On Tuesday morning, Ottawa's cabinet met to be briefed on,
and discuss response to, the terrorist attacks on the United
States. Not last Tuesday, mind you. Yesterday -- seven days
after somewhere in excess of five thousand Americans, Canadians, and
people from a dozen other nations were blown to kingdom
come.
We suspect countries like Iceland and Ecuador showed more urgency
in their response to the attack on America. What does
it take to spark an emergency recall of cabinet? The
threat that someone might mention God at a government memorial
service?
The federal government response, at least in public perception, has
not shown proper urgency, either for Canadian security or for
our commitment to American and NATO allies.
The PM will meet with President George Bush early next
week, (significantly after Bush's meetings this week with Britain's Tony
Blair and France's Jacques Chirac). The results of that discussion
may illuminate the path of the next few months.
Chretien has promised to consult the Commons before deploying any
troops. That's well and good, but at some point, he
may need to address the nation. Canadians willingly make sacrifices
in trying times, but they need confidence in their leaders
to be kept reasonably informed of what is required of
them. The Prime Minister must keep that as a priority.
Source.
