P. M. Harper won't attend AIDS conference in Toronto!....How disgusting!

[glarius]

The 16th International AIDS Conference is, according to CBC, the largest gathering of this kind ever, and our dear leader apparently doesn't find it important enough to fit into his plans.
This cold, unfeeling, control freak is a DISGRACE to Canada. I have been watching some coverage of the conference on CBC and several times it was mentioned that our Prime Minister declined the invitation to attend. What crap! Of course he does have a good excuse. He is too occupied "saving Canada's northern shores"! :sarcasm: Lord, I despise that man!
The African grannies who are caring for orphaned children are here and some have been interviewed on TV. It was very moving to see these wonderful old ladies who are, in there old age the soul support of their grandchildren.
From the Globe and Mail:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/aids2006
From the Toronto Star:
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1155420635557&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154

[AndyA]

1. Those of us in America know exactly how you feel. Our leader is a disgrace

as well. A true embarrassment for the country. And a genuine idiot.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could find some isolated island somewhere, and put these two men on it to rule for the rest of their lives. Give Bush half, and Harper the other half. Then let them do as they see fit.

No doubt in less than a decade the island would be in such a mess it would no longer be able to sustain life.

No wonder there's so much conflict in the world, elected (and non-elected) leaders making decisions in their own best interest, ignoring the wishes and needs of the people they're supposed to be representing. They all need to be booted out and prosecuted for their actions. Hopefully, that day is coming for us all.

[glarius]

2. If you come across such an island...let us know!

:hi:

[Spazito]

3. Agree, he is despicable and a disgrace to Canada and Canadians

He wouldn't show up because he would upset his bigoted, homophobic, racist base and he needs them more than ever given he is dropping in the polls.

Even Mulroney, asshole that he was and is, when Prime Minister, attended the conferences. Oops, I guess this shows even more clearly harper and his faux conservative party are far from being conservative, they are the Canadian version of neocons.

[glarius]

4. I hope the oppostion use this against Harper big time!

I believe the Canadian people would be disusted if they were aware of Harper stiffing this important conference.

[glarius]

5. Stephen Lewis on CTV's Question Period just said

as diplomaticly as he could that "Harper has made a bad mistake in judgement by not attending the meeting."

[Lisa]

6. and it's also unsound from a business perspective

Toronto is just recovering from all the conference bookings it lost because of the SARS outbreak. It needs as much high-profile media coverage as it can get. The Rolling Stones even came, a while back, to lend their support and help rescue the city's hospitality businesses. (My elderly mother near T.O. isn't fond of rock music, but she thought that was a "very nice gesture by Mr. Jagger".) And here's "Steve" (as Bush calls him), snubbing not only tens of thousands of conference delegates, but Ontario's biggest city -- his own birthplace!

If Harper doesn't want to be seen with AIDS researchers and caregivers (or more likely, some visitors who might be HIV-positive) -- he could at least think of the economics. Oh wait -- that would be Toronto's economy -- and most of the city didn't vote for his party. I suppose some of his spin team will be claiming that he didn't want to politicize things. Well, he's making a pretty clear political statement by not showing up, that's for sure.

I saw a good interview with Stephen Lewis on CBC Newsworld this weekend ... must remember to send his AIDS foundation a cheque. (He leaves his UN post in December.)