Saturday, October 23, 2010

At it again...

First it was Airshow and Red Dawn. Now it's Conservative MP for Nanaimo-Alberni Dr. James Lunney, seen here all dolled up like a sailor on HMCS Calgary.  Ok, to be fair, this was part of a program where members of the upper and lower houses get to go play sailor, soldier or pigeon for five days:

Dr. Lunney was aboard the frigate taking part in the Canadian Forces Parliamentary Program, where MPs and Senators are embedded with their choice of Navy, Army or Air Force units, most often during major exercises. A key aspect of the program is that they be given the opportunity to experience the “real” CF through hands-on experience; not as VIPs but as ordinary Canadians.
His first time aboard a Canadian warship, Dr. Lunney spent five days in Calgary as the ship was conducting fleet navigation officers’ training off the coast of British Columbia.  Despite some initial challenges – stepping over the anchor cable and enduring a high speed encounter between his head and the top of the rack above – he quickly settled into shipboard routine.

To be clear, Opposition MPs did participate in this year's program. However, it still looks a little like Con propaganda to have the action story of their MP front and centre on the DND website. Indeed it seems to be a bit of a trend, given the earlier Nijmegen coverage with our discomfortably happy defence minister.

3 comments:

Demeur said...

Please forgive me while I try to understand Canadian politics. I understand the left and right of it. Just don't understand the process.

Our con George W. Bush never missed an opportunity to pose before the troops. In fact you'll note that at the end of his presidency he was only seen speaking before our troops. That was for one reason. They couldn't by order speak ill or criticize him.

Dave said...

That sounds about right. Same goes here. Protocol rather than structured hierarchy produces the same result.

Holly Stick said...

Protocol? Is that a way of saying our Canadian Forces are too dam' polite?