… than attempting to deny its existence.
From today’s Question Period:
(Photo sent out within seconds by the Liberal press office.)
Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, as part of the culmination of the machinations of the leader of the NDP, we had these three parties together forming this agreement, signing a document, and they would not even have the Canadian flag behind them. They had to be photographed without it.
They had to be photographed without it because a member of their coalition does not even believe in the country. As Prime Minister it is not my responsibility to turn the keys of power over to a group like that.
UPDATE – Environment Minister Jim Prentice at the post-QP scrums:
Hon. Jim Prentice: Mr. Dion is attempting to subvert the democratic will of the Canadian people. In the last election, people spoke very clearly. To attempt to take over the Government of Canada with a government propped up by a separatist party is not something that was put to the Canadian party.
Question: Is that not how a parliament works?
Question: Is it appropriate in the context of a big debate now that’s unfolding in the country for the prime minister to make a false statement in the House that the Canadian flag was not there behind the news conference when photos show it actually was?
Hon. Jim Prentice: Well, it was clear, I watched the press conference myself, they were not Canadian flags behind the three opposition leaders. There were a number of flags there. And I think the implication was clear that there were not only Canadian flags behind him. That’s the point.
Question: But, Minister, there were Canadian flags. We were there. There were Canadian flags (inaudible) so why did you say there weren’t?
Question: (Inaudible) in the House in the context of a heated debate like this?
Hon. Jim Prentice: Excuse me?
Question: Why wouldn’t you answer that question?
Hon. Jim Prentice: There was a Canadian flag. The point is there were not only Canadian flags behind the opposition parties when they announced —
Question: (Inaudible)
Question: provincial flags.
Question: Are you saying they’re anti-Canadian, Minister?
… and from Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl:
Screencap of the Liberal Party website
Question: Why did you lie about the flag because there were flags behind them?
Hon. Chuck Strahl: The picture that I saw and the picture that I had — actually saw, somebody gave it off the Liberal Party website, shows that there is no flags there.
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Comment
In the weeks leading up to Stephen Harper’s big deke out, can any one supply a quoted word from the PM regarding our troops? One word about how they are to get through the next months of Stephen Harper not working? Not a peep out of Harper. Not one iota of leadership. Not even a word out of commander of our troops to talk to Canadians.
Stephen Harper is NOT a leader.
It’s all about him, and about his elected MPs who would never deign nor dare send their children to fight in Canada’s name, but would sit on the sidelines while their leader runs down Canadians of every sort but their own.
Despicable.
Will Stephen Harper give Canadians a merry ho ho from Afghanistan this time?
Stephen Harper will likely have to be sandblasted from 24 Sussex and damn the asbestos flying!
The flag doesn’t mean a whole helluva lot these days, Kady. Everyone comes to the table with dirty hands in this pathetic display in Ottawa.
Now we have “Fluffy”,( the three-headed dog in Harry Potter series of books), frothing at the mouth to govern Canada. An odious triumvirate to be sure!!! Please may the Governor General allow Stephen Harper to prorogue parliament, allowing for time to let cooler heads to prevail. We cannot have a party in power that has the veto in the hands of separatists. What were Dion and Layton thinking??? Lock “Fluffy” up and leave him there!
One of the most raucous sessions in recent memory ended with a Tory chorus of O Canada in the government lobby. Minutes later, Duceppe was at the microphone saying he’ll continue to work in the best interests of sovereignty.
“(NDP Leader Jack) Layton and Dion won’t change. They’re federalists and I’m a sovereigntist,” he said. “I think every gain we’re making here is good for Quebec, and what’s good for Quebec is good for a sovereign Quebec.”
“and they would not even have the Canadian flag behind them. They had to be photographed without it.”
I think don’t Harper’s point was all that important but it’s accurate statement. Both the CBC and CTV showed footage of what ceremony Harper was talking about and, surprisingly enough, it was an entirely different photo than the one the Lib war room sent to Kady to publish for them.
Kady knows that war room press releases are suspect, she did entire posts fisking Con pr’s during election campaign about how they lack context, but doesn’t seem to have the same kind of objectivity when it comes presenting Lib propaganda.
I think don’t = I don’t think
C’mon, those pics came from the Liberals, they can’t be trusted. The flags were probably photoshopped (!)
Sunny12
I never claimed the photo was altered in any way. Harper was talking about an entirely different ceremony/event than the photo Kady has above and the Lib war room people know that. Too bad other people don’t.
“C’mon, those pics came from the Liberals, they can’t be trusted. The flags were probably photoshopped (!)”
I have a much tamer answer. Some pictures were taken of the three leaders at a table. Others, like the Reuters one, were taken of them standing up away from the table, and away from the flags.
Flags for some.
No flags for others.
Everybody wins.
You guys should all be in politics.
So what was the point of all this anyways?
Question: Why did you lie about the flag because there were flags behind them?
Hon. Chuck Strahl: The picture that I saw and the picture that I had — actually saw, somebody gave it off the Liberal Party website, shows that there is no flags there.
there IS no flagS there….. a real rocket surgeon of English
Here is a picture from the 62% site with no flags.
ttp://www.62percentmajority.ca/photos?photo=3
LIes, you want to talk about lies?
When the very prinicpled, honest and honorable Mr Dion stated emphatically that there would be no coalition with the NDP, he said Jack already had a coalition with pot smokers and nudists. Are these nudists and pot smokers that caused poor little Sephane to ridicule Jumpin Jack during the campaign in Vancouver going to be let in as well?
These pathetic losers want power and entitlements at any cost, including their integrety, principles and honor. They disgrace the country, but why would poor littile Stphane care? He has another country, and Gilles doesn’t, but his should ensure he gets one.
Jack is the one to feel sorry for. He waves the flag, and then does what he can to destroy the economy and reputation of this country. They will all cash their pension cheques in the end, be sure of that.
They are nauseating.
Of course Harper didn’t see any Canadian flags — HIS Canadian flag has stars and stripes on it.