Big Difference Between Obama and Harper

In a true non-partisan approach Barack Obama called in two predecessors, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to help him raise money. They stood next to him on the back lawn porch of the White House and made a pitch to the nation for Haitian relief money.

Smart move! Clinton, who speaks the language of ordinary, generous Americans, and Bush who reaches boardroom Republicans with deep pockets, gave it their best shot for Obama. The U.S. raised $189 million.

Now to Stephen Harper. He stood alone. No question for him of bringing in predecessors Jean Chrétien or Paul Martin. Not even old friend Brian Mulroney. Yet all of them have wealthy boardroom friends and Chrétien and Mulroney speak the language of common folk who have been major donors in Canada.

For Harper this would be a partisan scheme – just himself on the appeal. Leave the political adversaries out of it.

Not even Governor-General Michaëlle Jean was allowed to make her own public appeal for the people of the land of her birth. She had to join the Harper show to do her crying.

Then Quebec premier Jean Charest stuck in his nose. He wanted in. Harper sent him packing. Charest wanted a seat at the big international conference on Haiti that Harper is organizing in Montreal on Jan. 25.

It made some sense. After all, four out of every five Haitian-born Canadians live in Quebec. It
Harper said Quebec couldn’t b e at the table because it isn’t a nation. That didn’t stop him, however, from inviting World Bank, the European Union and the Organization of American States. Are they nations?

When Harper told Quebeckers they were a nation, that was only long enough to get their votes.

The real reason Charest wanted into the conference was so that he could vote with other nations – such as France and Belgium – to expand the immigration definition of “family” to include grown brothers and sisters of Canadian Haitians, which would allow a lot more Haitians refugees into Canada. Too many, said Harper. Too many, too much, said his ministers.

Harper wanted none of it, so Charest was out and will stay out. Quebec will let in the Haitians refugees that it wants, and Harper can’t do much to stop it.

Even if Harper wanted to use a wider definition of “family” the Commons would first have to pass a new immigration law.

No way that can happen. Harper shut down Parliament until March on New Year’s Eve.

So for the time being, the rest of Canada will have to use the existing rules while Quebec goes it on its own and lets in more refugees.

When your nose is stuck the oil sands, the stench of death sometimes seems far away.