March 17, 2003 – Stephen Harper, then leader of the Conservative Opposition, attacks Jean Chretien’s Liberal government for listening to the majority of Canadians and not overtly supporting or sending combat troops into Bush’s war in Iraq. The United Nations did not support the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, called the war illegal in 2004.
Massive demonstrations in Quebec and Canada against the impending war in Iraq forced the Liberals to make this public statement against the war in 2003. Chretien’s government did send military and command support into the Gulf, and made a deal with the Bush Administration to send a large contingent of combat troops into Afghanistan instead of Iraq (2,500 Canadian troops are currently serving in Kandahar until 2011; as of mid-June 2008, 85 soldiers had been killed).
Harper and his Conservative party (now the minority Government of Canada) strongly advocate for war in the Middle East, have successfully pushed through increases in military spending in Canada as requested by the Bush Administration, and promote a repressive security state that targets Arabs, Muslims and ethnic minorities who do not support their aggressive neo-conservative agenda.
Conservatives Stephen Harper and Stockwell Day are closely tied to the Republican Bush Administration in the United States. Harper and Day’s election and political campaigns are heavily funded by oil, gas, defence and conservative lobby groups, both in Canada and the United States.
Copyright © 2008 Toronto Video Activist Collective
Duration : 0:6:30
www.wideopenexposure.com Demo reel of newly released critical Canadian and totally indepently produced documentary. Screening info and how to purchase dvd’s can be found at:
Last week, the Conservative Canadian government interfered in the Democratic primary process by lying to the world about Barack Obama’s position on NAFTA.
UPDATE:
Jewish Canadians: “We are ashamed of the Canadian government’s support of Israel’s genocide of Palestine” outside of conservative MP Peter Kent’s office – 01.17.2009
Why do Canadians pay so many taxes?