Just in from Rideau Hall:
STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY JEAN-DANIEL LAFOND
When reading certain newspapers this morning, I learned that I allegedly expressed a desire that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh not stay at Rideau Hall during their visit to Ottawa. I do not know where this unfounded information came from, and truly insulting to me and my wife, the Governor General.
There is no justification for such an allegation. I have profound respect for the institutional ties that Canada maintains with the British monarchy and the Royal Family, and I recognize how strong are these symbolic, historic and constitutional ties.
On a personal level, I have the deepest respect for Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, with whom we established an unforgettable connection in September 2005, when we were invited to stay with them at Balmoral Castle, in Scotland. Since then, we have welcomed, on several occasions, members of the Royal Family to Rideau Hall, most recently His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and his wife, The Duchess of Cornwall, with whom we got along really well.
The current allegations are completely unfounded, given that we warmly welcomed Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh right before we left Canada for our visit to China, and wished them not only a wonderful visit to the country, but also a lovely stay at Rideau Hall. And it was in that same spirit that we bid them farewell in Toronto upon our return from China, and that, with great appreciation, we received their tokens of friendship.
I therefore vehemently deny the insulting and ill-intentioned remarks that have been attributed to me
His Excellency Jean-Daniel Lafond
July 7, 2010
So, when do the retractions start, now that you've covered up some other Tory dirt that might have made the news?
Is this what's to be expected from you and Sun? Pitiful reporting.
Why on earth are you letting you credibility fade away after all your years in journalism?
Shame on you.
I think you need a new VP or some adult supervision.
I feel for you David. My bet is you'd like nothing more than to reveal the anonymous source so the heat can be taken off of you. Unfortunate this happened just after you changed jobs. But good on you for covering the other side of the story and giving space for the rebuttal.