- Harper should stand up, show some leadership, and take responsibility.

Don Martin: Vaccine claims don't add up, November 02, 2009
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/11/02/don-martin-vaccine-claims-don-t-add-up.aspx?CommentPosted=true#commentmessage
20 comments

It's fascinating to listen to Harper and the Con's explain, still once again, that it is not their fault. To listen to Harper, it is never his fault, it is always someone else's (one would think, just on the probabilities that something would be his fault, after all, no one is perfect)

On the other hand, Harper has no reservation about goes for months spending 10's of millions of our dollars 'educating' the public in order to take credit for the stimulus spending.

Harper is the Prime Minister of Canada, this is a Canada-wide epidemic, Harper should stand up, show some backbone, oh, sorry, leadership, and take responsibility. Instead, Harper, Aglukkaq and the other Con's are pointing to everyone else under the sun and say it's their fault.

The biggest shame is how Harper, Aglukkaq and the other Con's point to other countries and say, look we are doing better than them. Two things, for a family of someone in Canada who dies from H1N1 when it might have been prevented, it is very little solace to point to some other country and say, well for every one that dies here, two die there. Also, as my pappy used to say: "if Joe Blow down the street is incredibly negligent in his actions and it leads to scores of people dying, does that mean you should be incredibly negligent".

As pointed out by Don Martin, "Something doesn't add up". I have not heard a real explanation from Harper and the Cons as to why there is so much less vaccine available now that what they were saying a week ago. And this is important. Considering that rumors are that they shipping these 'missing millions' of doses to the US, including for use in their military in Afghanistan, one would think they would be quick to clarify the matter - even Harper wouldn't do that, would he???
Up until a week ago Harper, Aglukkaq and the other Con's were telling us everything is ok and there is enough H1N1 flu vaccine. They suggest that since the contract that makes GlaxoSmithKline the sole-source producer has been in place for years that they have prepared properly.

All of a sudden when the results of their so called preparations and made manifest, there is a huge problem and there is not as much vaccine, by a long shot. No body seems to be able to account for much of the doses that were shipped out. Also, Harper and Aglukkaq blame GlaxoSmithKline for the short-fall and hide behind Dr. David Butler-Jones, Canada's chief public health officer, saying they were just following his advise. Harper and Aglukkaq also blame it on GlaxoSmithKline being the sole provider.

What Harper and Aglukkaq aren't telling us is, that although GlaxoSmithKline is our sole provider for the H1N1 vaccine, are we their sole customer. This, obviously, is vital information. Since, it may be that GlaxoSmithKline is providing the same vaccine to other countries and that is why they are unable to fulfill their contractual obligations with Canada. It could be a little more subtle than this and maybe GlaxoSmithKline are preparing another type of drug, or otherwise diverting their capacity, to be used by another country at Canada's expense. If this were the case, it is impossible to imagine that Harper and Aglukkaq would not know about this.

If this is the case, this is astonishingly unconscionable by Harper and Aglukkaq and the Con government. One would expect that the first thing they would want to clarify is that GlaxoSmithKline is not shipping the vaccine to anyone else, or otherwise diverting their capacity, while shortchanging us.

The failure by Harper and Aglukkaq to clarify this certainly raises eyebrows and we can only ask ourselves why such unconscionable behavior, especially in this time of national urgency.

Given Harper and the Con's track record of obscuring and obstructing, and hiding the truth, it is easy to conclude that he, Aglukkaq and the Con's are hiding something. Further, that there is no clear tracking of the doses is a well used technique for obscuring the truth and one it is easy to see Harper employing, amongst others of course.

So, perhaps the suggestion that Canada's vaccine is going to the US army in Afghanistan is not so far fetched. Certainly, if it is being diverted, or Canaad is being sold out to other interests, every Canadian has a right to know.

Given Harper's general policy of obscuring and obstruction the truth and suppressing the facts, it is not surprising that we haven't got a clear explanation and probably won't get one from the Harper, Baird, Clement, Aglukkaq or any other Con, no matter how important it is.

Lloyd MacIlquham cicblog.com/comments.html
Liberal.ca
http://www.liberal.ca/en/newsroom/media-releases/16823_liberal-doctors-present-timeline-of-conservative-h1n1-incompetence

Liberal doctors present timeline of Conservative H1N1 incompetence Liberal MPs today recounted the Conservative government’s timeline of failure for preparing for H1N1 when compared to other countries.
H1N1 Timeline
http://www.liberal.ca/pdf/docs/031109_h1n1e.pdf

In their own words: H1N1 preparedness: Harper’s failure

Just the facts: Conservatives delayed H1N1 vaccine Order While the Conservative government is blaming the provinces and the vaccine manufacturer for H1N1 vaccine delays, the facts show that the federal government delayed ordering the vaccine when compared to other countries.

H1N1 fiasco