Harper and sickness

[Leafless]

It seems Mr. Harper's recent trip to the hospital is none of anyone's buisness.

Firstly it was reported as an asthma attack but later denied even though he had this conditon as a child.

Now it's reported it is a chest cold and the hospital won't give out any information.

Being an important public fiqure I think it is the public's buisness to be properly informed of a illness concerning the PM of this country without being shrouded in a vail of secrecy.

What's the big deal refusing to admit one possibly has an asthma conditon anyways?

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStories

[geoffrey]

He had an asthma condition and says he outgrew it.

If his health is not affecting his business to lead the country, its none of our business. The media has already begun trying to paint him as incompetent, I worry this could be another Joe (though he kind of was incompetent).

[uOttawaMan]

This isn't the US, we don't need to know everything about our PM. Some things are private, if it's not life threatening then he should be able to keep it private.

[compaq905]

Who cares?

[fellowtraveller]

What are you talking about? It was fully covered in my paper today, though certainly not an interesting story. It would have been much spicier if he visited Martins private clinic.

[Wilber]

After the past eight weeks of campaigning I am surprised that all the leaders aren't all run down to the point of being sick, especially at this time of year. Now he has to form a new government. If someone can show how it is affecting his job they should say so, otherwise it's nobody's business.

[Melanie_]

I'm not usually the first person to jump to Harper's defense, but I agree that the media is playing up any missteps in the early days. From awkwardly shaking his kids' hands when dropping them off at school (a poor choice for a photo op) to "secrecy" around his medical state (no one's business) the media is jumping to show a bungling leader. Lets give him time to settle into the job, and save all of our criticism for when the real bungling begins!

[shoop]

This incident is a painful example of the CBC out for blood already.

Julie Van Dusen was the only reporter questioning him on his return from the hospital.

Why was only one news organization present?

Any coincidence that it was the broadcast organization most often accused of a bias against Harper?

The symptoms for an asthmaattack and a chest cold would likely be pretty similar.

Sadly, other news organizations had to follow CBCs terrible lead.

[BubberMiley]

The prime minister-designate shows up at a hospital and acts all secretive about it, and you don't think they should ask questions? You think it's a left-wing CBC conspiracy to even report about it? It's probably exactly what they say it is--nipping a chest cold in the bud--but because Harper isn't used to the attention a PM gets, he acted too secretive and made it into the story it was. He's just got to get used to the spotlight.

[fellowtraveller]

The prime minister-designate shows up at a hospital and acts all secretive about it, and you don't think they should ask questions? You think it's a left-wing CBC conspiracy to even report about it? It's probably exactly what they say it is--nipping a chest cold in the bud--but because Harper isn't used to the attention a PM gets, he acted too secretive and made it into the story it was. He's just got to get used to the spotlight.

Funny, but in 14 years I don't remember hearing one word from the CBC about Chretiens or Martins visits to doctors or hospitals- other than Martins physicians linkage to private clinics.

[BubberMiley]

Maybe they didn't act so secretive when there was nothing to hide.

[Slavik44]

Perhaps Harper should be more open about his health given the position that he is in, but I would gladly trade secretive information about Harpers health for that of how the government is operating. He might be sending the wrong message, if Harper is secretive about his health what else might he be secretive about, but is harper un-fit to be Prime Minister because he visited a hospital, nope. Does he have to be more open about hsi health, nope. In the future should he be more open yeah probabley but this is really making a malignant tumor out of a mosquito bite.

[cybercoma]

It seems Mr. Harper's recent trip to the hospital is none of anyone's buisness.

Firstly it was reported as an asthma attack but later denied even though he had this conditon as a child.

Now it's reported it is a chest cold and the hospital won't give out any information.

Being an important public fiqure I think it is the public's buisness to be properly informed of a illness concerning the PM of this country without being shrouded in a vail of secrecy.

What's the big deal refusing to admit one possibly has an asthma conditon anyways?

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStories

The big deal is that everyone has a right to privacy and doctors are not allowed to break confidentiality even if their patient is the Prime Minister of Canada. You wouldn't want your doctor telling the world your medical history and I imagine neither does he.

[justcrowing]

In my opinion - Harper has never made it a secret he suffered from Asthma. Are some of you saying that a cold accompanied with Asthma requiring an emergency visit to the hospital, that Harper should have taken the time to first phone the media? Unbelievable!! I presume that this kind of thinking, that if he has a diahrrea attack, he should tell the news media about it because Canadians need to know whether it was viral or what did he eat to upset his stomach?? Unreal!!

[tml12]

In my opinion - Harper has never made it a secret he suffered from Asthma. Are some of you saying that a cold accompanied with Asthma requiring an emergency visit to the hospital, that Harper should have taken the time to first phone the media? Unbelievable!! I presume that this kind of thinking, that if he has a diahrrea attack, he should tell the news media about it because Canadians need to know whether it was viral or what did he eat to upset his stomach?? Unreal!!

Didn't you hear...Bush is second in command to take over if Harper is out of commission...

Earlier today, CBC reported that a CIA plane landed in Ottawa and were apparently talking to Harper about "disappearing for awhile" while the new "transition" process took effect immediately."

[tml12]

In my opinion - Harper has never made it a secret he suffered from Asthma. Are some of you saying that a cold accompanied with Asthma requiring an emergency visit to the hospital, that Harper should have taken the time to first phone the media? Unbelievable!! I presume that this kind of thinking, that if he has a diahrrea attack, he should tell the news media about it because Canadians need to know whether it was viral or what did he eat to upset his stomach?? Unreal!!

Didn't you hear...Bush is second in command to take over if Harper is out of commission...

Earlier today, CBC reported that a CIA plane landed in Ottawa and were apparently talking to Harper about "disappearing for awhile" while the new "transition" process took effect immediately."

I bet you at least 65% of the left in Canada would believe that crap too...

[newbie]

Hey folks, Harper is a public figure and will not be allowed privacy anymore. That comes with the territory I'm afraid.

[tml12]

Hey folks, Harper is a public figure and will not be allowed privacy anymore. That comes with the territory I'm afraid.

Chretien and Martin were public figures too, but as leaders of the Liberal Party that CBC relies upon for its existence gave them the benefit of the doubt.

Can you imagine if the NDP was in power and the same thing happened to Layton? I can see the CBC headline now:

PRIME MINISTER LAYTON SELFLESSLY REFUSES TO SLEEP IN ORDER TO UNEXPECTEDLY VISIT A HOSPITAL AND SEE IF PATIENTS ARE SLEEPING OKAY AND IF THEY MADE NEED ANY ASSISTANCE

[justcrowing]

Hey folks, Harper is a public figure and will not be allowed privacy anymore. That comes with the territory I'm afraid.

Chretien and Martin were public figures too, but as leaders of the Liberal Party that CBC relies upon for its existence gave them the benefit of the doubt.

Can you imagine if the NDP was in power and the same thing happened to Layton? I can see the CBC headline now:

PRIME MINISTER LAYTON SELFLESSLY REFUSES TO SLEEP IN ORDER TO UNEXPECTEDLY VISIT A HOSPITAL AND SEE IF PATIENTS ARE SLEEPING OKAY AND IF THEY MADE NEED ANY ASSISTANCE

Think Layton would be handing out welfare chits for those personal items patients might need.

Newbie - I don't care who is in power - it is none of everyone's business to have full knowledge of anyone's medical records - would you like people to snoop through yours & have it published in every newspaper? Every human being including politicans who are also humans, should have a degree of privacy and since we crow that we are a tolerant society then we should be tolerant enough to grant some privacy to politicans.

[shoop]

There was nothing *secretive* about the trip at all....

Maybe they didn't act so secretive when there was nothing to hide.

[Big Blue Machine]

We can not expect our leader to be above us in thinking of how a leader should act. We should not expect for a leader to be higher up in morals than us.

[BubberMiley]

There was nothing *secretive* about the trip at all....

Sounds like they were being secretive to me, which is fine. They even seem to realize that they can't be as secretive as they were anymore.

The Canadian Press report said:

"An Ottawa Citizen reporter at the hospital on Thursday evening was told by Harper's staff: "This is a private matter. You shouldn't be here."

By the next morning, Harper's team was more forthcoming.

"I understand there have to be questions about the prime minister-designate that normally we would say: 'It's none of your business,' " said Stewart Olsen.

"We're cognizant that once you're prime minister, things change. We will follow the same rules and guidelines of previous prime ministries for the most part."

[August1991]

Hey folks, Harper is a public figure and will not be allowed privacy anymore. That comes with the territory I'm afraid.

I agree with Newbie. If someone goes into public life, then they must accept the public scrutiny that goes with it. If you don't like the heat, get out of the kitchen.

We have a new PM and people are naturally curious about who he is, and what his family is like. Harper and his family, OTOH, have been to use to a lower public profile. It takes a bit of adjustment on both sides.

The G & M did a good little piece on this:

The Harpers are now the de facto first family of Canada and life in the fishbowl has begun.

But the best quote comes from the Calgary Sun which I saw nowhere else:

Harper downplayed the importance of the evening hospital visit as he entered Parliament Hill's Centre block early yesterday, adding he got "whisked as much as you can be whisked in our health-care system."

Last month, in response to a question about his or his family's experiences with Canada's health care system, Harper told Sun Media, "As an asthma sufferer, I have personally spent long hours in waiting rooms in hospitals."

The private person and the public persona are two different things. I think Harper has a good grasp of both, as well as a better grasp of our health care system than most politicians.

[Concerned]

Hey folks, Harper is a public figure and will not be allowed privacy anymore. That comes with the territory I'm afraid.

I agree with Newbie. If someone goes into public life, then they must accept the public scrutiny that goes with it. If you don't like the heat, get out of the kitchen.

We have a new PM and people are naturally curious about who he is, and what his family is like. Harper and his family, OTOH, have been to use to a lower public profile. It takes a bit of adjustment on both sides.

The G & M did a good little piece on this:

The Harpers are now the de facto first family of Canada and life in the fishbowl has begun.

But the best quote comes from the Calgary Sun which I saw nowhere else:

Harper downplayed the importance of the evening hospital visit as he entered Parliament Hill's Centre block early yesterday, adding he got "whisked as much as you can be whisked in our health-care system."

Last month, in response to a question about his or his family's experiences with Canada's health care system, Harper told Sun Media, "As an asthma sufferer, I have personally spent long hours in waiting rooms in hospitals."

The private person and the public persona are two different things. I think Harper has a good grasp of both, as well as a better grasp of our health care system than most politicians.

As per the G & M story:

""...“He thought he would like to see a doctor so he just said, ‘Let's go to the hospital.' He didn't make a big fuss about it. He just went and then he came home,” Mr. Stairs said. ""

After-election polls indicate that voters that jumped on the conservative band wagon for this election were primarily concerned about the scandals and were expecting Harper to clean that up.

So the Canadian public is looking for signs that Harper is an honest leader, and since he's in the spotlight now he will have to be honest and forthright about his activities, whether they be personal or not. Certainly a trip to the hospital is in the public's interest.

The above quote gives you the sense that Harper was not in need of a hospital at all, just a doctor. IF this is the case could somebody please ask Harper how he thinks going to emergency for a doctor's visit is going to help the waiting lists problem that he plans to address?

[Wilber]

"So the Canadian public is looking for signs that Harper is an honest leader, and since he's in the spotlight now he will have to be honest and forthright about his activities, whether they be personal or not. Certainly a trip to the hospital is in the public's interest."

Bull. Harpers personal medical records are none of my business, or yours.