Thousands paid tribute Saturday as the first of four Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan was laid to rest.
And the father of Cpl. Matthew Dinning had some critical words for Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Dinning was remembered through a video presentation that also criticized how the federal government is handling the return of its fallen soldiers...
The presentation came to a close with footage of Matthew Dinning's remains returning to CFB Trenton, video the media had to gather by peering over a military fence because the Conservatives banned them from the airfield.
Mr. Dinning introduced the clip by saying it contained images Harper didn't want the public to see.
A new poll shows Canadians understand the true motivation:
The Ipsos Reid poll for CanWest News and Global National found that two-thirds of those surveyed feel a media ban on the homecoming of the flag-draped caskets of Canadian Forces personnel "is really a government muzzle and should be left up to families to decide."
We already know the government lied about who made the decision to ban the media, that it was pure politics afterall. It is striking how badly the Conservatives misread the reaction to their transparent attempt to copy the well-known Bush approach. Why they thought Canadians would accept this measure is beyond me and demonstrates some detachment from reality. Canadians will grieve every death in a profound way and on a national scale. It will be interesting to see how Harper reacts the next time.
3 comments:
hearhere
"Do not believe any other motive."
Steve V
"don't fall for the spin"
OTTAWA — The Harper government's controversial decision to ban the Canadian news media from ceremonies honouring repatriated war dead originated in the Prime Minister's Office and was made primarily for political reasons, multiple sources close to the government said yesterday.
"It was not [Defence Minister] Gordon O'Connor's idea," one said. "Exactly whose idea it was is somewhere in the Langevin Block."
Several sources close to the Prime Minister's Office said the strategy originated with Sandra Buckler, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's new communications director. She then sold it to Mr. Harper, arguing it would generate only "a week of bad publicity," after which it would be accepted as a fait accompli, sources said.
hearhere
"There was also a time when media could be sued for making stories out of unsubstantiated unproved anonymour source tips."
I will be blunt. This government openly speaks, on the record, about its policies essentially being a means to attain a majority. Harper's hyper-politicism is accepted as fact. Why then, should anyone be surprised that the casket decision was articulated by the communications director. If you seriously believe this story was made up, then you are delusional about the nature of your man. If you want to paint the Globe and Mail, as though it is the National Enquirer, to maintain your warped perspective go ahead, but it makes you look like a fool grasping at straws.
hearhere,
According to both Lincoln Dinning and Jeff Leger, the Payne family could have simply requested their part of the ceremony be private - Cpl Payne could have been repatriated after the other and after the press had left.
Simple.
Of course, that assertion - that the Payne family issued a statement - is not supporteed by the coverage we got here in Eastern Ontario. Many families members appeared on camera and no one objected to it.
This descision was made without consulting the families or the CF, as Lincioln Dinning shows. THAT is the problem.
Such transperency and openness in government. Fantastic.
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