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Tories want anti-Americans gone from Grits
Canadian Press via Sun Media ^ | Alexander Panetta

Posted on 10/06/2004 2:28:26 PM PDT by Clive

OTTAWA (CP) - The Liberals must purge from their ranks a rampant anti-Americanism that has hurt relations with Canada's powerful neighbour, the Opposition Conservatives said Wednesday.

The opposition used the return of Parliament to hammer the government over comments this summer by Liberal MP Carolyn Parrish, who dubbed supporters of the U.S. missile-defence project a "coalition of the idiots."

The Conservatives called for Prime Minister Paul Martin to expel from his caucus MPs like Parrish, who last year in the runup to the Iraq war also referred to Americans as "bastards."

"Why has he let the American-bashing member . . . continue to sit in his caucus and become the de facto Liberal spokesman on U.S. relations?" said Conservative MP Jason Kenney.

Kenney cited anti-U.S. comments from other Liberals, and said such hostile remarks are weakening trade ties between Canada and the United States.

"If this prime minister is serious about fixing our economic relations with the United States why doesn't he kick these people out of his caucus and stop tolerating the anti-American wing of his party that is hurting our economic interests?"

Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew replied that comments like Parrish's don't speak for the entire government.

He also wondered why the Conservatives spend so much time lamenting anti-American comments in Canada while remaining silent to Canada-bashing south of the border.

"I would like the Conservative party and this member to get as outraged when sometimes some Congressmen say outstanding and bizarre things about Canada," Pettigrew said.

"Parliamentarians sometimes say things. They do not represent necessarily the view of our government. But they never get outraged when things are sometimes said about Canada."

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper later used a major speech to hammer the government with the same anti-U.S. accusations.

"The Liberals must understand that good relations with our best friend and most important customer are not a sign of weakness, and that bad relations with the U.S. are not a badge of honour," Harper told the Commons in his reply to the government's policy-setting throne speech.

"The prime minister might also remind some of his members that it is possible to disagree with somebody without being disagreeable."


TOPICS: Canada; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS:
Harper has no control over the Yanks but Martin definitely has control over his own caucus.

In fact, party discipline is much stronger in the parliamentary system than it is in the congressional system.

In fairness to Martin, he has already publicly repremanded Parrish. Her snotty attitude has already blighted her chance for a portfolio and if she keeps it up, hopefully she will find herself out of causus.

1 posted on 10/06/2004 2:28:27 PM PDT by Clive
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To: Great Dane; Alberta's Child; headsonpikes; coteblanche; Ryle; albertabound; mitchbert; ...

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2 posted on 10/06/2004 2:29:10 PM PDT by Clive
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To: Clive

Hmm, their helicopter needs repair and their submarine is on fire. Not much to worry about. The Canadians have plenty of time and money to place monuments to Viet Nam draft dodgers.


3 posted on 10/06/2004 2:46:51 PM PDT by shrinkermd
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To: Clive

I like my grits with butter and salt.


4 posted on 10/06/2004 2:48:18 PM PDT by scab4faa (There are 3 types of people in this world, those that can count and those that can't...)
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To: Clive

"I would like the Conservative party and this member to get as outraged when sometimes some Congressmen say outstanding and bizarre things about Canada," Pettigrew said.

Can anyone site any instances of this?


5 posted on 10/06/2004 2:51:24 PM PDT by Bigh4u2
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To: scab4faa
I like my grits with butter and salt.

ahem...I'm blushing.

6 posted on 10/06/2004 2:52:58 PM PDT by Grit ('For the love of my brother, and for the love of my country.' - Pat Tillman)
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To: Clive

Me too! I don't want any of that crap in my grits. Cheese and butter and some Tabasco, maybe.


7 posted on 10/06/2004 2:53:49 PM PDT by Xenalyte (Lord, I apologize . . . and be with the starving pygmies in New Guinea amen.)
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To: Xenalyte
Cheese and butter and some Tabasco, maybe.

Tabasco? Ouch.

8 posted on 10/06/2004 3:01:43 PM PDT by Grit ('For the love of my brother, and for the love of my country.' - Pat Tillman)
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To: Clive
He also wondered why the Conservatives spend so much time lamenting anti-American comments in Canada while remaining silent to Canada-bashing south of the border.

We aren't bashing Canada or the Canadians, just the Canadian liberals.

9 posted on 10/06/2004 3:03:08 PM PDT by jdege
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To: Grit; Xenalyte
Mmmm. Grits.


10 posted on 10/06/2004 3:08:36 PM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: jdege

Yep, we like Canadians like Don Cherry.


11 posted on 10/06/2004 3:08:51 PM PDT by CDB
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To: Clive

There is the usual good spirited country bashing that every nation engages in. I have no problem with it.

The harsh anti-American rhetoric Canada engaged in is another matter. Booing our kids playing a hockey game, is another matter. If we're bashing Canada now, it's well deserved and was provoked.


12 posted on 10/06/2004 4:43:03 PM PDT by Soul Seeker
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To: scab4faa; Clive
I like my grits with butter and salt.

I doubt the Canadians know much about fixing grits.

13 posted on 10/06/2004 9:26:41 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative (Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Dan Rather's got to go!)
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