Usually, when visiting foreign leaders or ministers come to town and meet the Prime Minister or the Foreign Affairs Minister, there is a brief news conference afterwards. But sometimes, it is significant when the Prime Minister decides not to meet the press after a meeting with a foreign leader. On Thursday, Prime Minister Martin met with Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell, who is on an international visit to North America to do those things that leaders do on foreign trips: talk up the possibility of foreign investment (Scotland, with ten per cent of Britain's population, is now getting 40 per cent of Britain's Foreign Direct Investment), say how sophisticated and innovative the high tech sector is, and impress the folks at home.
However, if Martin had been available to the press after his meeting with McConnell, he would have had a lot of awkward questions about the similarities between Scotland and Quebec. Why is Martin meeting McConnell -- when he insists that Canada must speak with one voice? Why is Scotland -- which has a population of six million, a long history and a distinct culture -- called a nation by British Prime Minister Tony Blair while Martin and his government shies away from calling Quebec a nation?
Much easier just to welcome cameras into the room before the meeting and not have to deal with hard questions.
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