Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - PM at odds with bureaucrats over foreign policy

RedHot25 · 06-25-2007, 09:32 AM

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories

During a closed-door roundtable with Toronto media, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said his hard line on foreign policy is being undermined by Canadian bureaucrats and diplomats.

....

Harper complained at length about the reluctance of public servants to defend his stance on foreign policy, the newspaper reported.
Specifically, Harper's comments came in response to questions about his 2006 decision to recognize the deaths of about 1.5 million Armenians in Turkey in 1915 as genocide.

"What is not acceptable, and it does happen on occasion, is for a public servant to say, `That may be the position of the elected guys, but that's not the position of the government,'" Harper said in the meeting.

The head of the union representing Canada's foreign service said he was "shocked" about the prime minister's comments and that Harper had not made any formal complaints in the past.
The move was touted as a significant departure from previous governments and so angered the Turkish government that it recalled its ambassador to Canada and pulled out of a May 2006 joint military exercise.

06-25-2007, 09:32 AM	#1
RedHot25 Franchise Player Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Probably stuck driving someone somewhere Exp:	PM at odds with bureaucrats over foreign policy http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories During a closed-door roundtable with Toronto media, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said his hard line on foreign policy is being undermined by Canadian bureaucrats and diplomats. .... Harper complained at length about the reluctance of public servants to defend his stance on foreign policy, the newspaper reported. Specifically, Harper's comments came in response to questions about his 2006 decision to recognize the deaths of about 1.5 million Armenians in Turkey in 1915 as genocide. "What is not acceptable, and it does happen on occasion, is for a public servant to say, `That may be the position of the elected guys, but that's not the position of the government,'" Harper said in the meeting. The head of the union representing Canada's foreign service said he was "shocked" about the prime minister's comments and that Harper had not made any formal complaints in the past. The move was touted as a significant departure from previous governments and so angered the Turkish government that it recalled its ambassador to Canada and pulled out of a May 2006 joint military exercise.