Author Topic: Harper thinks he's important...  (Read 4458 times)

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Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Harper thinks he's important...
« on: June 28, 2018, 10:14:47 am »
...more important than Canada.  I always thought this guy was a bit meek, but clearly his time in office has inflated his ego to YUGE proportions...

He is going to undermine what Canada has been trying to do.   What the hell are the Conservatives thinking???

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/harper-blindsides-trudeau-pmo-plans-visit-to-white-house-1.3992079

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Former prime minister Stephen Harper is planning a trip to the White House next week, and hasn’t notified the current Canadian government of his visit, CTV News has learned.
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In planning his visit, the former prime minister has effectively blindsided the current Canadian government, bucking convention by not notifying Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or his office about the visit. Harper also did not reach out to the Canadian embassy in D.C., Global Affairs Canada, or the Privy Council Office.

Scheer and Raitt should be telling Harper to stay home...   instead Raitt tweets "well the Liberals did it"....   this is what passes for leadership in the Conservatives?
« Last Edit: June 28, 2018, 10:28:40 am by the_squid »

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Offline Omni

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Re: Harper thinks he's important...
« Reply #1 on: June 28, 2018, 10:35:33 am »
...more important than Canada.  I always thought this guy was a bit meek, but clearly his time in office has inflated his ego to YUGE proportions...

He is going to undermine what Canada has been trying to do.   What the hell are the Conservatives thinking???

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/harper-blindsides-trudeau-pmo-plans-visit-to-white-house-1.3992079

Scheer and Raitt should be telling Harper to stay home...   instead Raitt tweets "well the Liberals did it"....   this is what passes for leadership in the Conservatives?

Maybe they are thinking about running him against JT in the next federal election. Wouldn't it be fun to throw him under the bus again!

Offline chilipeppers

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Re: Harper thinks he's important...
« Reply #2 on: June 28, 2018, 10:53:57 am »
Thank goodness there's an adult finally at the table, if he's there to talk about NAFTA with an invite of course, he can't just walk in uninvited.  However since when does a private citizen need the Trudeau governments permission to meet with the US National Security Advisor?
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Offline Omni

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Re: Harper thinks he's important...
« Reply #3 on: June 28, 2018, 11:12:43 am »
Thank goodness there's an adult finally at the table, if he's there to talk about NAFTA with an invite of course, he can't just walk in uninvited.  However since when does a private citizen need the Trudeau governments permission to meet with the US National Security Advisor?

Ever heard of the words "protocol" or "convention:? He's a private citizen now but he's also a former PM and he ain't going to the US just to shop at a Walmart. He sold the country out when he was PM and based on the timing of his visit he could be going to try again.
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Offline SirJohn

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Re: Harper thinks he's important...
« Reply #4 on: June 28, 2018, 12:39:11 pm »
Anyone who can talk to insiders in the Trump administration in a manner that they will not be irritated by could serve to help the situation. Nothing will likely come of it, but it's hard to imagine how he could make things worse and fairly easy to imagine how he could make things better by speaking to Bolton and the like at the White House.

As to him thinking he's important. When was the last time anyone invited YOU to the White House?
"When liberals insist that only fascists will defend borders then voters will hire fascists to do the job liberals won't do." David Frum
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Offline wilber

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Re: Harper thinks he's important...
« Reply #5 on: June 28, 2018, 01:51:20 pm »
I don't know if him meeting with the Trump crowd is a good or bad thing but to not co-ordinate with the existing government is a bullshit move. Trump is a divide and conquer guy and doing this behind our government's back will just play into his hands.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC
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Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Re: Harper thinks he's important...
« Reply #6 on: June 28, 2018, 01:51:31 pm »
Anyone who can talk to insiders in the Trump administration in a manner that they will not be irritated by could serve to help the situation. Nothing will likely come of it, but it's hard to imagine how he could make things worse and fairly easy to imagine how he could make things better by speaking to Bolton and the like at the White House.

As to him thinking he's important. When was the last time anyone invited YOU to the White House?

The fact that he didn't tell the gov't of Canada that he is going to be talking to White House officials is pretty scummy.   You would never accept that sort of behaviour from another former PM if it was Conservatives in power.  Hopefully it hurt Conservatives at the polls.  Sending shadow diplomats to undermine Canada's position probably won't play well.
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Offline Omni

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Re: Harper thinks he's important...
« Reply #7 on: June 28, 2018, 02:13:07 pm »
The fact that he didn't tell the gov't of Canada that he is going to be talking to White House officials is pretty scummy.   You would never accept that sort of behaviour from another former PM if it was Conservatives in power.  Hopefully it hurt Conservatives at the polls.  Sending shadow diplomats to undermine Canada's position probably won't play well.

Might play well with Trump who doesn't seem to have a lot of visitors of note these days. "Rocket Man" can't come by since Trump's travel ban was approved, so maybe he'll have a word with Harper as he runs out the door to go suck up to his buddy Putin.

Offline ?Impact

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Re: Harper thinks he's important...
« Reply #8 on: June 28, 2018, 03:04:58 pm »
Who is this Harper guy, a basketball player?
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Offline SirJohn

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Re: Harper thinks he's important...
« Reply #9 on: June 28, 2018, 03:29:24 pm »
The fact that he didn't tell the gov't of Canada that he is going to be talking to White House officials is pretty scummy.   You would never accept that sort of behaviour from another former PM if it was Conservatives in power.  Hopefully it hurt Conservatives at the polls.  Sending shadow diplomats to undermine Canada's position probably won't play well.

Pardon me, but is there some requirement that former politicians keep the Canadian government briefed on who they're going to see and what they're going to talk about?
Harper does not represent the Canadian government, and makes no pretense otherwise. Nor do the Americans think he does. So eh can hardly be undermining the Canadian government's position. Nor is he likely to want to given he has expressed support for the Canadian government's trade positions recently.
"When liberals insist that only fascists will defend borders then voters will hire fascists to do the job liberals won't do." David Frum
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Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Re: Harper thinks he's important...
« Reply #10 on: June 28, 2018, 03:36:45 pm »
Pardon me, but is there some requirement that former politicians keep the Canadian government briefed on who they're going to see and what they're going to talk about?
Harper does not represent the Canadian government, and makes no pretense otherwise. Nor do the Americans think he does. So eh can hardly be undermining the Canadian government's position. Nor is he likely to want to given he has expressed support for the Canadian government's trade positions recently.

You have no clue what his pretense is or what he's going to talk about, since he has never mentioned it. 

An ex-PM meeting about Canadian disputes has the potential to undermine what the legitimate government is doing there.  The optics alone are shady.  This is extremely bad judgement from someone who has shown in the past that he has very poor judgement.   Maybe he should take Mike Duffy down there with him.

Offline wilber

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Re: Harper thinks he's important...
« Reply #11 on: June 28, 2018, 03:39:22 pm »
Pardon me, but is there some requirement that former politicians keep the Canadian government briefed on who they're going to see and what they're going to talk about?
Harper does not represent the Canadian government, and makes no pretense otherwise. Nor do the Americans think he does. So eh can hardly be undermining the Canadian government's position. Nor is he likely to want to given he has expressed support for the Canadian government's trade positions recently.

I think former Prime Ministers definitely should, they are former heads of government, not just former politicians.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC
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Offline SirJohn

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Re: Harper thinks he's important...
« Reply #12 on: June 28, 2018, 03:41:23 pm »
You have no clue what his pretense is or what he's going to talk about, since he has never mentioned it. 

An ex-PM meeting about Canadian disputes has

You just said you have no clue what he's going to talk about.

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the potential to undermine what the legitimate government is doing there.  The optics alone are shady.  This is extremely bad judgement from someone who has shown in the past that he has very poor judgement.   Maybe he should take Mike Duffy down there with him.

Yeah, you are about as unbiased as FOX news.
"When liberals insist that only fascists will defend borders then voters will hire fascists to do the job liberals won't do." David Frum

Offline SirJohn

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Re: Harper thinks he's important...
« Reply #13 on: June 28, 2018, 03:42:11 pm »
I think former Prime Ministers definitely should, they are former heads of government, not just former politicians.

What exactly do you think he could say that would make things worse?

You know what I would say to Bolton if I was him? I'd say that this is helping Trudeau and rallying the country behind him, which undermines the Opposition Conservatives, and asking him if US interests were better served with another four years of Trudeau and a hostile Canada on their border or a Conservative government winning next year which would be much closer to US security needs and see the world more like them than the progressive Liberals. And I'd make the point that under NAFTA 99% of the trade between us is tariff free.

Now how does that harm Canada?
« Last Edit: June 28, 2018, 03:47:39 pm by SirJohn »
"When liberals insist that only fascists will defend borders then voters will hire fascists to do the job liberals won't do." David Frum

Offline Omni

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Re: Harper thinks he's important...
« Reply #14 on: June 28, 2018, 03:45:18 pm »
I think Harper still has his knickers in a knot because JT kicked his ass down the road and he knows Trump is his type. Very bad form all in all.