Stephen Harper. the current Prime Minister Harper Given International Leadership AwardYesterday was a busy day for Harper. He also shut down the Canadian parliament in order to avoid losing a non-confidence vote.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper will be honoured today in New York City by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, which is presenting him with its first-ever International Leadership Award. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon will attend the reception and awards ceremony to accept the award on behalf of the Prime Minister.
“I am deeply honoured to be recognized for helping improve Western relations with Israel,” said the Prime Minister. “Canada stands with Israel, and will stand with any nation willing to put its trust in its people and follow the principles of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.”
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations was founded in 1954 to promote the State of Israel in the United States. An umbrella group representing 50 national religious, philanthropic and civic American Jewish organizations, it serves as a central coordinating body and primary forum for deliberations and discussions among its members on national and international issues of concern to Jews.
Interesting how his action contrasts with the words, "Canada ... will stand with any nation willing to put its trust in its people and follow the principles of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law."
Stephen Harper is a threat to Canada and to democracy. He must be removed from office. If that means putting up with a temporary Prime Minister in his place then so be it. This is one of those circumstances where the greater good trumps everything.
Couldn't agree more...
ReplyDeletehttp://propterhoc.wordpress.com/2008/12/05/the-saddest-day/
Okay, not directly related, but Israel is a country that frequently has a coalition government, right?
ReplyDeleteIsrael is a country that frequently has a coalition government, right?
ReplyDelete"A similar situation exists in Israel with its dozens of different parties (only once in its electoral history has one party managed to gain a majority of seats in the Knesset)."
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalition_government .
One of the more interesting aspects of the current thrashings is the large number of people who foam at the mouth about the undemocratic nature of a coalition which they haven't had a chance to vote for. (Not all of them are Harper supporters either.)
I think this current fracas will make it more difficult for the idea of moving to some form of proportional representation.
Canada would not (one hopes) end up with the reality Israel lives with, but coalition governments would become a fact of life, as they are in much of the western world today.