PM backs down on policy for fallen

[tuvor]

VICTORIA and OTTAWA — Families of soldiers killed overseas will decide whether the country can watch their loved ones return home, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said yesterday, reversing his government's policy hours after a grieving father said his daughter died to defend freedoms not restrict them.

Mr. Harper said he was troubled to learn that Tim Goddard, the father of Captain Nichola Goddard, said during a eulogy at her funeral that he disagreed with the government's decision to keep reporters away from the airfield when bodies arrive back in Canada.

“I had given fairly clear instructions that, when bodies were to come home, families were to be consulted,” Mr. Harper said at a news conference in Victoria. “And if all families were agreed on making that particular ceremony public, that our government should have no difficulty with that. I'm not sure what happened in this case.”

Mr. Harper said he spoke with Dr. Goddard this week. “He didn't raise the issue with me so I didn't realize there was a problem, but obviously I'll look into it and find out if the family's wishes were different to what was done and why that was the case and we'll correct it in the future.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060527.wxfunerals27/BNStory/National/home

[glarius]

1. He's twisting this to make it seem as if the Goddards had a choice of

whether or not the media could be present when the body reached Canadian soil. Harper is LYING about what his orders were!
He says, "I had given fairly clear instructions that when bodies were to come home, that families should be consulted and if all families agreed on making that particular ceremony public, then I thought our government should have no difficulty with that."
As I remember it, when this happened last time, Harper announced that from now on all coffins returning home would be returned to the Canadian military base without the presense of the media and from then on it was up to the families to decide if they wanted media present at their funerals! Since that order was issued there has been no notice of a revision. In fact I have heard him repeat it.
He's now trying to pretend that he was allowing the arrival home to be covered by the media if the families agreed. THIS IS A LIE!
As far as him saying "I talked to Mr. Goddard and he made no mention of this", well....I would bet what happened was the Goddards got a phone call saying "the Prime Minister is calling" and Harper came on and on behalf of the Canadian people offered his condolences etc....Of course Mr. Goddard wouldn't bring up a complaint at that time...

[Spazito]

2. Agree! I clearly understood he had banned all media from

covering the return home, there were NO exceptions. He is running away from his own policy and not admitting what it actually was in the first place, he is an asshole.

[Jazz2006]

3. I don't recall the exact words used in the previous ...

story when the announcement was made about the media not being present when bodies were returned, but I, too, was under the impression that it was a fairly broad ban.

Anyone have a link to the original announcement?

[tuvor]

4. Not quite the original announcement but it was definitely a ban.

Harper on defensive over media ban on return of dead soldiers
Last Updated Tue, 25 Apr 2006 19:23:20 EDT
CBC News

Prime Minister Stephen Harper defended his government's decision to ban the media from covering the return of bodies of soldiers killed in the line of duty, accusing the opposition of politicizing the issue.

Reporters were not allowed into the military airbase at Trenton, Ont., to cover the Tuesday evening arrival of the remains of four soldiers who died in a weekend bombing.

Harper said the policy has been implemented to respect the privacy of the families.

"It is not about photo ops and media coverage," Harper said during Question Period, after being slammed by opposition members over the new policy. "It's about what's in the best interests of the families."

(snip)

Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor also weighed in on the controversy, denying the government is hiding anything. He said some families don't believe the media should cover the event, while others do. He said they decided to ban all media coverage to have a consistent policy.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/04/25/soldiers-return-media060425.html

A belated welcome to DU, Jazz2006! :hi:

[Jazz2006]

5. Yes, that jibes with how I remember it, too

...as a broad ban.

It is obvious from that prior story that Harper was NOT saying that it was up to the families and it was, in fact, an outright ban.

(Wish I had a "Liar, liar, pants on fire!" frownie icon to insert here!)

Thanks for digging that out, and thank you for the welcome :D

Your welcome isn't belated, really. I have only belatedly discovered this forum ~ today!