If the Prime Minister of Canada is flying somewhere on a personal trip, should he be flying on a commercial airliner? That is today's poll question. For security reasons he presently has to fly on a government jet if he wants to travel to a hockey game, and this seems to have angered CTV's Barney Fife. Elizabeth May is also furious about the Prime Minister's carbon footprint. Since I rarely agree with Lizzy on anything, the fact that she's pissed off gives me more confidence in the Prime Minister's actions. Perhaps we are far enough removed from 9/11 that hijackings are no longer a concern, with airport security advancing by leaps and bounds, that we can put a high value target like the leader of our country on a civilian airplane.
What do you think? Should the PM fly with the rest of us if he wants to make a personal trip? He is paying $1000 (the commercial airline equivalent of a flight to Boston) to fly on a government jet to attend the hockey game. This will not cover the whole cost of the private flight, and that's what had Fife so worked up on Power Play.
Prime ministers probably fly by private jet for their own safety as well as for the safety of fellow Canadians. Wouldn't fellow passengers be endangered if our prime minister or other world leaders simply flew commercial.
ReplyDeleteI can guarantee you that NO leader of a western govt in the G8 ( or G20 for that matter..) flies on a commercial jet.
ReplyDeleteOnly small jealous people would even suggest that our Prime Minister should travel commercial. Didn't the Toronto terrorists want to behead him? May is an idiot green queen, how does she get to Parliament from BC? Fly on her broom?
ReplyDeleteI was wondering when the media would get together with one of the opposition party's and concoct some hysterical new "scandal". The thought of the PM flying on a commercial jet is ludicrous. Fife can go and fife himself.
ReplyDeleteIf the PM is flying commercial, then the total cost for himself and his daughter would be around $2500. That should be more than enough to cover fuel and piloting team for a plane to and from Boston.
ReplyDeleteWhat it comes down to, is this isn`t the first time that a Prime Minister has taken a private trip somewhere, and the policy is no doubt well established. What`s got their panties in a bunch is that it`s a CONSERVATIVE Prime Minister that`s doing it. I wonder how many vacation trips Mssrs Chretien, Martin, Mulroney, Trudeau, Pearson... took on that very same jet that weren`t reported. Maybe Mr. Fife could look into that for us.
Barney Fife on CTV news opened the story about the PM using the government jet with a brief comment on the closure of a search and rescue 'sub-centre' in St. John's Newfoundland due to cost-cutting.
ReplyDeleteWhat was (is) astounding to me is that Fife seems more concerned about the cost of this flight than about the S&R sub-centre closure. I had to do an internet search to find relevant information
The real story here is the closure.
BTW, fed up with a $210 monthly cable bill (phone, cable and internet) I bought an off-air antenna ($400 installed on our own 30 foot mast) and cancelled all cable television so now, ironically, the only news channel I get is Sun News.
ReplyDeleteNo more CBC or CTV news channels!!!! My ulcers are thanking me.
My new 'cable' bill is $68 monthly.
Why can't he fly commercial.
ReplyDeleteIt's not like anything bad ever happened to any flights in or out of Boston.
What about Evan Soloman and Peter Mansbridge plus all the CBC flying around the Country for meetings and to look pretty. Peter Mansbridge interrupted Evan's show last night to recognize Evan for flying to Ottawa for some meeting - who paid his air fare.....- what about Roger Smith being in Boston for a week - to cover this event - who is paying his wages.... and hotels, etc. etc.
ReplyDeleteEllie May should back up her own statements regarding her own travel.
ReplyDeleteA REAL tree bugger would ride her bike to and from Ottawa and not fly at all.
The Military already has the jet in its posession. We also pay for the military pilots and crew whether they are on the ground or flying. They are the military after all and it is not a part time job. So the real cost of the trip is the fuel and landing fees. Barney Fife is full of ......
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many vacation trips Mssrs Chretien, Martin, Mulroney, Trudeau, Pearson... took on that very same jet that weren`t reported. Maybe Mr. Fife could look into that for us.
ReplyDeleteOxyentax, Trudeau used the government jet every year to take his sons to ski on the Swiss Alps.
PM Harper wouldn't mind taking the commecial jet without any fuss.
For Layton to speak about the love of the poor when he used subsidized houses, to me is insulting especially when he had a good job working for 'city council'.
NeilD, Speaking of liberal intellect BOB FIFE, he also mentioned yesterday that Tony Blair of a larger country than canada flew commerciaL......
NeiD, Larger than canada? UK? Now that is pure intelligence. This comment should be in twitter. You can just imagine what they(UK) must think at Fife's comment, a supposed reporter.
Just another liberal trying to create a scandal. Hasn't worked yet,and won't.
ReplyDeleteAll PM's have used the Government aircraft for their own use,it's one of the perks of the job.
I have no problem with it when Harper does,and I had no problem with it when any Liberal PM did the same.
As "NeilD" said,the closure of that Coast Guard base in NFLD. is a hell of a lot more important story,and the Opposition should be on THAT story,not another faux-scandal.
The CG base closure is a public safety issue,do May and Layton not care if some fisherman drowns!
May should look in the mirror before shooting her mouth off about cabon footprints; how much emitted carbon did it take for her to become such a lard ass; you can't be fat and be a true new age environmentalist after all if you are fat that indicates overconsumption, a message May preaches to us but evidently can't follow herself
ReplyDeleteEven if the PM were to fly commercial, he still has to travel with the RCMP security detail. So if the PM and his family want to take a trip somewhere, they're going to need about 8 seats in one spot on a flight. That might not even be possible most of the time. The logistics of trying to send the PM on a regular flight, even if you were inclined to think it was a good idea (which I don't), are just not that simple.
ReplyDeleteWhat I would hope is that whenever the PM (or the GG for that matter) and family are taking a personal trip, that they use one of the smaller government jets available, and not one of the big Airbus jets designed for official trips or trips that requiring the hauling along of a big entourage.
You're d*mned if you do and d*mned if you don't with these people.
ReplyDeleteAccording to these whiners,PMSH and Party only garnered 40% of the vote.
By their logic that's 60% of the electorate that doesn't buy their policies.
Now if there is even .0001% of that 60% that thinks offing off the PM is politically justified then that is .0001% too many.
I guess the PM better fly private.
I think that dear old Bobbie Fife is just miffed because he never got to travel to Boston with the PM. What a bunch of whinners...mind you if it was one of the opposition doing the travelling then it would be o.k. Do they think that their favorite P.E.T. paddled his canoe all the way to the Kahani park just for a photo op and how many times did he hop the jet to visit dear Margaret....but that's a different story
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