The CTV report here would have you think that Pamela Wallin is very critical of how the government has handled the detainee situation, but in reality she is just saying that people need to be made aware of all the good that is being accomplished in Afghanistan.
She emphasizes the difficulties of working with a country whose democratic institutions have to be built from scratch. She also mentioned that many Canadians seem to have forgotten about Afghanistan and were not sure why we are there. She credited the Manley report with raising consciousness and pointed to poll results this past week as evidence. When Pamela talks about 'information deficit', I think she is referring to the heavy emphasis on casualties and deaths, with little about the accomplishments. Now whose fault is that? I know - if it bleeds it leads...
Watch the interview here (click on QP - Pamela Wallin on the Manley Report) and compare.
Strange that the clip on the QP website gets cut off just as Wallin explains how she was touched by the interactions of the children and the soldiers and how she was so deeply moved by the Afghan people expressing their gratitude...
Anyway, good on Pamela Wallin for her non-partisan, classy handling of this issue. Craig Oliver must be frustrated that she didn't play the game.
33 comments:
When is that tired ol' woodpecker Craig Oliver going to hang em up? He really should ease himself into a colour commentators job with his grandchildren's house league team. He could play up the tedious experience card, draw on his wallet-full of cliches and endlessly play Beast of Burden on the arena loudspeakers at 6am weekdays. Jane won't miss him either.
I agree with your comments. Craig was trying to get her to change her story. Equally annoying was Jane today, I would have liked to have stuffed something in her mouth.
Do they not stop and think that we didn't know for weeks at a time what was going on in the two big wars, back when we didn't have t.v. and reporters trying to get a story.
Yes Joanne, I just watched that at CTV.ca, and came away with the same observation.
Interesting that PMSH recommended that everyone read the Manley report.CTV is twisting it saying the report brings Harper's leadership into question.
Question for Craig Oliver and Iggy Poo: If the report condemns Harper would he tell everyone to read it?
I hope everyone will read the report instead of letting MSM interpret it for them and tell them what to think.
Pamela Wallin was very interesting and yes she was 'cut off'.
Would they ever do that to Iggy or Steffi?
Oliver's greatest concern:
Wallin being media alumni and supporting the mission.Imagine that!
bluetech
I thought it was interesting today how Craig and Jane worked every liberal that was on, trying to get them to say they were going to push for Sandra's resignation, none of them would "bite" because they knew full well, the conservatives would be asking for dion's resignation tomorrow. They have to cover his mis-quotes on a daily basis, so they didn't dare agree with Jane and Craig. They never hear dion's mis-quotes, they are only interested in the negatives towards the conservative government. I think it is so bias, they think it is okay for dion to keep secret, his knowledge of the Afghanitan detainees for security reasons, but Harper's Government is all secrets, they keep everything to themselves, won't let the public know. They are so liberal bias, I immediately wrote CTV Question Period and told them they were a disgrace. The only interest Oliver had today with Pamela Walling was he wanted her to critize the Harper Government's role in the report. That was his only interest. Write CTV and tell them, they are suppose to report the news, we do not need their liberal bias in every story they report...
Write CTV and tell them, they are suppose to report the news, we do not need their liberal bias in every story they report...
Yeah, I don't know if we're still being held hostage to the PPG snit or what's going on, but what was on QP today was an attack ad against the government.
Hey, maybe that's the only way the Liberals can afford it!
QP was disgusting today, watching the partisan hacks Fossil Oliver and Lame Taber made me want to puke.
Taber interupts the conservatives then lets Rae and Black go on these long lame rants.
The conservative MP says 3 times that the detaniee deal is still in place this is all part of the deal. And Taber and oliver don't listen they just keep going on with there liberal talking points.
How can these 2 people even consider themselves repoters? They are more gossip reporters.
Then the repoters at the end going after Mrs Buckler I had to turn it off, what a bunch of petty petty people. Those 4 repoters don't hold a candle to Mrs Buckler.
Remeber this has nothing to do with the media wanting to know the truth, this has everything to do with the media going after the hated Mrs Buckler. Remeber that is all this is about nothing more nothing less.
I really hated the anti-Conservative bias coming from CTV's Craig Oliver. I think I'll watch the CBC news instead.
My word verification is ironically toryv. I don't know what the "v" stands for.
My word verification is ironically toryv. I don't know what the "v" stands for.
Victory. ;)
I haven't found anything in the paper about the MDL report that Thibault was having dinner with Schreiber and going over papers either.
Good point, Ruth. That seems to have been conveniently swept under the rug.
Had to miss QP today, but am not surprised at the bias. Perhaps these two hosts should pay attention to what is going on in the US primaries. Seems Billory has turned some democrats, and media, off and yesterdays slaughter of Hillory shows it.
The ctv and cbc have gone too far re the prisoners, and supporting all Dion's misspeaking. They just might end up giving PMSH a majority, just to shut them up.
When that happens I will send them all a thank you card.
Has anyone asked what the prisoners were doing when captured, like planting IEDs, trying to bomb children, burning a school. Why do Tabor and Oliver care more about prisoners than our own troops. Maybe PMSH should tell both of them that these prisoners can come to Canada and be placed under house arrest, in their homes.
Or maybe the budget will cancel all funds to the cbc and the bldg turned into a POW camp.
Or maybe the budget will cancel all funds to the cbc and the bldg turned into a POW camp.
We can only hope. ;)
I wonder what the military families think about all this...
Why do Tabor and Oliver care more about prisoners than our own troops.
Just my opinion, but because we are more civilized than our enemies, and believe in behaving that way? The reason we treat prisoners in a civilized manner, is to ensure that our troops, if captured, treated as well.
I doubt that journalists care "more" about them, but, hey, it's a slow news day.
They can huff and puff all they want and distort the facts, but when the next election campaign starts and runs it's course the Conservative's have the strongest weapon to use in the campaign.
His name is Stephane Dion, and the Liberal's can try the McGuinty boy-in-a-bubble strategy, but in a national campaign it won't work. Letting Canadian's see Dion in the debates, hearing his own words without anyone beside him (eg. Iggy, Codderre, Goodale) to explain what he really meant, Canadian's will finally see the man who thinks he should be PM.
And this whole detainee thing is a farce. By Dion's own admission he was told weeks ago, but was told he could not reveal the information for safety reasons related to our troops. Maybe that's the same reason Conservative's never released the info. Did these clowns ever stop and think that if the Taliban knew Canadian forces were holding prisoners that they might become emboldened to attack them? Probably not.
Hey, how's that invasion of Pakistan coming Stephane?
I agree with you on this, paul. I have a lot of respect for Dion, mainly due to his post-referendum writings/refutation of separatism.
He is not, however, ever going to become PM, because of a) his inability to commmunicate his ideas properly, b) his move to the left of the political spectrum, c) his association with the Chretien regime. Throw in several other tactical errors, e.g., support for Kyoto, talk about re-raising the GST, and Manley's refuting the Liberal Afghan position, he's pretty well dead in the water. This means either another CPC minority or majority.
My personal sense is that it will be a electoral disaster for the Libs, based on my discussions with mildly-political and non-political colleagues. It will be a lesson for the LPC, though, and will lead to some fundamental changes in the long run.
With all of the mistakes being made by the CPC, the Libs should be well in the lead, but they're not.
Joanne,
I watched QP today and it amazing how they portrayed the Manley Report as a damning indictment of the government's policies in Afghanistan and totally ignore that to believe Manley would make one believe the Liberal's have no clue what so ever.
I thought Laurie Hahn gave a decent interview, but he was given negative questions and pounded on by three people. Dawn Black was lobbed beach balls and still sounded ugly. Bob Rae was treated like roualty.
Tomm
Despite the gross ineptitude of Dion, let's not forget or take for granted the Liberals perpetual election strategy of campaigning on the far left issues and yet governing mostly on the right. There are an amazing amount of people who love to be promised the moon and have guys like Steffi take care of them. I don't like it either, it's disingenuous to say the least but effective. To truly emphasize and empower us as individuals within this society rather than promising the collective all big gov't care and oversight approach that inevitably leads to colossal waste. Waste of valuable energy and dollars mostly doled out to people who do not really need it and bureaucrats who create ever new and larger bureaucracies. Support your conservatives and do not let journalists shape the dialogue without writing them to counter or support them.
On QP, Iggy looked like an undertaker complete with black suit and tie, and white shirt. We all know who he wants to bury. :-)
He looked positively oily with orchestrated hand gestures. I wonder how long he practiced in front of a mirror to get it down pat.
Taber comes across as hysterical and Oliver reminds me of the Joker from a deck of cards.
Oh, and when Oliver whined about government secrecy, that public servants refused to take his calls fearing they'd get into trouble. Well, duh, that's always been policy for public servants. I was a manager in the p.s. under the Liberals and we were ordered not to speak to the press under any circumstances.
Louise M.
Maybe that's the same reason Conservative's never released the info. Did these clowns ever stop and think that if the Taliban knew Canadian forces were holding prisoners that they might become emboldened to attack them?
Exactly, Paul.
I thought Laurie Hahn gave a decent interview, but he was given negative questions and pounded on by three people.
Tomm, I agree. It was likely the worst episode of QP I've ever seen in terms of bias.
Support your conservatives and do not let journalists shape the dialogue without writing them to counter or support them.
Good advice, WM.
Oh, and when Oliver whined about government secrecy, that public servants refused to take his calls fearing they'd get into trouble. Well, duh, that's always been policy for public servants. I was a manager in the p.s. under the Liberals and we were ordered not to speak to the press under any circumstances.
Louise, thanks for that personal perspective. I have a relative by marriage in Elections Canada, and I once asked him something related to politics. He said he's really not supposed to have a partisan opinion and wasn't comfortable discussing it (that was under the Liberals).
Olly, olly oxen free!
On the one hand, Oliver and many other media types say the government is very secretive and that the PM is such a control freak that nobody can move or speak without his say-so.
On the other, Oliver can "tell" the Canadian public exactly what is being planned in the PMO, who told Sandra Buckler to do/say something, what the PM is thinking, and what Conservatives are bitching about.
So ... are the Conservatives clamming up in fear of their leader, or are they keeping good ol' Olly "informed"?
You can't have it both ways, Mr. Oliver.
Olly, olly oxen free! Come out, come out, wherever you are!
Time for Olly to find some nice pasture and retire.
On QP, Iggy looked like an undertaker complete with black suit and tie, and white shirt. We all know who he wants to bury. :-)
Ha! Or maybe he was trying to look like a Puffin. Or a penguin.
Another point, if I may.
Regarding the accusation that the Conservative government is secretive, keeping information from the public, and that it has not explained the Afghanistan mission to Canadians, even Mr. Manley pointed to the media’s obsession with the death of soldiers and neglect of other facts about Afghanistan.
Here’s what Manley said to Don Newman during an interview (h/t to proudtobecanadian.ca for the transcription) :
« … not that I would ever be critical of the media but Don, when we visited a project in the center of Kabul—an amazing redevelopment project, largely funded by CIDA [the Canadian International Development Agency], you know, you’ve got the whole package there: redevelopment, girls in school, the whole thing.
A group of Canadian reporters came to see it because it was a CIDA project. That afternoon, regrettably a Canadian soldier was killed — [so] the whole story was killed, so that we could report (a) the incident; then, a couple of days later we show the ramp ceremony; then we show the return; then we show the funeral. Canadians have the impression that all we do over there is sit and get shot! Well we’re doing a lot more. And balancing that story is an important element of ensuring that Canadians actually know what it is they either support or oppose with this huge investment of our resources in Afghanistan.»
(That quote was part of a comment I posted at Jack's Newswatch)
Of course, journalists may retort that it's not their job to do the government's work by explaining the mission.
And it is true that the government needs to do better in communicating with Canadians.
However, any time the government tries to do so, it's dismissed as more government spin.
"I haven't found anything in the paper about the MDL report that Thibault was having dinner with Schreiber and going over papers either."
Well then you are obviously not reading the news. Thibault and Schreiber have never made any secret about these meetings. Both have publicly referred to them on many occassions.
Has it ever occurred to any of you people that the reason the conservatives are getting negative press lately is because they have seriously mishandled the whole detainees issue?
"Has it ever occurred to any of you people that the reason the conservatives are getting negative press lately is because they have seriously mishandled the whole detainees issue?"
How would Dion have handled it?
First, it would probably never have come up. The reports out of Afghanistan would probably have been either neutral or approving rather than critical.
And if the detainees question had come up, what solution would Dion have offered?
Oh, right.
Bring the detainees to Canada. That was one of his solutions.
BTW, the Conservatives haven't been getting negative press "lately."
It has been a long-standing tradition, accentuated since PM Harper decided not to pander to the PPG.
Gayle - surely you jest.
"Has it ever occurred to any of you people that the reason the conservatives are getting negative press lately is because they have seriously mishandled the whole detainees issue?"
There is such a blatant bias against the Conservatives in the press and it has been becoming more and more blatant everytime a new poll comes out showing them actually being popular with Canadians.
And yes - Shrieber and Thibault have not made any secret about their meetings - which makes it even more blatantly biased that the press do not even seem to think there is anything wrong with this.
Gayle - if a Tory was meeting with Shrieber, we would have headlines, news shows and screaming from the opposition.
THe very fact that there is NOTHING proves their is such a blatant bias in this country against the Tories.
If you can't see that you need to take off your red colored glasses.
"How would Dion have handled it?"
How is that relevant? What IS relevant is how Harper has handled it, adn the reviews are almost unanimous that he has handled it very badly.
Why don't you address that? How about a comment on Buckler's lies, or the fact that the conservatives got up in ht HofC time and time again and lied about this issue. Not only did they lie, but they continued to suggest the liberals were anti-troops and pro-Taliban for even suggesting torture was happening.
As for the rest, media bias is a poor excuse for the poor performance of Harper.
I know you refuse to believe this, but the reality is that most media do not really care about the conservatives any more or any less than the liberals. The media are interested in stories, and selling themselves.
The constant harping from both sides of the fence on this issue is tiresome. It is the way people like you avoid acknowledging the mistakes made by Harper.
Re KS and Roger T having dinner in a fancy eating place. That story was written by-wait for it- Jane Tabor. I found it via National Newswatch a couple of days ago.
I know there were many meetings between Thibault and Schreiber before the commission started. Maybe this secret meeting wasn't out of the ordinary, but it seemed to be inappropriate when it came on Duffy's blackberry on Friday night. Poor old "beer and popcorn" man just wanted to get out of there.
"Why don't you address that? How about a comment on Buckler's lies, or the fact that the conservatives got up in ht HofC time and time again and lied about this issue. Not only did they lie, but they continued to suggest the liberals were anti-troops and pro-Taliban for even suggesting torture was happening"
Gayle -since when do you lefties feel that you have to KNOW every little frigin detail about what is happening in a conflict situation - do you not realize that exposing every little frigin detail about said conflict - even what happens to prisoners might just play into the hands of the enemy.
But then again - you only want to GET the conservatives over this.
Didn't Dion keep this a secret - how come it is OK for him to do it but not the Government?
If the shoe were on the other foot and Dion had keep this information secret you would be defending him to the nth degree about how this would play into the enemies hands.
The hyposcrasy from you and your ilk is amazing.
''Of course, journalists may retort that it's not their job to do the government's work by explaining the mission.''
IMO it IS the CBCs job.
We pay them to inform us.
Good opportunity here for PMSH to direct the CBC to produce sunday specials on the reconstruction and humanitarian efforts of Canadian troops and civilians.
Before the Manley report, PMSH trying 'selling the Afghan mission' was criticized by Libs/MSM. (warmongering Conservatives)
Now Cdns are expecting/demanding it.
Gayle, what was the lie?
Quote what was said by who.
(and not Buckler, she is not an elected official)
Note, parliament was out when Bernier found out about evidence of torture.
As soon as parliament resumed, he told the house.
What he, MacKay and others (including Dion & Iggy) didn't do, was break a military confidence.
Gayle,
Why did Libs keep pressuring the government on the issue when they already knew (as a military confidence) detainees were not being handed over because an investigation was under way?
The Liberals were perpetuating a lie.
Did Jack Layton know too?
From Gayle: Why don't you address that? How about a comment on Buckler's lies, or the fact that the conservatives got up in ht HofC time and time again and lied about this issue. Not only did they lie, but they continued to suggest the liberals were anti-troops and pro-Taliban for even suggesting torture was happening.
Maybe they are just trying to get appointed to the senate, a precedent set by the Liberal's.
"In 1999, Eggleton supported Canada's involvement in NATO's bombing campaign of Yugoslavia over the issue of Kosovo.
He was re-elected again in the 2000 election, but ran into trouble two years later when it was revealed that he gave a government contract to his ex-girlfriend Maggie Maier a $36,500 contract to write a report on post-traumatic stress disorder and environmental illness among Canadian soldiers. The deal was discovered by the Ottawa Citizen. It was one of a series of minor scandals affecting Liberal ministers at the time. On May 26, 2002, Eggleton was dismissed from Cabinet as due to the revelations. Another misstep in January 2002, when Mr. Eggleton as Defence Minister omitted to tell his Liberal colleagues that Canadian Forces in Afghanistan had detained persons and transferred them to the United States (who ultimately put them in Guantanamo Bay) led to questions about his competence in the House, and a widely reported rebuke from the PM. His career never recovered from this error.
As a backbencher, he became critical of Chrétien, and expressed his support for Paul Martin. Despite this, he was not returned to cabinet when Martin became Prime Minister in December 2003. On May 13, 2004, Eggleton announced he would not be a candidate in the 2004 federal election making way for the nomination of Ken Dryden as the Liberal candidate in York Centre. He was appointed to the Senate by Paul Martin on March 24, 2005.
"Deputy Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff noted that on Nov. 22, MacKay told the House there was not a single proven instance of detainee abuse in Afghanistan.
Given that MacKay was in Kandahar when the abuse case surfaced on Nov. 5, "was the minister asleep, out of the loop, or did he knowingly withhold information from this House?" Ignatieff asked.
"What I said at this time was absolutely true," MacKay said, adding the detainee transfer agreement remains in place."
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