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Jun. 15, 2006. 08:29 PM
SYLVAIN LAROCQUE
CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he’s “nobody’s puppet” and U.S. President George W. Bush doesn’t pull his strings.
“I see from time to time that the Liberals and members of the Bloc say that I am George Bush’s puppet and other things like that,” Harper said in a wide-ranging television interview with Radio-Canada that will air Sunday.
“Even if I think that people don’t always agree with me, they understand that I’m nobody’s puppet,” Harper told the French-language program Les Coulisses de pouvoir.
Harper has been criticized by his political adversaries and some commentators for being too cosy with Bush on issues such as the Kyoto Protocol and the military.
Harper also said during the interview that some Canadians don’t understand that terrorism is a global threat.
“I think that a lot of people in Canada are naive,” he said. ``The reality is that the terrorism threat is worldwide. We cannot escape it by closing our eyes.
“That’s the reason why we’ve have been in Afghanistan for several years. We are there because of the deaths of about 30 Canadians in the World Trade Centre (during the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City),” he said.
As for recent threats against him by the 17 terrorists suspects arrested in Toronto earlier this month, Harper said the threats haven’t “bothered” him.
“I accept the realities and the dangers of being a leader with these threats at this time,” he said.
On the subject of the so-called fiscal gap between the provinces and the federal government, Harper said he may have to impose a solution since the provinces can’t seem to agree on one.
Canada “is not always a federation that’s easy to govern,” he said.
Ottawa has indicated that the solution will come in the form of an improved equalization regime and an increase in federal transfers to the provinces for education and infrastructure.
But Harper has also made it clear that his government does not expect huge federal budget surpluses like those the Liberals have posted in recent years.
“I prefer to look at all transfers as a group and not to decide transfer by transfer. I think that’s impossible,” Harper said. ``You can’t deal with only equalization, only health. The former government tried to do that.
“If we can reach a consensus, it will be a consensus on all transfers.”
Although the issue is being watched closely in Quebec, Harper said he doesn’t think his approach will spur the sovereignty movement in the province.
“I think Quebecers have tired of this debate,” he said. “They don’t want separation; they don’t want sovereignty as it’s advocated by the Bloc and the PQ.”
Nor do they want a centralized Canada, as touted by the federal Liberals, he said.
Both are “extreme” positions, he said.
“It’s been a long time that Quebecers have had these choices and they decided to reject (these possibilities),” Harper said.
Harper also commented on his reported difficulties with the Ottawa press corps, which he said he doesn’t find that unusual.
“I like journalists, it’s maybe the journalists who don’t like me,” Harper said. “But I think there’s always tension between journalists and politicians in power. That’s the nature of things.”

One could suggest that Mr. Harper is closing his eyes as to who the "real" threat is.

Most of the world's "naive" populace seem to realize who and what the real threat is. It's those leaders in power who are seeing the world from a different perspective is all.

   

Yawn.......

   

bet you can't open yer eyes while yawning.

   

SO we are not threatened by terrorism? Amazing. And we need to open our eyes do we?

   

Harper just let the American keep a billion they owed us over the softwood lumber deal then a few weeks later he comes out and says he's nobody's puppet?

WOW!!! What a pathetic S.O.B.!

   

Better then nothing asshole.

   

Better to have another 10 years of litigation. Typical of your ilk, go sit in the corner and watch how to run a country will ya.

   

Actually Tricks its worse. It showed that we will give in to a country that defied every ruling against them which will only encourage every other country to try the same. The States were extreme hypocrites and bushs little face-saving while making Harper look good deal was nothing less then a slap in the face towards us. He "gives" us our own money?? It is the same as your friend only paying you back 7 dollars instead of then 10 he owes you and making you thank him for doing it.

Just because Cage is screaming retoric at you doesn't mean that some of his points aren't grounded in fact (although it is very hard to tell!).

   

I agree. We should have got it all back. But in reality, we never would have. Ever. Bush is too much of an ass for that. I think Harper, and the Liberals who originally came up with it (something cagey forgot) did well. It is better to get something back, and settle it, then nothing at all. I would say not settling it, and letting him keep all 3 billion is standing up to them less. Anyone could see that there was no way in hell we were going to get all 3 billion.

   

No, I think we would have got it all back but to do that we should have played Hardball. Unfortunately the Libs were in no position to play it and Harper wouldn't go down that road.

Imagine what the US would have done if Canada just decided to recopu those lost billions by simply adding an export tax to all oil & electricity going south and then ignored every NAFTA ruling disallowing it. I think that would have had a very quick and profound effect don't you?

   

Derby, I think settling this dispute was a good thing even if it did take a little give and take.
BUT: I also view this as a NAFTA deal-breaker. Maybe we should follow the American's example, and start tithing the crap out of any products the Americans want to send us.
Maybe we should start charging export surcharges on some things that we provide the Americans with, which they happen to need very badly.
...Like water.
As far as NAFTA is concerned, I feel that if they fuck with us, we should fuck with them right back. We have the resources we need, and thus we hold the upper hand.

   

The trouble is that the softwood deal is unravelling as we post. What do you want to bet that the US will come back to the table if Canada "renegotiates"?

Everything else I agree with. Scrap Nafta and impose export duties on everything. Nafta only allowed the US to get our goods cheaper in the first place. They have no choice but to purchase our goods and if they want to fuck with us then lets play their game only better.

   

Probably, but then they would start taxing everything they send to us. It would turn into a tax war. If we do do something, we should tax the power. They CAN'T live without that. That would fuck them right up.

   

I believe I mentioned power. The truth is that the US depends more on our goods (oil, power, etc) then we depend on them buying them. If they want to ignore NAFTA then lets do just that.

   

I am not going to lie, it would be funny to see George Bush crying like a bitch over it too.

   

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