last Updated: Monday, December 8, 2008 | 10:46 AM ET Comments91Recommend43CBC News Federal Liberals are divided on how to select a successor to embattled leader Stéphane Dion, who is expected to step down by Wednesday amid mounting pressure from party members. Ontario MP Martha Hall Findlay says selecting one of the rivals as interim leader would give them a 'massive leg up' in the race for a permanent chief. (CBC)Ontario MP Jim Karygiannis told CBC News that Dion's resignation could come as early as Monday and, at the latest, by Wednesday at a caucus meeting. Dion had intended to stay on as a caretaker leader until his replacement was selected at the leadership convention in early May. The Grits, however, are eager to select a new party chief before Parliament resumes Jan. 26 when the country faces the possibility of another election or the rise of a Liberal-NDP coalition government. "We [the national executive] will be moving quickly when and if Stéphane Dion makes his intentions known," Liberal party president Doug Ferguson said, but would not comment on details. But while federal Liberals appear united on the need to oust Dion, it's still unclear how the party will fill the void. There were reports over the weekend that leadership contender Michael Ignatieff was poised to take the top job in a caucus vote on Wednesday, but some MPs were railing against the method of selection, instead calling for all members to have a say in a vote held by phone or on the internet early next month. Former Liberal leadership contender Martha Hall Findlay, who threw her support behind Dion in the 2006 convention after she was eliminated, was among the members calling for a one-member, one-vote process. "If we sacrifice the real participation of the Liberal party for the sake of quickly doing a quick reaction, having a limited vote in caucus … to elect a permanent leader, that would damage long-term participation and renewal," Findlay said Monday morning. The Ontario MP said telephones or electronic voting had been used successfully in some municipalities. Have to move fast: MP But Karygiannis suggested membership expiration on Dec. 31 could pose a challenge to that process since the party would either be forced to extend membership by several weeks or rush to sign them up for another year. Outspoken Liberal Jim Karygiannis argues that a leader must be chosen quickly, rather than waiting to work out a one-member, one-vote system. (CBC)The outspoken MP, who is endorsing Ignatieff and was the first MP to break ranks by calling for Dion's resignation, said expediency is key. Karygiannis is among Ignatieff supporters arguing that the matter should be settled strictly by the 77 elected Liberal MPs in a caucus vote, which would likely guarantee an Ignatieff victory. "We need to move quickly should an election happen after the budget in February," said Karygiannis, referring to one of the first opportunities for opposition members to topple the Tories. Leadership rival Bob Rae, meanwhile, suggested over the weekend that a caucus vote would be undemocratic and illegitimate because it would disenfranchise Liberals in the 231 ridings not represented in the House of Commons. The third leadership contender, New Brunswick MP Dominic LeBlanc, is expected to drop out of the race and endorse Ignatieff. He was scheduled to hold a press conference Monday afternoon. Findlay, who has not thrown her support behind either candidate, said whatever the party decides, it should refrain from picking a leadership contender as an interim leader. "Let's not kid ourselves. If either Bob or Michael is elected, that would be a massive leg up in terms of the ultimate prize … And I don't think that's lost on anyone," said Findlay. She suggested that someone with strong financial credibility, such as John McCallum, could fill the void until a permanent leader is chosen. "Then, let the Liberal party members across the country legitimately decide who the final leader should be." |
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| Dion announces resignation David Akin and Juliet O’Neill, Canwest News Service Published: Monday, December 08, 2008 OTTAWA - Stephane Dion has resigned as leader of the Liberal party as the race to succeed him becomes a two-man contest with the anticipated withdrawal of New Brunswick MP Dominic LeBlanc. "I have decided to step aside as leader of the Liberal party effective as soon as my successor is duly chosen," Dion said in a statement Monday. "I will offer my unconditional and enthusiastic support to my successor in the same way I have always supported the leaders of our great party. I will work under the next leader's direction with all my energy in order to give Canada a better government. 'I will offer my unconditional and enthusiastic support to my successor in the same way I have always supported the leaders of our great party. I will work under the next leader’s direction with all my energy in order to give Canada a better government,' Said Liberal Leader Stephane Dion Monday in a statement. Jean Levac; Canwest News Service "I admire the man," said Liberal MP Anthony Rota, the chair of the Liberal caucus. "He's got the interests of the party and Canada at heart."... |
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| Rae dropping out of Liberal leadership race, leaving Ignatieff Last Updated: Tuesday, December 9, 2008 | 11:00 AM ET Toronto MP Bob Rae will withdraw from the Liberal leadership race on Tuesday, paving the way for Michael Ignatieff to serve as the party's next leader, CBC News has confirmed. Rae is scheduled to hold a news conference in Ottawa early Tuesday afternoon, when he is expected to announce his decision. His departure leaves Ignatieff as the sole contender. New Brunswick MP Dominic LeBlanc announced Monday he was ending his leadership campaign and throwing his support behind Ignatieff. |
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| By Alexander Panetta, The Canadian Press OTTAWA - The Canadian government has demanded an apology from Fox News for "despicable" and "disgusting" comments made on one of its late-night programs. The government was incensed by a recent talk-show segment on the American conservative cable network that poked fun at Canada and the Canadian military. A group of pundits took turns trashing Canada and its reliability as an ally in fighting terrorism last week as four more Canadian soldiers were killed in separate attacks in Afghanistan. Defence Minister Peter MacKay requested an apology just before leaving for Canadian Forces Base Trenton, where he was to attend a repatriation ceremony with the families of the latest soldiers killed. (...) Canadian soldiers have been fighting in Afghanistan since 2001 and have spent the last four years in the country's most violent region. Canada has lost 116 soldiers in Afghanistan. A spokesman stressed that the Canadian government specifically wants an apology from the panelists who made the wisecracks - and not just from the Fox network at large. "These are despicable, hurtful and ignorant comments," said Dan Dugas, a spokesman for MacKay. "I think that so-called comedian should stare in the camera at his first opportunity and apologize to all of the families of people he's hurt with these despicable comments. "And he's got to say, 'I was misinformed. I was ignorant of the truth and the contribution of the Canadian Forces to the war on terror, and I want to take it back. I know as a comedian that I can fail sometimes; I failed miserably at this so-called comedy.' "And his panelists should say the same." Canada says it will withdraw most of its 2,500 troops from Kandahar when its current combat mission expires in 2011. {B}News of that impending withdrawal, and the army chief's comments that the military would need a year's hiatus to regroup and refurbish, served as a launching pad for members of the Fox panel to mock Canada.[/B] The five-minute Fox News segment aired last week on the late-night program "Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld" and it was later posted on YouTube. The segment features American panelists suggesting Canadian soldiers need time off for "manicures and pedicures." The item aired after Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie, the Canadian Forces Chief of Land Staff, said the military would need a one-year break from operations after the difficult mission in Afghanistan winds down. "The Canadian military wants to take a breather to do some yoga, paint landscapes, run on the beach in gorgeous white capri pants," Gutfeld said with a sneer, adding: "Isn't this the perfect time to invade this ridiculous country? They have no army." Another panelist, Doug Benson, said he didn't even know Canadian troops were in Afghanistan. "I didn't even know they were in the war. I thought that's where you go if you don't want to fight - you go chill in Canada," he said. The segment was posted online (http://www.youtube.com/watch?vtcJn5XlbSFk) under the title, "How to Lose Friends and Alienate Countries." So far, more than 3,000 people have posted responses to the clip, which also makes fun of RCMP officers and their traditional red uniforms. |
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Canada to welcome hundreds of Afghan employees Updated Thu. Apr. 30 2009 6:19 PM ET The Canadian Press Article Link OTTAWA -- Canada is set to open its doors to hundreds of Afghans who face life-threatening risks after having worked with our military and diplomats, The Canadian Press has learned. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says he's putting the final touches on a policy to provide safe haven to Afghans endangered by their association with Canada. Unlike other NATO countries, Canada has no policy on humanitarian immigration for local staff -- but that's about to change. Afghans who have been severely injured working with the Canadian military, or who can prove they face threats, will be eligible for fast-track entry. The first of those ex-employees and their immediate relatives could arrive within months. The policy goes much further than the one initially considered by the Harper government, which last year said it would examine possible ways to bring over severely injured interpreters only. The new program will be open to anyone with 12 months' service to the Canadian mission, medical and security checks, and a recommendation letter from a senior soldier or diplomat. Kenney says his first preference is for them to resettle in safer parts of Afghanistan, because the last thing policy-makers want is an exodus of educated, liberal, English-speaking people from that country. "Those kind of people are going to have to play a central role in the long-term construction of a stable and democratic Afghanistan," Kenney said in an interview. "But in particular circumstances where we feel that a person's safety will be jeopardized by staying in the country, the door will be open to Canada. ... "I think Canadians would be proud to help provide refuge to those who have helped our forces, aid personnel and diplomats." Kenney said he expects hundreds of Afghan employees to benefit from the program, along with their immediate families. Insurgents have gone to gruesome lengths to make an example of locals who work with NATO. In one case, several interpreters' bodies were strung up in a public square and left to rot there for weeks as a lesson to anyone else thinking of helping the foreigners. Government officials say the program is inspired by similar ones in the United States, Britain, Australia and Denmark. Officials say they would receive many of the same services as refugees: income support for 12 months, health benefits and help preparing a CV and finding work. The program is to be funded by the existing budget at Citizenship and Immigration. More on link |
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| VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - Canadian physician Robert Ouellet is tired of hearing Canada's healthcare system cast as the boogeyman in the vitriolic U.S. political debate over healthcare reform. Critics of President Barack Obama's reform drive have accused him of trying to adopt the Canadian system of public healthcare funding, which they say endangers patients with lengthy waits for medical care. Some advertisements feature Canadian citizens who say they were denied needed medical care or forced to seek treatment at their own expense in the United States because Canada's system was too slow to respond. While Ouellet, president of the Canadian Medical Association, admits that Canada's system has its flaws, including excessive wait times for some medical services, he denies the accusation that it puts lives at risk. "To say that the system is a complete failure is not fair. When people go to the hospital they get good quality medical care. ... People are not dying on the street," said Ouellet, who practices medicine in the French-speaking province of Quebec. Canada's "national" system is actually a set of provincial and territorial insurance systems governed by a federal law that says coverage is universal, and ensures that taxpayers, not patient fees, pay for primary medical services so everyone can afford them.. "It's 14 systems," Ouellet said. CULTURAL GAPS Canadians are quick to cite healthcare as a cultural difference with their southern neighbor, describing it as inconceivable that 47 million Americans -- more than Canada's population -- live without health insurance. "It's seen as something that separates us from the United States," said Mike Luff, a spokesman for the National Union of Public and General Employees. The attacks on Canada's healthcare are also "ironic" because "Obama's plan doesn't come close to what the system is in Canada," Luff said. White House-backed Bills now making their way through the U.S. House and Senate would overhaul rules for private health insurers, and offer them competition in the form of a government-run health program. Private health insurance is also available in Canada, as a supplement to the government-funded insurance system, and Canadians face the same television advertisements as Americans about the risks of not having it. Canadians can also pay private clinics for some procedures to avoid waiting, but major medical treatments must be done through the government-funded system. Ouellet says each country has something to learn from the other about health care, and should also take lessons from European countries that provide universal care while reducing both costs and wait times. Dr. Brian Day, a past CMA president who has advocated for a bigger private-sector role in Canada, is also dismayed that Americans and Canadians focus on one another and ignore the rest of the world when discussing healthcare reform. "Clearly the Canadian system has problems, but the United States has more problems. ... Neither country is giving value for money," Day said. The Canadian government has stayed quiet on the U.S. debate, but it may have no choice but to speak out if the Canadian public grows more upset at what it sees as unfair U.S. attacks on a source of national pride, said Mario Canseco, of the polling firm Angus Reid Strategies. "Sooner or later someone from the federal government is going to have to stand up and say leave us out of this," said Canseco. |
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| Ignatieff to Harper: 'Your time is up' 1 hour, 49 minutes ago By The Canadian Press SUDBURY - Michael Ignatieff has set the stage for a fall election, warning Prime Minister Stephen Harper: "Your time is up." The Liberal leader delivered a fiery, campaign-style speech to his caucus Tuesday, announcing that the party will no longer prop up the minority Conservative government. "Mr. Harper, your time is up," Ignatieff told cheering MPs and senators in Sudbury. "The Liberal party cannot support this government any further ... We will hold Stephen Harper to account and we will oppose his government." Liberal MP Bob Rae later said the party will present a motion of non-confidence at the first opportunity, which will come the first week of October. That means the Tories could fall and the country face a November election unless the NDP or Bloc Quebecois do an about-face and back Harper. In Calgary, Harper spoke against an election. "I haven't met a single Canadian who's saying they want to see an election right now," he said. "I think Canadians have been pretty clear they want Parliament to focus on the economy - that is what the government will be doing in the fall session." Canadians weren't clamouring for an election last fall either when Harper ignored his own fixed-election date law and called a vote just before the country plunged into recession. Ignatieff slammed Harper for presiding over the worst unemployment in two decades and plunging the Canada back into a huge deficit. He also said the government has failed to meet four benchmarks he set in June. "Mr. Harper ... You've failed to protect the most vulnerable. You've failed to create jobs. You've failed to defend our health care. You've failed to produce a plan to restore our public finances." Ignatieff said a Liberal government has a "vision for rebuilding the Canadian economy," including expanding trade with huge emerging markets in China and India. And he promised a government that will bring Canadians together, rather than divide them. |
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| Government could fall as early as Friday: sources Sat Sep 12, 12:39 AM By Jennifer Ditchburn, The Canadian Press OTTAWA - A critical vote that could bring down the minority Conservative government has been tentatively scheduled for next Friday, sources tell The Canadian Press. The so-called ways and means motion is usually a routine matter that signals an impending vote on a budget bill, but this time might very well act as the trigger that launches an election. Conservative sources say the motion is likely to be introduced on Sept. 18, and as per parliamentary rules must be voted on immediately. Prime Minister Stephen Harper will have just returned from a trip to the United States, and would be ready to visit the Governor General and kick off an election. (...) The Liberals have said they will no longer support the Conservatives, and the Bloc Quebecois seems ready to hit the campaign trail. That leaves the NDP to decide the fate of the 40th Parliament, and members there are sounding increasingly skeptical about the chances of a compromise. "I really think that most people across the country are saying to themselves, can't these people talk and get something done on the important issues?" NDP leader Jack Layton said in an interview. "I say to the Prime Minister again, that it's incumbent upon a prime minister in this country in a minority parliament to work with other parties." Next week is shaping up as a full scale preview of an election campaign. Layton will kick things off with a public speech to his caucus on Parliament Hill, outlining why his party is the only one truly interested in addressing the needs of Canadians. Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff will deliver a major speech on Canada's place in the world to the Canadian Club the same day. Another Liberal insider said Ignatieff would make the case for why the party is best positioned to manage the Canadian economy. The Conservatives will continue to frame themselves as focused on doing the government's work, and will introduce a package of changes to Employment Insurance. The Canadian Press has learned some of those changes will likely include measures that would stop the treatment of severance packages as earnings and an extension of benefits to those who have paid into the EI system for years. Although the legislation won't be a confidence measure, it will be an important tool for the Tories. Voting against improvements that help the unemployed would put the opposition parties in a difficult position. (...) |
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| Bloc to support Tory motion, avert election 2 hours, 27 minutes ago By The Canadian Press OTTAWA - The Bloc Quebecois says it will support the Harper government's budget motion Friday, averting an immediate election. Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe says his party will vote for the ways and means motion because there's nothing bad in it. The announcement means the minority Conservative government will survive at least until the first week of October when the Liberals plan to introduce a non-confidence motion. The NDP is also expected to support the government Friday in order to push through Tory legislation that would extend EI benefits to long-tenured workers. |
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| Harper meets with Obama Last Updated: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 | 11:25 AM ET Prime Minister Stephen Harper is meeting Wednesday morning with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House, where he is expected to urge him to stand down on the "Buy American" clause. In his first trip to the White House since Obama assumed office in January, Harper is also scheduled to meet with the leadership of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives on Thursday in Washington. The oval office discussion on Wednesday is expected to primarily focus on the economy, said Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon, who is accompanying Harper. "Obviously the prime minister will be talking about the economy as well as all of these …protectionist measures," Cannon told CBC News. The G20 summit in Pittsburgh this weekend, trade issues, restrictions on charter flights to U.S. cities, energy, national security and Afghanistan are also expected to be high on the agenda, Cannon said. 40-minute meeting The meeting with Obama is scheduled to be at least 40 minutes. But officials have said the prime minister could have up to an hour with the president. Harper has raised the "Buy American" clause every time he's met with the U.S. president this year, including during Obama's visit to Ottawa in February. The provision, which is included in the U.S. stimulus package, gives priority to U.S. iron, steel and other manufactured goods for use in state-level and municipal public works and building projects funded with taxpayer stimulus money. Canadian governments and businesses have railed against the policy. "The United States cannot be a credible voice for keeping trade flows going if it can't deal with trade irritants with its single best trading partner. I think it's critical we make progress on this," Harper said in an interview with CTV that was recorded ahead of his departure on Tuesday. The Obama administration and the Canadian government have agreed to appoint negotiators to work at removing the provision. But Harper said real progress cannot likely be made without the support of Congress. 'Bigger challenges are in Congress' "In the American system, particularly when it comes to issues of trade and protectionism, often our bigger challenges are in Congress, as opposed to the administration," Harper said. "So far the administration has responded quite positively to our offers and our attempts to deal with this. But it may be the case that the administration alone can't deal with it." Harper will hold two sessions of meetings on Thursday with top U.S. legislators, including Senate majority leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The meetings with congressional leaders will be focused on "underscoring the importance of our economic relationship," Cannon said. "It's important once again to not fall back to the pitfalls of the periods that were in the '30s and early '40s," Cannon said. The focus on dealing with U.S. legislators is being applauded by some experts. "We frankly should be working harder with Congress because it's from Congress where 'Buy America' and most of the problems in the Canada-U.S. relationship originate," Colin Robertson, head of the Canadian Embassy's Washington advocacy secretariat, told CBC News. Environment Minister Jim Prentice and Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan are also joining Harper on the trip. The prime minister will travel to New York on Friday, where he will address the Canadian-American Business Council and the Canadian Association of New York. |
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| MONTREAL - Bill Clinton waded into two of the most divisive political debates that have raged in Canada and the United States, praising the unity of one country and predicting health-care reform in the other. The former U.S. president told an enthusiastic Canadian audience that his country is done squandering billions on health care and that a system overhaul is inevitable. Clinton also ventured into Canadian domestic politics - saying he was thrilled that Quebec and Canada didn't "get a divorce" in the 1990s. Clinton, who as president delivered a historic speech on federalism without ever specifically mentioning Quebec, quipped Friday that one benefit of being out of politics was he could say whatever he wanted. Clinton then flung himself into the hottest political debate raging in his own country, predicting that Barack Obama would succeed where he failed and would deliver on health-care reform. He made the remarks to an adoring crowd of 700 that gathered to watch him receive an honourary doctorate from McGill University. "It's simply going to be impossible for us to build the world we need unless in the wealthy countries, we are ruthlessly honest about where we are wasting money and hanging on to yesterday's way of doing things," Clinton said. "That's why I think we're going to get some kind of health-care reform in America today. Finally, the deniability ran out and all the bogus arguments don't cut much mustard anymore." Clinton said he grew terribly frustrated when health insurance companies made a last-ditch effort to block reforms last week. He noted that the U.S. spends more on health care than any other country, yet remains the only major developed nation that lacks universal health coverage. Where Canadians spend about 10.5 per cent of their income on health care, he said, Americans spend a whopping 17 per cent. "If you add it up, it amounts to a $900-billion handicap we take into the global economy," he said. In typical Clintonesque fashion, he punctuated his speech by rattling off a series of statistics indicating that the Swiss spent 11.5 per cent, and other major countries countries spent between nine and 10 per cent of their incomes on health care. While he called it "immoral" that many Americans don't have health insurance and that others who do have it risk losing it, he said the issue is really one of waste. "Suppose you don't care anything about those people. Forget about them. The heck with your neighbours," he said. "You're spotting the competition $900 billion for nothing." Health care reform has long been a fractious issue south of the border where the idea of socialized medicine doesn't sit well with even moderate conservatives who cast Canadian medicare as a bogeyman. Clinton's own attempt to usher in a national health plan during his first term in office ended in spectacular failure. Months later, his Democrats suffered a major rout during mid-term elections and lost control of Congress, leaving Clinton with a legislative disadvantage for the rest of his presidency. Clinton was in town Friday to accept the university's highest honour - doctor of laws. It was a far cry from the historic extemporaneous speech he delivered on Canadian federalism at a 1999 conference in Mont-Tremblant, Que., where he defended the merits of unity. Speaking without notes at the time, he listed all the benefits of national unity but, to avoid creating a diplomatic incident, did it without uttering the words "Quebec" or "Canada." As he looked on in frustration, sovereigntist premier Lucien Bouchard admitted the speech had not helped his cause. Clinton was far more blunt in his speech Friday. "The thing I always liked about Canada is that it seemed to me that in many ways it was like America - with one fundamental difference for the last 25 years," Clinton said. "You have clashing cultures, you have occasional votes about whether you ought not to be together. "I'm glad you didn't get a divorce, by the way." He then quipped: "That's the great thing about not being president - you can say anything you want. Of course, nobody cares what you have to say anymore, but you can say it, at least." In his speech before alumni, volunteers and university officials, Clinton spoke of his philanthropic exploits and called for action on world hunger and climate change. He also encouraged volunteerism and community-building. University officials said they did not pay a fee to bring the high-priced public speaker to the event and that it was arranged by an alumnus and close personal friend of the former president. He is the second American president to get McGill's most prestigious award. Franklin D. Roosevelt received the degree, along with former British prime minister Winston Churchill in 1944 at the height of the Second World War. |
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| NEW DELHI - The issue of a proposed civilian nuclear co-operation deal between Canada and India is taking centre stage as Prime Minister Stephen Harper meets Tuesday in New Delhi with senior government officials. The Indian government has put its nuclear installations on alert amid reports of possible terrorist interest in several sites. Those precautions have a Canadian connection, having come via allegations that a Canadian man being held in Chicago, Tahawwur Hussain Rana, may have attempted terrorist recruitment in Mumbai -and his alleged accomplice David Headley may have visited some nuclear facilities. Published Indian reports Monday, citing government sources, said fears of a nuclear power plant target arose after the FBI found maps and documents in their possession. Headley has been accused in India of helping plot last November's terror attacks in Mumbai. The new intelligence, according to Indian reports, suggests he visited Gujarat, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, all of which have nuclear installations. While all the allegations are speculative and cloaked in official secrecy, any questions about Indian nuclear security only serve to highlight an already deeply sensitive Canada-India issue. The two countries have a troubled nuclear past. Canada provided an early Canadian-designed reactor that India subsequently used to develop a surreptitious nuclear arms program in the early 1970s, despite official promises to the contrary. The betrayal caused a two-decade chill in relations, and disarmament critics maintain that any renewed civilian nuclear trade, by definition, will free up Indian capacity to boost its nuclear arsenal. The Harper government announced last January it was pursuing renewed nuclear technology trade through a formal civilian commercial agreement, but a deal will not be signed here this week. The issue apparently remains politically sensitive for the Conservatives. A luncheon meeting Monday between the prime minister, Indian and Canadian nuclear business leaders and Indian government officials was not included on the highly detailed media itinerary provided to reporters travelling with the prime minister. No photo opportunity was arranged. Hugh MacDiarmid, the president and CEO of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., told The Canadian Press he was part of the luncheon meeting with Harper and his understanding is there are "no fundamental obstacles" remaining on the nuclear co-operation deal. While stressing he is not privy to the negotiating details, MacDiarmid said he believes the remaining differences are "relatively modest and can be bridged." He would not offer an opinion on whether Canada's past relationship with India may be complicating the negotiations. "I'm a commercial guy running a business, I'm not a diplomat," he said. ACEL has long-term hopes of selling another reactor to India, but in the meantime is working on contracts to service the existing Indian fleet. "That's a pretty easy one," said MacDiarmid. More complicated is the issue of Canadian uranium sales to India. India has limited domestic uranium supplies of its own. Any renewal of uranium imports from Canada or elsewhere - regardless of an airtight civilian agreement - would free up the Indians to use their domestic product in armaments. The prime minister also met with a number of top India government officials Tuesday, including the foreign minister, the vice-president, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and Sonia Gandhi, leader of the Indian National Congress Party. In between, Harper and his wife Laureen visited the memorial site to Mahatma Ghandi, the father of modern India. The prime minister inscribed the visitor's book calling Ghandi a "model for all humanity," then he and Laureen tossed rose petals on the spare, black marble monument. |