Harper to Bring Home Evacuees on Government Plane - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Mr.Coffee · 07-19-2006, 11:39 AM

PM Stephen Harper is flying to Larnaka, Cyprus (where the main airport for the Greek side of the island is) to pick up 120 evacuees and bring them home on his personal government plane. I'm not sure if this is in response to some criticism the government has been under recently, but even then- its an honourable move and, quite honestly, common sense given the fact that he is currently in France anyways.

Thought it was interesting. Here's the link.

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/...9/1692299.html

ayjackson · 07-19-2006, 12:57 PM

he's only allowing essential staffers on the plane to maximize number of evacuees he can take....good thing there's room for the official photographer on the plane

sorry to be a cynic....but he could have left him in france.

peter12 · 07-19-2006, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayjackson

he's only allowing essential staffers on the plane to maximize number of evacuees he can take....good thing there's room for the official photographer on the plane

sorry to be a cynic....but he could have left him in france.

The official photographer is actually a woman. And Harper basically comes out and says that part of the reason he is going is symbolism.

Can anyone here imagine Chretien doing this or Paul Martin being able to pull this off?

Dirty Mr. Clean · 07-19-2006, 01:45 PM

I have no problem with bring a photographer. What is wrong with recording Canadian History?

Azure · 07-19-2006, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirty Mr. Clean

I have no problem with bring a photographer. What is wrong with recording Canadian History?

Exactly.

I'm sure all of us will be interested to see pictures. And remember through visual detail what happened on that day.

Good move by Harper, he is showing a lot of class.

FireFly · 07-19-2006, 04:10 PM

50,000 nationals there? That's a lot of plane rides. I can see why it's taken so long to round them up and ship them out. Who do you send first? Do you expect them to come to you or do you go to them? Either way, nice move by Harper to bring those he can home.

Bill Bumface · 07-19-2006, 04:13 PM

How many of those 50,000 had no intention of ever returning to Canada, but kept their passport for this very reason?

ken0042 · 07-19-2006, 04:20 PM

I also don't mind Harper having his photographer around as he does a good deed.

The one thing about the 50,000 Canadians, this morning on the news they interviewed somebody who was mad at the Canadian gov't for being so slow, and then mentioned how her father had been living in Lebanon for the last 15 years.

Not that there is anything wrong with a Canadian living abroad, but after 15 years it seems like they shouldn't be expecting Canada to come a running.

Vulcan · 07-19-2006, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken0042

I also don't mind Harper having his photographer around as he does a good deed.

The one thing about the 50,000 Canadians, this morning on the news they interviewed somebody who was mad at the Canadian gov't for being so slow, and then mentioned how her father had been living in Lebanon for the last 15 years.

Not that there is anything wrong with a Canadian living abroad, but after 15 years it seems like they shouldn't be expecting Canada to come a running.

I've been thinking about this and I didn't want to be the first to bring it up but lots of these people seem to be Canadians for convenience and have little ties to our country. Most should be real happy we're making any effort to bring them out. I think the Americans are making them pay for their own transportation.

Mr.Coffee · 07-19-2006, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vulcan

I've been thinking about this and I didn't want to be the first to bring it up but lots of these people seem to be Canadians for convenience and have little ties to our country. Most should be real happy we're making any effort to bring them out. I think the Americans are making them pay for their own transportation.

Whatever man... if they have Canadian ties its fine. If its for the sake of saving a few lives, no matter how "Canadian" they are- then I'm for it.

Let us not make the mistakes of the World War 2 era which questioned our nation's integrity and ethics- turning away a boatload of Jews. These are innocent people.

Lanny_MacDonald · 07-19-2006, 05:06 PM

Good on Harper for doing what he's doing. What a thrill for those people, to be resuced by our country's Prime Minister. I hope this is an opportunity for Canadians to come together and celebrate being Canadians and not an oppotunity to further divide the nation through partisan bickering!

Mr.Coffee · 07-19-2006, 05:13 PM

And just to add- why not fly non-Canadians here while we're at it, at least for a temporary time?

jolinar of malkshor · 07-19-2006, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Whatever man... if they have Canadian ties its fine. If its for the sake of saving a few lives, no matter how "Canadian" they are- then I'm for it.

Let us not make the mistakes of the World War 2 era which questioned our nation's integrity and ethics- turning away a boatload of Jews. These are innocent people.

I agree but don't complain because you aren't whisked away the minute a bomb falls.

jolinar of malkshor · 07-19-2006, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

And just to add- why not fly non-Canadians here while we're at it, at least for a temporary time?

Ok, you can pay for that then.

Calgary Flames · 07-19-2006, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

And just to add- why not fly non-Canadians here while we're at it, at least for a temporary time?

Why would we do that? Are there not Canadian citizens there who need out? Why replace them with non-canadians?

Mr.Coffee · 07-19-2006, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

Ok, you can pay for that then.

Absolutely. Tell you what, if they set up a program like this I will gladly donate my $400 Alberta cheque I'm receiving (for doing not a damn thing but living in a prosperous province I might add) in order to save a few lives.

My goodness, how's your car doing? How's your house doing? How's that X-Box, that stereo, that bed, that paycheque doing? I take it nothing has been bombed recently?

Pretty comfortable? I could imagine so. I know I am. We take this country for granted.

Mr.Coffee · 07-19-2006, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calgary Flames

Why would we do that? Are there not Canadian citizens there who need out? Why replace them with non-canadians?

No I'm saying get the Canadians out, get a few non-Canadians out.

Calgary Flames · 07-19-2006, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

No I'm saying get the Canadians out, get a few non-Canadians out.

As a government you can't worry about that, what do they do hold a "I wanna be Canadian" lottery to see who they can get on a plane? You've got to worry about your people first.

jolinar of malkshor · 07-19-2006, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Absolutely. Tell you what, if they set up a program like this I will gladly donate my $400 Alberta cheque I'm receiving (for doing not a damn thing but living in a prosperous province I might add) in order to save a few lives.

My goodness, how's your car doing? How's your house doing? How's that X-Box, that stereo, that bed, that paycheque doing? I take it nothing has been bombed recently?

Pretty comfortable? I could imagine so. I know I am. We take this country for granted.

Your $400 check will pay for jack ****. I am not prepared to spend my hard earned dollars to bring foreigners to this country and then once they get here they will claim refugee and we will pay for all their welfare.

People like you have NO idea how much it cost to do something like that.

jolinar of malkshor · 07-19-2006, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Absolutely. Tell you what, if they set up a program like this I will gladly donate my $400 Alberta cheque I'm receiving (for doing not a damn thing but living in a prosperous province I might add) in order to save a few lives.

My goodness, how's your car doing? How's your house doing? How's that X-Box, that stereo, that bed, that paycheque doing? I take it nothing has been bombed recently?

Pretty comfortable? I could imagine so. I know I am. We take this country for granted.

If you are so inclined to pay for all this donate everything you own to help them. I pay over $30,000 in income tax alone every year, that is quite enough.