PMO won't lower flag in honour of soliders
Ugg this article irks me. Lowering the flag is a symbol of respect, not political retoric. This is just another example of the PMO trying to make petty changes to flex their muscles. I'm sorry but this is disrepectful to the Soliders who fight for our country.
The next thing Harper will tell us is that he's changing the Red and White Maple Leaf to Blue and White.
S.
Tories won't lower flag for troop deaths: Casualties in Afghanistan to be honoured on Remembrance Day: Defence minister
The Ottawa Citizen Wednesday, April 5, 2006 Page: A8 Section: News Byline: Joshua Errett Source: The Ottawa Citizen
The decision to stop lowering national flags to half-staff when a Canadian soldier dies in Afghanistan is a return to an 80-year old tradition broken by the previous government, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor said yesterday.
"For the last 80 years, our national tradition has been to honour all (Canadian troops killed in service) on the same day in a national Remembrance Day ceremony," said Mr. O'Connor.
But during the tenure of Jean Chretien and Paul Martin, the Prime Minister's Office requested that Canadian flags at government buildings and on the Peace Tower be lowered when soldiers are killed in Afghanistan. Stephen Harper's Conservative government -- citing Canada Heritage flag-lowering protocol -- will not make those provisions.
"We've reverted back to the tradition," said Defence spokesman Jae Malana, adding that it was previous Liberal governments that broke tradition, not the current Conservative government.
Mr. Malana said the official policy is not to lower flags for every casualty unless the Prime Minister's Office makes a request.
The three soldiers who have died in Afghanistan since Mr. Harper took office have not had flags lowered on all government buildings, most notably the Peace Tower.
Mr. O'Connor said that "the protocol clearly states" flags will beonly be half-staffed for a soldier's death in specific locations: thesoldier's operational base, home base and the National Defence Headquarters, from the day of death to the day of the funeral, and all flags within the soldier's service (Army, Navy or Air Force) on the day of the funeral.
Liberal defence critic Ujjal Dosanjh said the previous Liberal governments recognized that protocol, but lowered flags regardless.
"It was appropriate to change that," said Mr. Dosanjh. "I believe lowering the flag is the least a government can do."
The Liberal government began the flag-lowering policy in 2002, when four Canadian soldiers died in a friendly fire incident with a U.S. pilot in Afghanistan. The policy continued until last month, after the Conservatives took office.
But Mr. Dosanjh said the issue should not become one of partisanship.
"The fact that the Liberals started the tradition of flags at half-mast for every soldier is not the point," he said. "And it should not be a political point.
"That practice should continue."
The next thing Harper will tell us is that he's changing the Red and White Maple Leaf to Blue and White.
S.
Tories won't lower flag for troop deaths: Casualties in Afghanistan to be honoured on Remembrance Day: Defence minister
The Ottawa Citizen Wednesday, April 5, 2006 Page: A8 Section: News Byline: Joshua Errett Source: The Ottawa Citizen
The decision to stop lowering national flags to half-staff when a Canadian soldier dies in Afghanistan is a return to an 80-year old tradition broken by the previous government, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor said yesterday.
"For the last 80 years, our national tradition has been to honour all (Canadian troops killed in service) on the same day in a national Remembrance Day ceremony," said Mr. O'Connor.
But during the tenure of Jean Chretien and Paul Martin, the Prime Minister's Office requested that Canadian flags at government buildings and on the Peace Tower be lowered when soldiers are killed in Afghanistan. Stephen Harper's Conservative government -- citing Canada Heritage flag-lowering protocol -- will not make those provisions.
"We've reverted back to the tradition," said Defence spokesman Jae Malana, adding that it was previous Liberal governments that broke tradition, not the current Conservative government.
Mr. Malana said the official policy is not to lower flags for every casualty unless the Prime Minister's Office makes a request.
The three soldiers who have died in Afghanistan since Mr. Harper took office have not had flags lowered on all government buildings, most notably the Peace Tower.
Mr. O'Connor said that "the protocol clearly states" flags will beonly be half-staffed for a soldier's death in specific locations: thesoldier's operational base, home base and the National Defence Headquarters, from the day of death to the day of the funeral, and all flags within the soldier's service (Army, Navy or Air Force) on the day of the funeral.
Liberal defence critic Ujjal Dosanjh said the previous Liberal governments recognized that protocol, but lowered flags regardless.
"It was appropriate to change that," said Mr. Dosanjh. "I believe lowering the flag is the least a government can do."
The Liberal government began the flag-lowering policy in 2002, when four Canadian soldiers died in a friendly fire incident with a U.S. pilot in Afghanistan. The policy continued until last month, after the Conservatives took office.
But Mr. Dosanjh said the issue should not become one of partisanship.
"The fact that the Liberals started the tradition of flags at half-mast for every soldier is not the point," he said. "And it should not be a political point.
"That practice should continue."
posted by Sarah Wong at 3:15 PM
21 Comments:
"For the last 80 years, our national tradition has been to honour all
(Canadian troops killed in service) on the same day in a national
Remembrance Day ceremony," said Mr. O'Connor.
Remembrance Day ceremonies are there to remember the fallen soldiers from World War 1. Even poppies are used as symbols of those killed in service during World War 1.
While defining Remembrance Day goes as, "Common British, Canadian, South African and ANZAC traditions include two minutes of silence at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month because that was the time (in Britain and France) when the armistice became effective. The two minutes recall World War I and World War II; before 1945 the silence was for one minute."
I can't believe Harper has such disrespect, let alone his Minister of DND... First he ignores the wishes of Canadian's and tries to tell them to hush down because the majority of the population's, who don't want our soldiers in Afghanistan, protesting against the Middle-East affairs is effecting the morale of our troops. I think our troops can understand that some of us don't like it that they are being killed in the line of duty. We are supposed to be there as peacekeepers... Not very peaceful when our soldiers are getting knocked off every week!
Since Harper has become PM there has been a substantial increase in the number of casualities in Afghanistan.
The people of Canada are speaking Mr. Harper, and you are most certainly not listening...
At least Harper had the decency to go to the battleground and support our troops. All Cretien and Martin ever did was lower the flag and pay lip service to the soldiers. They couldn't give a damn about the military as was shown by all the cutting that was done. Before you preach holier-than-thou, take a look at the past and tell me who Canadians think is the better Prime Minister.
Orleans Grit...."since Harper has taken over there has been an increase of casualities..." Are you nuts??? Have your petty little fight between Liberals and Conservatives...who cares...the Liberal Party of Canada has shown over the past 10 years what it thinks our Military....the famous ad that was never to be seen but was is a perfect example...Liberals did nothing but make cuts to every aspect of our Military, and, maybe at the time it was the thing to do...but I would never come to the conclusion that Chretian had no respect for the Military...because that would be petty and pretty frigin stupid.
Hate Harper all you want...who cares...but dont pretend to think that you know what Harper or Bill Graham or Layton are thinking...because your comments have proven that your a petty little civilian with an axe to grind...leave the big issues to people who dont have left or right slants that are so tilted they cant think strait.
Let's not forget it was the Conservative government under Mulroony who did the LARGEST cuts to the military.
I thikn it was great that Harper went to visit the throops but I find it appauling that he would reduce the respectful actions of lowering the flag to mere politics.
shame.
Sarah, you are completely wrong about Mulroney cutting military spending. In fact, military spending doubled in the middle to late 1980's. Then when the Liberals came back into power, Paul Martin as finance minister absolutely gouged the funding from the military.
Actually, it was the Mulroney government who brought in nuclear weapons (subs)..
and it was the Liberals who over saw increased military spending...In 2000 it went to 12 billion and in 2003 it went up to 13 billion...
Maybe instad of the famous "Shamrock Summit" between Mulroney and Regan... Bush and Harper will have the "Steak Summit" and bring Canada into a war agreement with the US...
What does nuclear weapons have to do with anything. You completely ignored the point about Mulroney doubling military spending and then the Liberals cutting it. If you read any data on the subject you'll know that military spending, if you take into account inflation, is presently at 1985 levels. Do you call that an increase?
Lowering the flag to half mast is a sign of respect, no doubt about it. But, there is an official day of remembering, as a nation and that is November 11th.
Lowering the flag for every time there is a soldiers' death, eventually will diminish the meaning of the flag at half mast. I wasn't around for WWII, but I'm sure that the flag flew at full mast during that time frame.
If people want to remember those who have recently fallen, just say a silent prayer for them or carry a poppy, it will mean a lot more to you than seeing a flag at half mast.
I would like to remind you though, tragic as it was, the deaths of the Polytechnic students was to be remembered annually by the Liberal government of lowering the flag to half mast?
Like I said, lowering the flag for every death, civilian or military, cheapens the meaning in the long run.
The rate these Tories talk about Mulroney spending this and that..in fact he spent so much that thr Liberal government, with Martin ,... took one look at that deficit and said "everybody is going to have to pay for all this spending" The former government did not know how to manage the economy, and that is that..!
The flag should be lowered for respect.
Annie! Check the facts. The Liberals increased spending far far more than the Conservatives ever did. That's what Liberals stand for. Tax and spend. As much as I didn't like Mulroney, I disliked Cretien and Martin more. Martin slashed so much money needlessly and then surprise surprise found a lot of money when it was time to set up the Sponsorship program and the many foundations that can't be audited. It's time to give some money back to Canadians instead of Canadian ad agencies.
Another anonymous misstep... Annie's statement that under Mulroney the deficit and debt was huge and getting huger by the day. Canadians demanded that the country's economical shape be addressed when they elected Chretien. He did it and we all did it (I'm a liberal but it urks me whenever the PM or his supporters said it was the Liberals who paid down the debt and created the balanced budgets -- its only half right!). Defence spending dropped as did most other departments. did the overall spending increase? As the economy and budget books got better, sure it did. Could the Tories have accomplished this trick? No. Mulroney and now Harpo are cut from the same cloth. Taxes for the rich will go down and the hole in our middle- and lower-class pockets just got bigger. But we'll have more prisons, and O'Connor's former employers will have rich contracts to build defence equipment. That sounds like George Bush's favourite place (except there isnt an unending supply of illegal latin housekeepers here to clean up after him...)
You want to talk about Conservative scandal...okay well Mulroney lost almost a cabinet minister a year due to "wrongdoings".
How about ‘Tunagate’ when lobbyist, StarKist, enticed the Conservative government to release rotten tuna to the public. After selling the stinky fish, he became speaker of the House...seems like accountability ran just as strong back then as it does with Harper. Is Cuttler still in line for Integrity Commish?
Want a few more...Strip clubs, elections Canada allegations, 2.6 million dollar loads to family companies, even personal loads from the government, RCMP investigating bribes and business favours, or an MP who was charged with 50 counts of fraud and influencing, or Airbus and the kickbacks...
The Conservatives went from 211 seats down to 2 for a reason. So don’t try to sit in your ivory tower now that you are just merely on the other side of the House. It’s a minority government for a reason...on both sides of the fence.
This is why I got in this conversation...its not about Harper or about his so called shunning of the military...its about the difference's betweent he left and the right....my sides better...my side is more respectful...but when you use the military to engage a debate it is YOU who are disrespectful...have your petty little right-left fights...bring back arguments from 20 years ago...you all sound silly..but dont use the men and women who have served and are serving this country as a starting point on your petty little difference's....
The point of this post is that the lowering of the flag should not be political.
It's a sign of respect. If you want to change the policy, don't say it's because of petty politics.
Frankly, I think it's sad to change the policy and blame it on broken promises. Show a little respect.
I agree, the rest of the ranting is off topic.
Sorry Sarah, the Liberals made flying the flag at half mast political when Sheila Copps ordered it to be flown as such to remember the Montreal shootings.
how is that political...and not respectful?
Hmmm...let us see...
Can you bring to mind when the flag was lowered to half mast to show respect/rememberance for,
Pickton's victims?
The little girl who was dismembered by her parents in T.O.?
Bernardo's victims?
The Virk girl in B.C.?
Or any other horrific crime?
Sorry Sarah, it was political.
We need a day to honor dead politicians, I choose July 14th or Nov 5th. On this day all Politicians should gather to bask in thier own glory on parliament hill, maybe take a toddle over to Darcy McGee's and have a pint or two. If they would be so kind as to gather in one group on the supreme court lawn, maybe we could take a photograph or two before we make them make the ultimate sacrifice for the nation. This would give us the reason for a national day to lower the flag in memory of all politicians. Just so we the citizens of this country dont have to take a moment out of our day or be reminded when, a Cadman, a Strahl, Moore, Trudeau, Chretien, Harper, or any other politician dies as a result of sitting on their asses and taking credit from the soldiers who put their lives on the line every day. If we are to honor these men, I suggest every day is Remembrance Day for our Canadian Troops. And election day is the day we remember our politicians are just in this for themselves.
Oh Yeah, I forgot the Sycophants who and I use the term loosely work for these SOB'S you guys can come for the photo op too..
Whats the matter posties chocking on your silver spoons, lets talk about the draft so we can raise a real army and kick some ass. I know we need some more troops any of you politicians man enough to anty up? Got any kids ready for a career? I Salute those of you who have been there and done that, and those of you like Thompson who have kids in harms way.
Im done for today, but I will be back
{Havok}
Post a Comment
<< Home