Harper and AIDS

This is interesting

TORONTO (CP) - Stephen Harper's government will not make any announcements about HIV funding or other measures to coincide with the International AIDS Conference because the prime minister says the issue has become too "politicized."

Yeah. I can see that. It's not like Steve-o is a POLITICIAN or anything. I can see where he would not want to involve himself in making political comments.

Oh wait, that's crazy.

It is as if Harper is going out of his way to piss of AIDS activists.

As the Frog Lady points out, it's almost as if Harper was avoiding a large area around Toronto and the Aids conference this week. It's almost as if there was some sort of...barrier...around this event, one made out of rubber....


But to be fair, Harper has a track record of not making foreign aid annoucements - he prefers to give credit to his Ministers...Right?.....Right?.....Nope

From the Office of the Prime Minister:

"Prime Minister Stephen Harper expressed his satisfaction today with the G8 engagement on the Middle East, energy security, infectious diseases, and education and innovation"

I guess THOSE infectious diseases didn't include AIDS, eh?

But it's not like the government was putting all that much money into THAT program were they?

"Canada will disburse $250 million in new funding in 2006-07 to the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in the fall."

I guess Tuberculosis and Malaria are APOLITICAL enough that Harper felt comfortable making an announcement about funding THOSE diseases, but I'm suuuuurrrrreee he questioned his people long and hard about being "too political" when it came to this announcement regarding AIDS.

But that is the one and only time that Steve-o has been political about AIDS, right?

right?

Nope.

Remember the whole "tainted blood scandal"? That was also partially about AIDS, remember?

"Tens of thousands of blood transfusion recipients in Canada contracted the AIDS and hepatitis C viruses from contaminated blood and blood products in the 1980s."

"Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whose Conservatives promised in opposition they would compensate all victims, said [his] plan still had to be approved by courts where people seeking compensation have launched class action lawsuits."

Woops! Another time when it wasn't too "political" to talk about AIDS. And parade grieving families in front of the camera. And condemn the Liberals for not doing enough.

Actually, that was very, very political, wasn't it?

However, let's be fair to Harper for not making any AIDS announcements. He was busy making another announcement at the time

"Canada is significantly boosting humanitarian aid to Lebanon, adding $25 million in assistance to the war-torn country, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Wednesday."

I guess the war in Lebanon ISN'T a political issue, since we know how much the Prime Minister avoids making announcements about political matters. And he made this announcement.

This week.

About a political topic.

So, in conclusion, Harper makes political announcements all the time, including this week, about relevant and topical issues. Which makes sense, given that he is a politician. He has also made political announcement about AIDS, both in regards to foreign policy and domestic issues, putting out press releases and calling press conferences to announce these partisan moves.

So Steve, you want to try again? Given that your claim that you avoided talking about AIDS this week was because the "issue has become too 'politicized'" is total and complete bunk - what's the real reason?

My suspicion is that it is another example of being Bush's sidekick