本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛Reopen missile defence: Harper
Harper woos `working families'
Says he relates to middle class
Jan. 13, 2006. 05:38 AM
BRUCE CAMPION-SMITH
OTTAWA BUREAU


HALIFAX—Conservative Leader Stephen Harper says he's ready to reopen the debate over Canadian participation in the American missile defence system.

The missile defence initiative, combined yesterday with a Harper pledge to turn his back on the Kyoto accord and his refusal to endorse a $5 billion deal for aboriginal aid, could signal the type of major policy realignment Canadians can expect under a Harper government.

In an interview with Radio-Canada yesterday, Harper pledged a free vote in the House of Commons on the controversial proposal to join the missile defence program.

Harper said if the Americans made another proposal and "if we come to the conclusion that it's in the country's best interests, it's my intention to turn this treaty over to Parliament for a free vote."

The Bush administration's defence plan includes setting up a network of land-based missiles designed to intercept incoming missiles. The U.S. has long sought Canada's participation, although it's unclear what role Canada would play. The initial phase of the plan called for defensive missiles to be placed in California and Alaska.

Despite pressure from the White House, Prime Minister Paul Martin, who had repeatedly expressed support previously, announced almost a year ago that Canada would not take part in the program, which has been unpopular among Canadians.

The decision led U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to postpone a visit to Ottawa.

In their platform unveiled earlier this week, the Liberals said they would seek an international deal to ban weapons in space.

Also yesterday, Harper jettisoned a B.C. Tory candidate who is facing a smuggling charge.

Harper, 46, called the Kyoto treaty, aimed at combating climate change, unworkable and unachievable.

Instead, a Conservative government would set its own targets for reducing Canadian levels of greenhouse-gas emissions, Harper said during a campaign stop in Atlantic Canada.

"The Kyoto accord will not succeed at achieving its objectives and this government — the Canadian government — cannot achieve its objectives."

But he stopped short of saying Canada should pull out of the international treaty to reduce greenhouse gases.

"What we're obviously going to do is proceed with what we can do in developing a real plan in collaboration with our provinces. I think that's the only realistic way of proceeding," he said.

Harper said he favours an agreement that includes all the biggest polluting countries such as the United States, which is sitting out the Kyoto process.

"The government of Canada has never had a plan to achieve the objectives under this accord," said Harper, who is to unveil the Tory election platform this morning in Oakville. "I can tell you a government I lead will not sign international agreements just for a photo op with no intention of pursuing them. That's something the present government has to answer for."

Environment Minister Stéphane Dion said yesterday that abandoning the Kyoto protocol and its targets for emission cuts would put a big smile on U.S. President George W. Bush's face but would be "a tragedy" for Canada and the world. "Canada has been a champion on climate change," Dion told the Star's Peter Gorrie in a telephone interview. "I want Canadians to be well aware of what's at stake. We're deciding something very fundamental in this campaign."

Also yesterday, in comments bound to upset aboriginal groups, Harper stopped short of endorsing the $5 billion strategy to improve the lives of natives, struck by Martin in a meeting with premiers and community leaders.

While Harper said he supported the spirit of the deal to invest in health care, housing and education, he refused to commit to its big price tag.

"In terms of details and budgets, we're going to want to develop our own plans in consultation with the provinces and with native organizations," he said.

He did add that a Tory government would honour the multi-billion-dollar agreement to compensate victims of residential schools abuse.

The Conservative leader brought his surging campaign to Etobicoke last night where he predicted the Jan. 23 vote would send high-profile Liberal candidate — and university professor — Michael Ignatieff "back to Harvard."

"We're going to remind the Liberals that in Toronto, the Maple Leafs are blue and we're going to paint west Toronto blue on election night," he told about 300 people.

He sparked applause with his strong condemnation of the "plague of guns, gangs and drugs" that has claimed dozens of lives in Toronto over the past year.

"That's not the Toronto I grew up in, that's not the Toronto any of you should have to live in. We should never accept that," said Harper, who has proposed tougher sentences, more police and a crackdown on illegal guns.

It's expected that the Tory platform will highlight proposals already made public, such as a GST cut, a beefed-up military and child-care funding for parents. But it's also expected to tally the cost of the promises, and deal with Liberal allegations that the proposals will plunge the country back into deficit.

Harper moved decisively earlier in the day to quell a controversy, dumping a candidate who had misled the party over smuggling charges.

Party officials had initially backed Derek Zeisman, charged by Canada Customs in July 2004, with attempting to smuggle into the country a 1989 Mercedes-Benz and 112 containers of alcohol.

But Harper, clearly mindful of his party's attacks on Liberal ethics and police probes, called the charges "serious" and took a tougher stand yesterday. "This candidate will not ... be sitting as a Conservative should he be elected. He'll have to get this matter resolved," said Harper, who says he only found out Wednesday about the charges.

In a newspaper interview, Zeisman insisted the party knew of the charges. National campaign officials denied that.

With the election less than two weeks away, Harper said it's too late to pull Zeisman's name off the ballot or replace him in the riding of British Columbia Southern Interior.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net