Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice was booed and jeered Tuesday as he tried to speak to about 400 native protesters on Parliament Hill.
Organizers of the rally say anger over perceived Conservative backtracking on First Nations rights has reached the boiling point. Over shouts of "Liar!" and "Shame!" Prentice tried to explain that his department was not responsible for cutting $160 million meant to preserve native languages. That cash was recently eliminated by Canadian Heritage and replaced with $5 million a year for seven years.
I'm surprised Prentice actually showed up, knowing full well the reception wouldn't be kind. Maybe he didn't get the tight lease memo, that clearly states no Minister should appear before any forum where her/his presence puts the government in a bad light. Clement and Harper both followed the code at the AIDS conference, Ambrose demonstrates the philosophy weekly. Scripted events, friendly audiences, but above all nothing that potentially embarrasses the government's embarrassing policies. Prentice needs to brush up on his Goebbels 101, we can't have this sort of spontaneous freelancing.
1 comment:
Awwww, and just after he stood up in QP again and said he and his ministry were doing so so much more for our First Nations.
The sheer ingratitude of the First Nations!
Perhaps he'll get his friend Toews to put a few more thousand in jail, pump up the population of FN to over 80% bad guys and gals in the hoosegow.
Gee whiz, after he's done so much.
Harper will likely punish the FN so they won't see or hear the likes of Prentice again for a good long while.
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