[Fair Go]

I think what you say applies to the Liberals but not the conservatives. I see Stephen Harper as a leader in the mould of John Howard. That has to be good for US/Canadian relations and for all of us concerned with the march of terrorism.

[spatso]

"I see Stephen Harper as a leader in the mould of John Howard. That has to be good for US/Canadian relations and for all of us concerned with the march of terrorism"

He could be, I don't know. Anything I have read on him stresses that he is very smart and very much in charge of a tight ship. I know it really upsets the Canadian posters to use a word like soft, but in the circumstances it is both appropriate and fair. Some people want to assume a new conservative Canadian government immediately means all is forgotten and forgiven. Perhaps, but I don't think so. I have obviously failed in trying to explain the link between gay mounties and Canada's image in terms of foreign policy. Symbols are very important. So, when you see a symbol as powerful as the world famous Mounties being caricatured as the happy gay couple, can we not ask so what has changed? When a government appears to endorse their being married in their dress uniforms it appears as the same old, same old.