jdobbin

Clinton didn't support it either. Harper could have faced his critics head on. Clinton did. Chretien, as you say, couldn't be bothered. And he was vilified by the Conservatives for going fishing.

The reason he hasn't is because the federal government has supported an appeal of the judge's decision. If you don't believe it, look it up.

The link that mentions his communications staff is in this thread. And were it for sitting on the tarmac for an entire day, an embarrasssing thing, we could very well have seen pictures from his official photopgrapher. Why emphasize that he is just sitting around in a plane? And many official photographs often only come out in elections. The Governor General *and* the prime minister were invited. They were asking Jean to speak on AIDs around the world (possibly because of her ethnic background) and the prime minister to speak on the behalf of the Canadian government. The health minister was invited to the break out sessions along with his deputies.

Not all condom use is related to promiscuity. Condoms are used as a birth control. And I have to believe that Harper believes in birth control because I don't see 15 Harper children.

Actually, I wasn't referring just to Africa. I was referring to other all nations, including Canada. How many men on on this list have discouraged condom use? According to what they are saying at the conference, the number is pretty high.

Actually, they are quite serious. They've been saying at the conference that women have been bullied into not using condoms both in Canada and around the world and that more leaders speaking up will help bring change. You disagree with that?

Harper scheduled the visit north so that he wouldn't be seen to be on holidays when the conference was on. Why did the Conservative criticize the Liberals when they didn't send the prime minister to Vancouver? Were there smears misled and gullible? And it isn't necessarily a cure that they were looking for from his speech but a voice amongst the conservatives to speak up for condom use and family planning. Lewis is a former NDPer and has been critical of the Canadian AIDs initiative for several years.

Land disputes is a federal responsibility.

How many people is he on this forum? Has the moderator got rules on multiple identities?

The Conservatives smeared Chretien when he didn't attend and went fishing instead. What is the difference this time?

He didn't have to say "Here' my big check." There are other issues not requiring money that could use a leader bringing attention to them. For example, a mother having AIDs doesn't necessarliy have to pass the disease on to their baby if she gets medical attention. The prime minister could promote condom use and show that despite being a Catholic, he supported this idea as a diseases preventative. Many of these idea need political support because religious and conservative types are against many provisions of family planning and condom use.

Isn't it conservative ideals in the States that tell people not to use condoms and that won't support family?

I'm sure the holiday excuse wasn't going to wash this time around. They ensured he would be doing something else even though the conference had invited him the day he became prime minister. I don't think he had the trip to the north booked already on that day. I think this issue is that it shows Harper is close to Chretien that people think.

We're talking about Harper here. Canada has hosted the conference three times. Mulroney spoke at the one in Montreal as prime minister. Chretien didn't appear at the one in Vancouver in 1996 and was criticized by the Conservatives. He was attending a fishing vacation on that day and couldn't miss it. Understandably, the Conservatives pounced on that.

And yet he wanted one official photographer to capture the scene of him welcoming home evacuees from Lebanon.

Including his official photogapher?

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/200...evacuation.html

In Afghanistan's case, they might just rely on opium.

He still took his communication staff and photographers to Cyprus.

That's a distinct possibility. However, generally the government leader just gives a welcoming speech to the delegates and 3000 journalists and lists what his own host country is doing in the fight against AIDs. It isn't usually that controversial.

No doubt. I wonder what George Bush would have done if the conference had been in New York this year.

Not yourself. You have a wide variety of interests and no particular single issue that you are stuck on. And I thought about putting this on support. I guess it is possible that some of the more focused issues could get their own forum. Something for the moderator to consider and probably already has considered.

I don't think you get the any nation to agree to become dependent. I don't have any idea how it would work or if it could work.

When 25,000 people attend a conference to talk about a disease that does as much damage as this one and your country is the host country, you usually attend. Considering how many Canadian scientists are working on this and the type of additonal cures for ailments that might result from the research, it certainly doesn't hurt to be a good host. Just what exactly is Harper doing this week?

If that was the case he wouldn't have shown up in Cyprus with his communications team and official photographer. It was the prime minister as head of government that was invited to the conference, not just his proxy. The Governor General was there as head of state.