Answers after Question Period

Well, now we know the plan for tomorrow. The PMO notice for tomorrow is below and Dimitri Soudas has assured us that yes, the report will be tabled in the Commons when the PM starts to speak, in accordance with tradition, parliamentary respect.

PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER’S

PUBLIC EVENTS

 

OTTAWA – Public events for Prime Minister Stephen Harper for Monday, September 28^th are:

 

Saint John, New Brunswick

 

12:15 p.m. – Prime Minister Stephen Harper will participate in a photo opportunity.

 

Southern Railway, Mechanical Shop & Administration Office

11 Gifford Road, Saint John, N.B. E2M 4X8

 

*Photo opportunity only (cameras and photographers only)

 

NOTES:

 

• Media are required to have proper identification for accreditation.
• Media are asked to arrive and congregate at the Mechanical Shop no later than 11:15am.
• Media will be transported to the location of the photo op.

 

Saint John, New Brunswick

 

13:30 p.m. - Prime Minister Stephen Harper will make an announcement.

 

Southern Railway, Mechanical Shop & Administration Office

11 Gifford Road, Saint John, N.B. E2M 4X8

Comments

[Wascally Wabbit]

Well - it's clear to me Susan...
Not having any ideas of his own - Mr. Harper is about to steal what he thinks is the central theme of Mr. Ignatieff's platform - a nation uniting railroad for high speed trains across this nation.
But...wait a minute - hasn't Mr. Ignatieff dropped that quietly from his musings - because it thudded like an anchor being dropped onto dry land...
Perhaps Mr. Harper has checkmated himself for once!
Let's live in hope anayway!

[Dan]

13:30 pm??? Gah! Can you remind the people in the PMO press-office that 24-hour time doesn't use AM and PM?

[Dave]

Well Susan you can interview all the Liberals you want to in Ottawa, they will say that "they can do better" without any substance and reasoning and you will just agree with glee.

[Gabby in QC]

"... Mr. Harper is about to steal what he thinks is the central theme of Mr. Ignatieff's platform ..."

Wrong.

If any "stealing" of ideas has taken place, Ignatieff himself has "borrowed" or "recycled" - I prefer to use those terms - from previous Liberal musings which were never realized.
To wit:
http://www.ec.gc.ca/cleanair-airpur/CAOL/transport/publications/tos406/makingsustrans1.htm
"MAKING TRANSPORTATION SUSTAINABLE: A CASE STUDY OF THE QUEBEC CITY-WINDSOR CORRIDOR"
Notice the dates at the bottom of the web page:
Last updated : 2002-07-05
Last reviewed: 2003-04-04

Also, notice this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_Canada
"In 1998, the Lynx consortium, including Bombardier and SNC-Lavalin proposed a 320 km/h high-speed train from Toronto to Quebec City via Kingston, Ottawa and Montreal based on the TGV and the French Turbo-Train technology. Recently, Bombardier and VIA have proposed high-speed services along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor using Bombardier's experimental JetTrain tilting trains, which are similar to Bombardier's Acela Express, but powered by a gas turbine rather than overhead electric wires. These trains resemble the first TGV prototype (TGV001) powered by a gas turbine that were tested on the Strasbourg–Mulhouse line. As yet, no government support for this plan has been forthcoming, and Bombardier continues promoting the JetTrain especially for Texas and Florida routes."

Sorry, but Ignatieff has not broken any new ground, nor is the PM stealing anything.