Liberals Accuse Harper Of Plagiarism Ahead Of Crucial Televised DebatesTuesday September 30, 2008
By Michael Oliveira, The Canadian Press
Stephen Harper plagiarized from a former Australian leader's speech when he supported the Iraq war as Opposition leader in March 2003, the Liberals alleged Tuesday in releasing transcripts and video of striking similarities in the two speeches.
The speech delivered by former Australian prime minister John Howard on March 18, 2003 and one by Harper two days later in the House of Commons share the same tone, ideas and, in some instances, have phrases that are nearly identical, according to the transcripts.
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion called it "plagiarism" but added the context in which it occurred is "even worse."
"It's about Stephen Harper saying that Canada should go with the war in Iraq," Dion said in Gatineau, Que.
"He's unable to choose his own words, he chose the words of (U.S. President George W. Bush's) coalition of the willing."
Even Harper's critics thought the speech was eloquent at the time, but now it appears to be a case of lifting someone else's words, Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae said in Toronto, where the material was released.
"(Harper) couldn't and didn't find Canada's voice, so he begged borrowed or stole someone else's voice," Liberal Bob Rae said.
"This isn't just deeply embarrassing for Mr. Harper. I suspect he would've been expelled from (his high school) Richview Collegiate, let alone a university, for pulling this kind of a stunt."
According to Liberal transcripts, in speaking about a United Nations resolution, Howard and Harper both said: "This resolution, which was adopted unanimously, gave Iraq a final opportunity to demonstrate immediate compliance with its disarmament obligations and it promises serious consequences otherwise."
Howard went on to say: "Over the last four months we have seen no evidence to suggest that Saddam Hussein is willing to comply with resolution 1441."
Two days later, Harper said: "Over the last four months we have seen no evidence to suggest that Saddam Hussein will willingly comply with resolution 1441."
Rae said Canadians cannot trust Harper and Conservative foreign policy given that it appears to be borrowed from the leaders of other countries.
"It speaks to the heart of what's deeply wrong with the Republican-Conservative government, of which he is the leader," he said.
"How can Canadians trust anything that Harper says now? To put it bluntly in the vernacular, how can they possibly believe Steve?"
Harper spokesman Kory Teneycke said he would not address comments made, "when the prime minister was the leader of a party that no longer exists" -- a reference to the Canadian Alliance.
"We're not going to be distracted by attacks by the Liberal war room," Teneycke told the CBC.
In another excerpt from Howard's speech, the former prime minister said: "Resolution 678, which provided the ceasefire terms for Iraq in April 1991, affirmed resolution 678. Security Council resolution 1441 confirms that Iraq has been and remains in material breach of its obligations, a point on which there in unanimous agreement, including by even the Leader of the Opposition."
Harper said: "Resolution 678, which provided the ceasefire terms for Iraq in 1991, a ceasefire not an armistice, affirmed resolution 678. Resolution 1441 itself confirmed that Iraq has been and remains in material breach of its obligations, a point on which there in unanimous international agreement."
Rae also reminded voters that former prime minister Jean Chretien refused to send Canadian soldiers to Iraq.
Canada's Prime Minister of Plagiarism-------------------------------------
When confronted with this, rather than address the issue, ...the Conservatives dismissed it as ... "Gotcha Politics!"
Gee, where have we heard this flaccid defense before. Sounds to me like someone or something is handing conservatives regardless of where they are, their talking points on a worldwide scale.
Thank Goodness the Liberal Party of Canada was in power at the time.
We need to send the Liberals back to Ottawa!
