Beyond The Commons

 Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

Ask yourself this: do you have more pandas now than you did four years ago?

by Aaron Wherry on Monday, November 1, 2010 12:03pm - 0 Comments

Sure, we were not successful in winning a seat on the security council, but hey, look over there: pandas!

The federal Conservatives have been dabbling in panda politics for several months now, hoping that improved relations over the past year or so would convince Chinese officials to lend two pandas to Canada. In May, Treasury Board president Stockwell Day presented a panda proposal to high-ranking Chinese politicians. In July, then-governor general Michaelle Jean also made a pitch to bring the bamboo-eating animals to Canada during a tour of the Chengdu Panda Base with Prentice and other officials, pressing the governor of Sichuan province, home to the vast majority of China’s pandas.

“It is an indication of just how far we’ve come in terms of the relationship. The Chinese are very careful about the pandas and where they allow long-term transfers,” Prentice added.

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  • Mike T.

    Are we still publicly criticizing their human rights record or not?

    • http://secondthots.blogspot.com Dennis_F

      Don't you care about rights?

      • LdKitchenersOwn

        The fact that his first question was about human rights would seem to indicate that he cares about human rights.

        • http://secondthots.blogspot.com Dennis_F

          Actually, his question seems to indicate that he's mad over any public criticism of China regarding human rights. So, no, I think your premise is false.

          • LdKitchenersOwn

            No, I think my premise is correct. I based my premise on what his question says. You based your premise on what you believe his question SEEMS to say. In fact, I dispute whether his question even seems to say what you claim it seems to say. I rather thought that, if he's mad, that Mike is mad that the Tories will go all sturm und drang over Chinese human rights issues when it suits them, but then drop all pretense that it's important for a photo op with a cute panda.

          • http://secondthots.blogspot.com Dennis_F

            Your premise was that he was asking about human rights. In fact, he was asking about our government's public utterances — not human rights. So, yes, your premise was false. As for my presumptions, Mike T. is more than welcome to address them. It's why I asked the question. But he has failed to answer. Indeed, you're making as many presumptions about what he said as I have. We're all left in the dark as to why he has failed to answer my question, aren't we? We're just left to presume, aren't we.

    • LdKitchenersOwn

      Do pandas have a bad record vis a vis human rights?

      • Sigh

        Pandas don't give a darn about human rights. Panda rights, on the other hand….

    • sourstud

      I should hope so!

    • Halo_Override

      PANDAS!

  • Emily

    And we need to import more bears….why?

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/Ottawa_Centrist Ottawa_Centrist

      To be beary happy

      • Emily

        BOOOOO! LOL

    • gottabesaid

      There's trouble bruin.

      • Stewart_Smith

        it is gonna be panda-monium.

        • Mike T.

          Stop! I can't bear it!

          • Dot

            In other words: paws.

          • gottabesaid

            Actually, it smacks of another photo-op… a Kodiak moment, if you will.

          • madeyoulook

            Oh, fur cryin' out loud…

          • Halo_Override

            This grisly display is the polar opposite of our usual conversational standards here.

    • danby

      Oh this government……..
      They're just panda-ring to the base again.

      • Halo_Override

        Better them than the treasonous koalition!

  • gottabesaid

    Isn't that just like the Conservatives? Everything's black-and-white… even their bears.

    • http://secondthots.blogspot.com Dennis_F

      What, no right and wrong with lefties? Everything's always relative, is it?

      • gottabesaid

        Just a joke, Dennis. Just a joke. Conservatives have a sense of humour too, don't they?

        • http://secondthots.blogspot.com Dennis_F

          You're the second leftie I've come across lately who's retreated from a political jab by hiding behind a "joke." Interesting.

          • gottabesaid

            Nope, it was a joke. I thought it up when I was holding a candlelight vigil for Omar Khadr with my socialist brethren… I find I come up with my best jokes when I'm communing with my brothers and sisters.

          • http://secondthots.blogspot.com Dennis_F

            It was a jab at political opponents wrapped up in a joke, right? Lefties commonly accuse conservatives of thinking in black and white, which conservatives interpret as moral relativism; that there is no right and wrong.

            Only this time there was a non-socialist to interrupt the jab-fest. Cheers.

          • Jan

            Of course – only Christian conservatives have morals – right, Dennis?

  • Dot

    This is right out of Richard Nixon's playbook c 1970. What, does Canada not have enough ping pong players?

    • DBM

      Another failure of the Liberal amateur sports strategy, no doubt.

  • BCer in Mtl

    What are the odds now that the next boatload of refugee claimants will be in panda suits?

  • Jan

    Now we know what Prentice does. I was afraid he'd be getting bored not being able to do anything about the environment.

  • Claudia Lemire

    Shhhh, we are not supposed to talk about that!!

  • A_logician

    Meanwhile, our own grizzlies and polar bears are dwindling.

  • Livebloggin Junkie
    • Sigh

      I know I want Panda Cheese. Lots and lots of Panda Cheese.

  • Emily

    The closest Cons will ever get to the right to bear arms.

  • http://www.twitter.com/globegenius Karen

    Somehow I just know the Harper Government is unaware of the long-running parody by Lonnie B. Hodge…. http://www.lonniebhodge.com/

  • LdKitchenersOwn

    Why should we save them?
    What good do they do?
    Have you ever seen a panda
    Do something good for you?
    They can't wear t-shirts,
    They can't bounce basketballs
    They can't walk tightropes
    Over Niagra Falls

    Die, they must die
    The pandas must die
    Die, they must die
    The pandas must die

    • Stewart_Smith

      You fat bastard!

      All endangered species
      Leave endangered feces
      If you knew how bad they smelled
      You would gladly take their pelt
      If we kill them all
      We can have more parking lots
      We can have small couches
      Made of little ocelots

  • madeyoulook

    Time to invest in Canadian bamboo futures…

  • Tony

    Terrible all around! Thanks to Right and Left Emily-Type Characters – and cynical press individuals like Wherry.

  • Tony

    So we plan for million dollar cages and a million dollars worth of handlers to show China's cute bears, while 100 of millions of humans live without freedom in poverty – I don't UNDERSTAND!

    • LdKitchenersOwn

      The cages are being built in Tony Clement's riding, out in a forest in the middle of nowhere.

      Does that clear it up for you? LOL

      • Jan

        The gazebo and the washroom – miles away – all starting to make sense now.

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