Crooked in Canada

So former PM Jean Chrétien thinks that China’s relationship with Canada has deteriorated since the Conservatives came to power does he, and the PM Stephen Harper’s absence from the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony has only made things worse has it? Hmm, after thinking about it for a couple of seconds I have to ask, “Does he have anything to back that up with, has the Chinese government intimidated as much to him?”

The answer to that question, the answer is “no”. Canada’s relationship with Canada is no worse off under Harper than it was under former Liberal PM Paul Martin or Chrétien. I would like to mention that far more damaging than PM Harper’s non-appearance at the Olympic opening ceremonies is what Liberal MP Irwin Cotler said on the eve of the opening ceremonies and the fact that opposition politicians joined demonstrators across the street from the Chinese Embassy on the afternoon before the opening ceremonies.

On the eve of the opening ceremonies, Liberal MP Irwin Cotler Irwin Cotter criticized China’s human rights record and called the awarding of the Games to Beijing a betrayal of the Olympic charter. That statement from the Liberal opposition is good for Canada’s relationship with China isn’t it Mr. Chrétien. Cotler made that comment with human rights activist and former Miss World Canada Nazanin Afshin-Jam hanging off his arm.

His exact words were:

“What we are witnessing today … is a persistent and pervasive assault on human rights in China,” Cotler said.

“A betrayal of the Olympic Charter, the Olympic Games and China‘s pledge to respect both.”

Cotler made the above comments during a press conference to announce the release of a report he wrote in which he detailed what he called China’s assault on human rights. That report by the way will go a long way in helping Canada’s relationship with China too won’t it Mr. Chrétien?

Cotler has also called on Canada to review its trade with relations saying, “We cannot proceed in terms of business as usual,” but failed to say what actions a Liberal government would take. Good for Canada’s relationship with China or not Mr. Chrétien?

Also on that day, opposition politicians joined demonstrators who gathered across the street from the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa to wave flags and hoist placards in protest of China’s human rights abuses. I wonder if Chrétien thinks that that action by opposition politicians has affected Canada’s relationship with China as much as he thinks PM Harper’s “no show” at the opening ceremonies did.

Therefore, I ask Canadians, which is more damaging to Canada’s relationship with China, PM Harper’s non-appearance at the opening ceremonies that Foreign Affairs Minister David Emerson, Secretary of State for Sport Helena Guergis, and British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell attended, or Liberal MP Irwin Cotler’s statements. How about the opposition politicians who could be seen in the crowd that was demonstrating across the street from the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa, or the Canadians who demonstrated in China and were arrested before being deported back to Canada, are their actions more damaging to Canada’s relationship with China than PM Harper’s non-attendance at the opening ceremonies?

Canada’s relationship with China isn’t any worse off by PM Harper’s non-appearance at opening ceremonies in Beijing despite what Chrétien says, and I doubt the Chinese government was overly concerned about something so trivial as Harper’s inability to attend the opening ceremonies because of a scheduling conflict, but I’m sure Irwin Cotler’s report on China’s human rights record and his statements shortly before the opening ceremonies, and the opposition politicians in the crowd of demonstrators across the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa caught their attention.

By the way, I can’t back this up, but I think it’s safe to assume that PM Harper contacted Hu Jintao to express his regrets for not being able to attend the opening ceremonies. It would have been the proper thing for the PM to do. I hardly doubt Jintao was bothered by PM Harper’s no-show either, but I bet he was more than a little pissed when he became aware of what Cotler had to say, and also by the information that was passed on to him about the demonstration across from the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa and the fact that there were some opposition politicians in the crowd of flag waving, placard carrying demonstrators.

GET A GRIP CHRETIEN!

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