<strong>Written By:</strong> Perturbed
<strong>Date:</strong> 2004-07-08 09:33:00
<a href="/article/123300696-martin-off-to-sun-valley-to-quotmeetquot-business-leaders">Article Link</a>



The Globe and Mail
Martin off to Sun Valley to meet business leaders

By CAMPBELL CLARK
Wednesday, July 7, 2004 - Page A1

OTTAWA -- Paul Martin left suddenly yesterday on his first foreign trip as the newly elected prime minister, heading for a closed-door confab with international business executives.
The announcement of the trip to the Sun Valley conference in Idaho, which has no official media access, sparked blasts from opposition leaders, who said Mr. Martin is acting more like a CEO than the head of a minority government.
When prime ministers attend international events, a contingent of Canadian reporters normally follows. And even when they attend private meetings -- usually sessions with other heads of governments -- aides provide briefings or the PM answers questions about it.
But yesterday, the Prime Minister\'s Office suddenly issued a terse notice that Mr. Martin would leave in the afternoon for the conference.
The announcement said that no media coverage was allowed, although a copy of the speech he will deliver today will be released in Ottawa.
The trip brought sharp criticism from opposition politicians, on whom Mr. Martin\'s Liberals must rely for support in a minority Parliament..........here\'s the link for the rest of the article:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ ... TopStories

   

The "we're going to make government more open and transparent" government makes its first meeting one that won't allow the media in. I really dislike closed meetings and why exactly was this one closed?

   

It's closed to the press, because it's a private meeting. Just like the press would be laughed at if they showed up at the board meeting of CSL and wanted to put it in camera.<p> Martin was invited to speak at a private meeting.<p> <p>---<br>"History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme" Mark Twain <br />
"The greatest price of not participating in politics is being governed by your inferiors." Plato

   

If Paul Martin had any sense at all, as Canada's new Prime Minister and at this point in time it was his prerogative to decline his attendance at a closed meeting. <p>What a great start for Canadian "sovereignty" when its new Prime Minister kowtows to foreign interests at the first occasion.</p> <p>What next ? A reconnaissance visit to Iraq perhaps ?</p>

   

Oops, the above was my comment. I forgot to log-in and I don't believe in anonymity when pointing out one's views and opinions.

   

What was that line of Jackie Gleason's in "The Hhoneymooners"? "Pow Alice! Straight to the moon" http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/life/article.jsp?content=20040405_78048_78048 Perhaps our Paul would like to visit the moon (ASAP) to check out the Star Wars thing he's so eager to "not have" in Canada... It would be the ultimate 'closed door' meeting place.<p>---<br>RickW