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-- way to go Harper
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Posted by simms327 on Jan-26-2006 23:42:

way to go Harper

I didn't vote for, nor do i like Harper and the conservatives, but this just put him a notch higher on my list

quote:
Harper rebukes US envoy over Arctic
By David Ljunggren Thu Jan 26, 3:26 PM ET
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Prime Minister-designate Stephen Harper, who campaigned on the need to improve relations with Washington, rebuked the U.S. ambassador on Thursday for rejecting Canada's claims to the Arctic.

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Harper, whose Conservatives won a fragile mandate in Monday's election, said during the campaign that Prime Minister Paul Martin had needlessly exacerbated ties with the United States.

But Harper showed little hesitation in slapping down U.S. envoy David Wilkins for making critical remarks about Conservative plans to boost Canada's presence in the far north.

"The United States defends its sovereignty, the Canadian government will defend our sovereignty," Harper told reporters during his first news conference since the election.

"It is the Canadian people we get our mandate from, not the ambassador of the United States."

Harper, vowing to boost defenses in the Arctic to stop incursions by foreign vessels, plans to buy three new large icebreakers and build a deep sea docking facility in the Arctic for a total cost of C$2 billion over 10 years.

The United States has long challenged Canada's claims to sovereignty over Arctic waterways -- fabled as the Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific -- saying it considers much of the region to be international waters.

This could have serious implications if ice in the Northwest Passage starts to melt due to global warming and shipping companies decide to send vessels through the area to save time and fuel.

"There's no reason to create a problem that doesn't exist," Ambassador Wilkins told reporters on Wednesday during a discussion about the plan to buy the icebreakers.

"We don't recognize Canada's claims to those waters ... Most other countries do not recognize their claim."

Canada says the passages through the archipelago of Arctic islands above the North American mainland are domestic waters.

Wilkins also made headlines during the campaign when he publicly complained about politicians attacking the United States in a bid to win voter support.

Martin regularly criticized Washington for its stance on a trade dispute over softwood lumber and also blamed rising violent crime on smuggled U.S. handguns.

He also said Harper had taken his political agenda from "extreme right" social conservatives in the United States.

Despite Martin's attacks, Harper won the election, but only has 124 of the 308 seats in the House of Commons and will need to seek support from other parties to govern.

He pledged to co-operate with opposition groupings and Canada's 10 provinces once he is sworn in on February 6.

Harper said he had found "a remarkable amount of multi-party consensus" on many of his priorities -- such as cleaning up government.

"We'll look for shared goals and for common ideas, and working together we'll seek to implement ideas that will help ordinary working people, and that will strengthen our federation," he said.

Aides told reporters that Harper had not yet decided when to present his first budget.


source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060126..._politics_c_col


Posted by simms327 on Jan-27-2006 01:55:

no reply at all? not a comment??

odd


Posted by DigDeep on Jan-27-2006 01:58:

quote:
Originally posted by simms327
no reply at all? not a comment??

odd


jay obviously went out for the night....


Posted by Cosmic Fur on Jan-27-2006 02:01:

I have a feeling Harper's not a pussy.

My most admirable quality in a man.


Posted by Goashem on Jan-27-2006 02:06:

just a thought, why do we need those waters??? is it just a claim of land thing? if it is, do we really want to get into a dispute with all the countries using these waters?


Posted by simms327 on Jan-27-2006 02:10:

quote:
Originally posted by Goashem
just a thought, why do we need those waters??? is it just a claim of land thing? if it is, do we really want to get into a dispute with all the countries using these waters?


one day they could be valuable (shipping lanes - petroleum, etc..)

besides, its more the principal.


Posted by Yohan on Jan-27-2006 02:13:

quote:
Originally posted by Goashem
just a thought, why do we need those waters??? is it just a claim of land thing? if it is, do we really want to get into a dispute with all the countries using these waters?


1. Sovereignty
-failing to protect what you perceive to be yours allows other to have a claim on your land. Canada almost went on a shooting war with Spain in mid 90s over the cod dispute, which does partially tie into sovereignty issue.

2. Natural Resources
-There are quite a lot of unexplored natural resources in the Arctic, such as oil, precious metals, etc. If you can't claim it, then others will.

3. Reputation
-There was a case with Iceland's dispute with Britain over sea sovereignty. British fishermen fished right off the coast of Iceland. Iceland didn't like that, so they pushed for a sovereignty claim of 40 miles IIRC. Britain didn't like that, so they send in Royal Navy. Media got hold of it portraying Iceland being bullied by Britain. Britain backed off and every other nation laid claim to 40 miles of sea from their coasts which later increased to 220 IIRC.
My point is that in international diplomacy, you do not want to be seen as weak.


Posted by VERTiG0 on Jan-27-2006 02:18:

Give me an unlimited supply of beer, a radar station, a lawn chair, and a harpoon gun and I tell you I'll protect Canada's sovereignty in those waters come hell or high water.


Posted by MarkT on Jan-27-2006 06:34:

well, he's got to fight the "I'm gonna be George Bush's bitch" label that some people are trying to pin on him.

these plans were already proposed, no? He's just committed to continuing them...


Posted by Wyndham on Jan-27-2006 06:38:

hes gonna do a good job in office


Posted by Fir3start3r on Jan-27-2006 16:47:

quote:
"It is the Canadian people we get our mandate from, not the ambassador of the United States."


Fuckin' eh.


Posted by Time2Burn on Jan-27-2006 17:52:

quote:
Originally posted by Wyndham
hes gonna do a good job in office


With a bare minority they will put on a good "public" face. This term will be in essence a campaign to get a majority for the next term. Then people like me will be


Posted by Jayx1 on Jan-27-2006 18:37:

quote:
Originally posted by Floorwhore
jay obviously went out for the night....


Yup LOL


Well there you have it folks... thats george bush's lapdog in action. We are well on our way to becoming the 51st state after all! Defending canada's sovreignty...... what a hidden agenda! LOL

So far this and his quick dismissle of Hamas as well as his apology to chinese for the head tax has given me high hopes for this guy as PM.

The fact that Harper hardly said a word about the head tax issue during the election and then promptly apologized after winning is pretty genuine as far as im concerned.

Toronto should be ashamed that they fell for liberal propeganda. So far hes been in office for 3 days and has done 3 good things. This already beats the provincial liberals record. They were in office for 3 days and had already broken 2 promises.


Posted by Jayx1 on Jan-27-2006 18:38:

quote:
Originally posted by MarkT
well, he's got to fight the "I'm gonna be George Bush's bitch" label that some people are trying to pin on him.

these plans were already proposed, no? He's just committed to continuing them...

No, all martin did was send a politician to plant a flag on a piece of rock.

Whooptie do!


Posted by Jayx1 on Jan-27-2006 18:39:

quote:
Originally posted by Time2Burn
With a bare minority they will put on a good "public" face. This term will be in essence a campaign to get a majority for the next term. Then people like me will be


right... so he still has a hidden agenda even after his agenda is over.

LOL!


Posted by TCB on Jan-27-2006 19:05:

well im happy change is finally on the way in canada. i just hope australia follows suit in the next election as the liberals have been in power in australia for way to long too.

im just happy that my vote counted in the canadian election as the guy i voted for won by 110 votes


Posted by Jayx1 on Jan-27-2006 19:22:

quote:
Originally posted by TCB
well im happy change is finally on the way in canada. i just hope australia follows suit in the next election as the liberals have been in power in australia for way to long too.

im just happy that my vote counted in the canadian election as the guy i voted for won by 110 votes


were the liberals as corrupt and arrogant in australia as they were here? I bet not even close.


Posted by Yohan on Jan-27-2006 19:25:

quote:
Originally posted by Jayx1
were the liberals as corrupt and arrogant in australia as they were here? I bet not even close.


I thought liberal party in Australia was more like conservatives of canada?


Posted by Jayx1 on Jan-27-2006 19:26:

quote:
Originally posted by EvilTree
I thought liberal party in Australia was more like conservatives of canada?


not sure which is why im asking


Posted by ChemEnhanced on Jan-27-2006 19:26:

quote:
Originally posted by EvilTree
I thought liberal party in Australia was more like conservatives of canada?


everything is the opposite there...heck it's summer time there.


Posted by infinity HiGH on Jan-27-2006 19:27:

We should change this thread to "The Harper List" or something...and every time he does something we post it in here; then come next election we look at the list and just see how much of a "hidden" agenda Harper really had.

Oh, and I heard this just today...not sure if its true because it comes from a 3rd person, but apparently the Conservatives are going to give away some of the surplus money to the provinces? Is this true? And if it is...can the money somehow skip Mcguinty's pocket and go straight to our accounts??


Posted by Jayx1 on Jan-27-2006 19:31:

i cant wait till the wasteful gun registry is cancelled!


Posted by CategoryZd on Jan-27-2006 20:03:

Dunno

I sure hope that the government actually tries to be a government this time, instead of a struggle to stay in power. Without Martin and his cast of idiots trying to defend themselves from the Sponsorship bullshit, it might actually be possible.


Posted by Yohan on Jan-27-2006 20:06:

In a way, the Liberals might have actually wanted to lose.

Gomery is going to hit them hard. But Canadian public has short memory. Wait until the effects of Gomery blows over, regroup and then bring down the Conservatives, get back in power.


Posted by Jayx1 on Jan-27-2006 20:14:

quote:
Originally posted by EvilTree
In a way, the Liberals might have actually wanted to lose.

Gomery is going to hit them hard. But Canadian public has short memory. Wait until the effects of Gomery blows over, regroup and then bring down the Conservatives, get back in power.


This whole country has the attention span of a squirrel.


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