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I'm airborne with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, half the federal cabinet and more than two dozen media types, political staff and bureaucrats en route to Iqaluit, Nunavut where we will begin the prime minister's 2009 northern tour. This is something Harper has done every summer that he has been prime minister — head to Canada's Arctic, in the belief that, if Canada's sovereignty is to be respected in the north, it can't but have the prime minister tramping around the place as much as possible. This year's tour will touch down in Iqualuit and Pangnirtung in Nunavut and then Yellowknife, NWT, Whitehorse, Yukon and a yet-to-be disclosed location in the Yukon.
The trip started, though, with this odd event (left) — one of the police vans that preceded the prime minister's motorcade to the Ottawa International Airport appears to have gone bump in a very big way. This van was carrying officers with somebody's tactical squad, part of the prime minister's security detail. It didn't appear anyone was hurt when they pulled in a few minutes ahead of the PM's motorcade and the airbags in the van had not deployed.
We have questions: For example, if you're driver in the PM's security motorcade, do you have to stop and fill out paperwork when you have an accident? We have asked authorities that and other questions about what happened but have no answer just yet.
Cabinet ministers are airborne with us, by the way, because Harper is convening a meeting of cabinet's priorities and planning committee, the committee, chaired by the PM himself, that is responsible for guiding and managing the government's overall agenda. Some ministers are already up in Nunavut but on board with us — safely ensconced up at the front of the military Airbus we're on so that pesky reporters can bug them — is Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl, Senator Marjory LeBreton, Transport Minister John Baird, Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon, Public Works Minister Christian Paradis, Treasury Board President Vic Toews, Human Resources Minister Diane Finley, and Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt. The new Clerk of the Privy Council, Wayne Wouters, is also on board.
Most of those ministers will have to return south after their day-long meeting Tuesday but Harper and the media will be travelling on to Whitehorse and Yukon after a couple of days in Iqaluit.
Any word on how much this one-day semi-Cabinet junket's costing the taxpayers?
“This year's tour will touch down in Iqualuit and Pangnirtung in Nunavut”
Is the extra u on purpose?
Of course he'd have to exchange license details with the victim of the collision.
So far Harper, being the prime minister is quite doing well. I believe that every government should posses a politician/people that is doing their job responsibly and diligently for their people’s sake and nation as well. Well I just hope his tours will be successful because I believe in his purpose will be for the goodness of his people especially in terms of sovereignty. Let’s try to support Harper, and pray for Canada’s progression for the next few years.