Thomas Shannon, U.S. assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, commented on the North American Forum held in Banff to an Ottawa audience in an address entitled Why the Americas Matter.
There’s much to read between the lines, but what I was immediately struck with is the repeated references to “democracy” and how much our societies value same.
Shannon may be right in that, but our governments and elites do not hold democracy in the same regard as regular folks. Real democracy is a thorn in the side to people like George Bush, or Stephen Harper, or David Emerson.
A veritable potpourri of US, Mexican and Canadian business, government and military figures met, in secret, in Banff last week.
Even though numerous Canadian government officials, including senior ministers such as Stockwell Day – Minister of Public Safety, attended, no government attendees will comment on the meeting.
Day’s office has been telling journalists that it cannot comment on the minister’s private meeting and that journalists should understand this. So much for accountability. (The Toronto Star)
Adding to the outrage:
John Larson, a spokesperson for the North American Forum, said reporters were not told about the conference. He won’t confirm who attended the meeting nor will he give any concrete details about what was discussed.
“The participants joined the conference essentially knowing that it would be a private function,” said Larson.
[Banff taxi driver Chris Foote and former Green Party candidate remarked] “Here they are talking in my backyard, no media to tell Canadians, Mexicans and Americans about what’s going on. [I am] completely outraged,” he said. “This is an assault on democracy.” (CBC)
This was not a private function, because all Canadians had a hand in paying for it via the very significant attendence of senior government and military officials. A freedom of information request for the travel expenditures of the following invited Canadian participants would paint in clear contrast that this was government, “Canada’s new government”, business:
- Col. Peter Atkinson, Special Advisor to Chief of Defence Staff
- Mr. Peter M. Boehm, Assistant Deputy Minister, North America, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
- Hon. Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety, Government of Canada
- Mr. Ward Elcock, Deputy Minister of National Defence
- Mr. Bill Elliott, Associate Deputy Minister, Public Safety
- Rear Adm Roger Girouard, Commander Joint Task Force Pacific, Cdn Forces
- Major Gen Daniel Gosselin, Director General, International Security Policy
- Mr. V. Peter Harder, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
- General Rick Hillier, Chief of the Defence Staff
- Hon. Greg Melchin, Minister of Energy, Government of Alberta
- Hon. Gordon O’Connor, Minister of Defense, Government of Canada
These are all senior government leaders, every one of which draw their paychecks from the public purse. We have every right to know what is being discussed, and who holds what opinions.
With increasing continental integration on the agenda, at the expense of our national sovereignty, Canadians have a right to full and complete disclosure – what’s Day hiding?
For many years those who follow politics have questioned the sanity and wisdom of people like David Orchard and Mel Hurtig. Increasingly it looks like their long-held concerns were not lunatic but prophetic.