NDP , Harper's safety not worth the price to send over amoured car

[scribblet]

Give us a break, this really shows how pathetic the NDP have become. Making a big deal out of the RCMP taking a amoured car to india to protect the PM of Canada. Is this their way of saying , if we get rid of harper now we have a chance for power?

Have to say I'm surprised at how low they are going with this one, they must be really pressed for real news or real scandals. The RCMP and CSIS assess the situation then make the call but the media are reporting it as if it is all Harper's personal doing. Only small minded and mean spirtied people would take issue with the security of our PM.

[The_Squid]

Not sure why this is such a story... OK, maybe the NDP were being petty.... OK, maybe they don't really need to go through the expense of shipping two armoured vehicles to India... OK, so what on both counts?

This barely gets any notice from me, regardless of the political angle one might take.

[PIK]

So let me guess...you laugh at imaginary things?

Not one person here has tried to defend the NDP.

If you want to laugh, laugh at people who make something up out of thin air.

Now thats laughable

And that is whats going on right now with the NDP.

[guyser]

It’s not “newsworthy” to a reasonable person……….There were past security failures with former Prime Minister Chrétien that embarrassed the RCMP, the planned (granted lofty) terror attack several years back that included decapitating PM Harper, and his traveling to a country that’s surrounded by unfriendly countries, was the victim of a terror attack several years ago and doesn’t have the most stellar history in protecting their own Prime Ministers…………What’s to debate/discuss? If anything, the Canadian public is being done a great disservice by the NDP opposition for it’s lack of ability to pick it’s battles………’member the old storey of the boy that cried wolf?

All well and fine derek, but pretty much irrelevant to what the issue as far as media is concerned.

[PIK]

From what I recall,Preston Manning did a lot of criticizing of Cretien for using an armoured Cadillac instead of an armoured whatever?!?!?

Sounds like more hypocrosy,thanks for pointing it out!

WWWTT

Link???

[guyser]

And that is whats going on right now with the NDP.

You forgot someone else .PIK.

[scribblet]

Thought this was a fair assessment

exceprted

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/11/06/matt-gurney-how-much-armour-would-prime-minister-mulcair-want-in-his-limo/

But Nash’s comments are unfortunate for more than just their regrettable lack of consideration and knowledge of Indian internal security concerns. There are very things that we can reasonably expect all our political parties to be in uniform agreement on. That key Canadian government officials need to be properly protected, at home or abroad, ought to be one of them. Not just because some things should be above partisanship (though that’d be nice). The NDP should keep quiet here for entirely pragmatic reasons: If they actually expect to be in government some day, they’ll probably attend a few events that need security, too.

Recall that security arrangements are handled by the RCMP in consultation with the local host government. It is not handled by government staffers. Political leaders rightly defer to the advice of informed outsiders precisely because of the need to ensure that the protection of our leaders remains non-partisan and always based on the facts. For the politicians, this has the welcome benefit of shunting incidents like this directly the RCMP. And, frankly, should anything go wrong, no politician wants to answer questions about why they weren’t following the advice of their guardians. Leaving security considerations entirely up to the police simply works better for everyone. Except, apparently, Peggy Nash.

Nash and the NDP shouldn’t protest too loudly today. Their turn in the armoured limo may come soon enough

[guyser]

Thought this was a fair assessment

Quite fair. It would be silly not to protect the PM.

[cybercoma]

Well, what is it? $22 million a year for his security, alone? That's more than the entire annual budget of the Office of the Govenror General.

This is what's baffling about the security for the Prime Minister. He's trying to make himself into a figurehead that he is not. Canadian Prime Ministers are not analogous to the US President by any stretch of the imagination. Hell, Canadian PMs are not analogous to other Canadian PMs. It's impossible to make an argument that former Prime Ministers like Kim Campbell, Paul Martin, Joe Clark, and John Turner are of the same importance as Pierre Trudeau, Brian Mulroney, Jean Chrétien, or Stephen Harper.

[cybercoma]

Well, if we're going to be paranoid, why not the Raëlians, as well?

[Topaz]

Here's the problem in my view. I understand an armoured car but does it matter where is comes from? Yes, if Harper takes his own, it cost 1 million to get it there, when the Indian government offered a high quality armoured mercedes for him to use, why didn't he take it?? Is it, he doesn't trust the quality of the car or was it something his wife may have said? Since he was offered a car from the Indian government and he refused, then I think the Conservative party should pay for it, like they did with Mulroneys.

[WWWTT]

Link???

Nope sorry,do not provide links.

Here's a rundown from how I remember it.

Cretien was drivin around in an armoured Cadillac.

After Manning criticized,he scrapped the Cadillac for a Chev.

Turned out that the difference in cost between the a Cadi and a Chev base model was someting like 10 grand or something small like that.The big cost was the armour/upgrades that both would need either way.

It ended up costing more money switching vehicle brands,thanks for jacking up the price Manning!

WWWTT

[scribblet]

This is what's baffling about the security for the Prime Minister. He's trying to make himself into a figurehead that he is not. Canadian Prime Ministers are not analogous to the US President by any stretch of the imagination. Hell, Canadian PMs are not analogous to other Canadian PMs. It's impossible to make an argument that former Prime Ministers like Kim Campbell, Paul Martin, Joe Clark, and John Turner are of the same importance as Pierre Trudeau, Brian Mulroney, Jean Chrétien, or Stephen Harper.

Nonsense, that's just your opinion and not necessarily fact.

Here's another reasonable opinion about taking cheap shots, sanctimony and pettiness - only in Canada where no matter who says how great we are, there will be those who prefer that Canada continue to behave as if it were a low-end, second-tier nation.

http://www.canada.com/Fisher+cheap+shot+criticize+prime+minister+bringing+armoured+cars+India/7505562/story.html

[scribblet]

Nope sorry,do not provide links.

Here's a rundown from how I remember it.

Cretien was drivin around in an armoured Cadillac.

After Manning criticized,he scrapped the Cadillac for a Chev.

Turned out that the difference in cost between the a Cadi and a Chev base model was someting like 10 grand or something small like that.The big cost was the armour/upgrades that both would need either way.

It ended up costing more money switching vehicle brands,thanks for jacking up the price Manning!

WWWTT

No proof, not now not ever. Actually I wouldn`t mind seeing that and how other PMs travelled, have other PMs used armoured vehicles or they didn`t bother with security ?

[Guest Derek L]

No proof, not now not ever. Actually I wouldn`t mind seeing that and how other PMs travelled, have other PMs used armoured vehicles or they didn`t bother with security ?

The RCMP had several “up armoured” Buick Roadmasters since Mulroney………Not sure what or if they had anything prior.

[g_bambino]

Here's another reasonable opinion about taking cheap shots, sanctimony and pettiness - only in Canada where no matter who says how great we are, there will be those who prefer that Canada continue to behave as if it were a low-end, second-tier nation.

http://www.canada.co...5562/story.html

So, you think the Governor General should be carting bullet proof cars with him on all his state visits, too; because that's what it would take to make Canada look like a high-end, first-tier nation?

[WWWTT]

No proof, not now not ever. Actually I wouldn`t mind seeing that and how other PMs travelled, have other PMs used armoured vehicles or they didn`t bother with security ?

I am not questioning if security is used or not.

Preston Manning has made similar critic back in the 90's.And it is beautiful to see the conservatives now trying to justify the high cost!

Pure hypocrocy!

WWWTT

[Topaz]

IF a leader goes to another country and HAS to take an armoured car, then shouldn't the leader reconsider if they feel its that dangerous?? How about a conference call, not dangerous, not expensive.

[scribblet]

Conference calls don't do it in the end, at some point there has to be face to face negotiations.

This is all petty, mean spirited crap meant to gain political brownie points by those who simply want Harper to fail.

[login]

Give us a break, this really shows how pathetic the NDP have become. Making a big deal out of the RCMP taking a amoured car to india to protect the PM of Canada. Is this their way of saying , if we get rid of harper now we have a chance for power?

Man indians could off him here just as easy. If people who could assasinate him in India wanted to kil lthe PM he'd be dead if those same people were here.

As for the armoured car, waste of money, he should have just anonymously rented one in India rather than transporting an entire freaken vehicle over there, that is a waste of money. He probably could have build one in India for less than the price, of the probably hugely expensive one brought from Canada, of transporting it.

The other part of that however is that canada is still paying far less I think Obama's Bombay trip cost like more than the Canadian G20 security costs.

I'm sure the SS now viewing this page could probably provide better figures.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326962/Obamas-India-visit-security-erect-bomb-proof-tunnel-Gandhi-museum.html

Edited November 6, 2012 by login

[Guest Derek L]

So, you think the Governor General should be carting bullet proof cars with him on all his state visits, too; because that's what it would take to make Canada look like a high-end, first-tier nation?

The Governor General/Queen has a Lincoln Town Car BPS.............

[cybercoma]

Nonsense, that's just your opinion and not necessarily fact.

Here's another reasonable opinion about taking cheap shots, sanctimony and pettiness - only in Canada where no matter who says how great we are, there will be those who prefer that Canada continue to behave as if it were a low-end, second-tier nation.

http://www.canada.co...5562/story.html

Our Head of State is not Stephen Harper. Just remember that.

[scribblet]

Our Head of State is not Stephen Harper. Just remember that.

He's our PM and I remember that. Our PMs are entitled to security as deemed necessary by the RCMP and CSIS. Petty nonsense is all.

[cybercoma]

He's our PM and I remember that. Our PMs are entitled to security as deemed necessary by the RCMP and CSIS. Petty nonsense is all.

Of course they are, who said they aren't?

[Argus]

Here's the problem in my view. I understand an armoured car but does it matter where is comes from? Yes, if Harper takes his own, it cost 1 million to get it there, when the Indian government offered a high quality armoured mercedes for him to use, why didn't he take it?? Is it, he doesn't trust the quality of the car or was it something his wife may have said? Since he was offered a car from the Indian government and he refused, then I think the Conservative party should pay for it, like they did with Mulroneys.

It was based on an RCMP security assessment and they will never make those public. It might well be that they had bad experiences with cars the Indians provided on previous occasions. For example, maybe they found they were all bugged. They would not say that for diplomatic reasons. Maybe the cars were rust buckets and poorly maintained. Again, they would not say that for diplomatic reasons. Maybe the Canadian cars have special additional security features not present on the Indian cars. They still wouldn't tell us that. So you're never going to know.