The G8 Twitter Scorecard: Which leader has most Twitter mojo?

- June 18th, 2013
G8 Family Photo

The G8 Family Photo, as seen by me on the TV screen in the Media Centre a few kilometres away from the Lough Erne Resort, Northern Ireland. From left to right: Euro Commission Pres Jose Manuel Barroso, Japan PM Shinzo Abe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian Prez Vladimir Putin, UK PM David Cameron, US Prez Barack Obama, French Prez Francois Hollande, Cdn PM Stephen Harper, Italy PM Enrico Letta and (cut off out of frame) Euro Council Pres Herman von Rompuy

The G8 is wrapping up here today in Lough Erne, Northern Ireland. When the leaders are apart from each other, will they use Twitter to stay in touch? Some do. Some don’t. And if you want to reach German Chancellor Angela Merkel, better use the phone. Here’s the Twitter Scorecard: Read more…

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Why “Harper the Trotskyite” does not believe Putin will change on Syria

- June 16th, 2013
Harper meets Putin

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia: Prime Minister Stephen Harper meets Russian President Vladimir Putin during the 2012 APEC Summit in October, 2012. (DAVID AKIN/QMI Agency)

G8 Leaders convene in Northern Ireland Monday. France, the United Kingdom, and the United States will be leading the charge to take some action on Syria where, those three countries have concluded, dictator Bashar al-Assad has been using chemical weapons to gas his own people. Canada agrees with its allies on that issue though Canada does not believe it is time to arm Assad’s opponents.  Read more…

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Categories: Foreign Affairs | 5 comments

Big news in Dublin: The Canadian PM is here!

- June 16th, 2013

Stephen Harper arrives in Dublin

[PMO Photo]

I must say: In the seven years I’ve been following Prime Minister Stephen Harper (and briefly Prime Minister Martin before him) around the globe, I have never seen his arrival in any foreign land reported with the gusto of Pamela Duncan of the Irish Times today. Bravo, Ms. Duncan!

In what was reminiscent of a scene out of a US blockbuster movie, security personnel wearing dark suits and darker sunglasses fiddled earnestly with their earpieces as they made their way to where the prime minister’s plane would be taxied ….

As the plane roared in for landing, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore made his way from his car looking relaxed and sporting the obligatory fashion item for any such event – the Irish EU presidency tie.

With a smile and a wave Mr Harper exited the aircraft wearing the placid smile of a man used to diplomatic displays.

Read the whole thing here: Canada PM arrives in Dublin ahead of G8 summit – Irish News, World News & More | The Irish Times – Sat, Jun 15, 2013.

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Charity to Trudeau: Can we have the money back?

- June 14th, 2013

Back there on page A5 of the Fredericton Daily Gleaner (which is not online) you’ll find this story. (I provide some excerpts here)

Charity asks Trudeau to return $20,000 speaking fee

Byline: CHRIS MORRIS Legislature Bureau

A charitable organization trying to raise money for a seniors’ home in Saint John is asking federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau to please send back the $20,000 it paid him for a fundraising event that flopped. Read more…

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Categories: Politics | 23 comments

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s speech to the UK Parliament

- June 13th, 2013

The text of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s speech to be delivered at 1200 GMT in the Robing Room at the Palace of Westminster to members of the UK Parliament (pardon the formatting hiccups. That’s my fault, not anyone else’s, as I rushed to get this online) . The speech is 3,320 words long:

Lord Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Monsieur le premier ministre, Prime Minister, Lords and Members of the House of Commons: For anyone who fully understands and truly cherishes the free and democratic nature of our institutions and the long history upon which they rest
there is no honour to compare with an invitation to stand here at the very cradle of our political system and to address the Members of the Parliament of Westminster. Read more…

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Categories: Foreign Affairs, Politics | 11 comments

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