The Conservative Party Government of Canada led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been involved in several ways overseas, particularly due to its role alongside the United States in the War against terror originated from the September 11, 2001 attacks in the U.S. The Conservative Party of Canada (French: Parti conservateur du Canada), colloquially known as the Tories, is a right-leaning conservative political party in Canada, formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in December 2003. ... System of government Canada is a constitutional monarchy as a Commonwealth Realm (see Monarchy in Canada) with a federal system of parliamentary government, and strong democratic traditions. ... The Prime Minister of Canada (French: Premier ministre du Canada), is the head of the Government of Canada. ... Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. ... The war on terrorism or war on terror (abbreviated in U.S. policy circles as GWOT for Global War on Terror) is an effort by the governments of the United States and its principal allies to destroy groups deemed to be terrorist (primarily radical Islamist organizations such as al-Qaeda... The World Trade Center on fire The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. ...

Relations with the United States

Stephen Harper and George W. Bush hold a joint press conference at the White House on July 6, 2006

Stephen Harper had promised during the 2006 election campaign on improving relations with United States in which he mentioned that the previous Liberal government tainted with several critics and inappropriate comments made towards the George W.Bush administration Image File history File linksMetadata Stephen_Harper_and_George_W._Bush_July_6_2006. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Stephen_Harper_and_George_W._Bush_July_6_2006. ... North façade of the White House, seen from Pennsylvania Avenue. ... July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Shortly after being congratulated by George W. Bush for his victory, Harper rebuked U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins for criticizing the Conservatives' plans to assert Canada's sovereignty over the Arctic Ocean waters with armed forces. George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... An ambassador, rarely embassador, is a diplomatic official accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization, to serve as the official representative of his or her own country. ... David H. Wilkins David Horton Wilkins (born October 12, 1946) is a former South Carolina politician and an American diplomat. ...

U.S. Ambassador

On February 16, 2006, Harper named former Progressive Conservative Party Cabinet Minister Michael Wilson as Governor General Michaëlle Jean's appointee to the post of Canada's Ambassador to the United States, replacing Liberal appointee Frank McKenna.^[1] February 16 is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (PC) (In French: Parti progressiste-conservateur du Canada) was a Canadian centre-right conservative political party that existed from 1867 to 2003. ... Hon. ... A Governor-General (in Canada, Governor General) is most generally a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above ordinary governors [1]. The most common contemporary usage of the term is to refer to the royally-appointed territorial governor of a region, or royal representative in a country... Michaëlle Jean, CC, CMM, COM, CD, DUniv (honoris causa), D.Litt (honoris causa) , (born September 6, 1957, in Port-au-Prince, Haïti) is the current Governor General of Canada. ... An ambassador, rarely embassador, is a diplomatic official accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization, to serve as the official representative of his or her own country. ... The Honourable Francis Joseph Frank McKenna, PC, ONB (born January 19, 1948, in Apohaqui, New Brunswick, Canada) is a Canadian politician and diplomat. ...

Wilson stated in his first press conference as Ambassador that "Softwood lumber is clearly at the top of the heap, the top priority. ^[2] Categories: Stub | Wood ...

First meeting with U.S. President Bush

Harper's first meeting with the U.S. President occurred at the end of March, 2006; and while little was achieved in the way of solid agreements, the trip was described in the media as signaling a trend of closer relations between the two nations. Harper told the press that he used "colorful language not suitable for public television" when pressing President Bush privately over his opposition to a U.S. law that will require Canadian citizens to show their passport when crossing the border into the United States. Bush reported that Harper was "a very open, straightforward fella.... If he's got a problem, he's willing to express it in a way that's clear for all to understand, and that's the way I like to deal with people."^[3] The two would later met in July at the White House. North façade of the White House, seen from Pennsylvania Avenue. ...

Softwood lumber dispute

On April 27, 2006, Harper announced in Parliament that the government had reached a seven-year agreement with the United States in the nations' long-standing feud over softwood lumber. Trade Minister David Emerson had vowed since its post-election defection from the Liberals to the Tories to deal with the issue as soon as possible while Ambassador Wilson mentioned it as its first priority. April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... David Lee Emerson, PC, Ph. ...

The three major softwood-producing provinces — British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec — accepted the compromise.^[4] Leader of the Opposition Bill Graham and NDP leader Jack Layton did not, criticising the deal for not requiring the U.S. to pay back all $5 billion it had collected in tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber.^[5] Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Official languages English de facto (none stated in law) Flower Pacific dogwood Tree Western Redcedar Bird Stellers Jay Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 36 6 Area... William C. (Bill) Graham, PC, MP, QC, B.A.(Hon. ... John Gilbert Jack Layton, PC, MP, PhD (born July 18, 1950, in Hudson, Quebec) is a social democrat Canadian politician and current leader of Canadas New Democratic Party (since 2003). ...

On September 12, 2006, the Canadian and U.S governments officially signed the deal in Ottawa ending the dispute.^[6] Still, it was subject for a confidence vote in the House of Commons during the fall session. The deal would likely have passed with the support of the Bloc Quebecois.^[7] On September 19, the House voted in favor of the deal 172 to 116 in first reading which eliminated its final hurdle until its official realization^[8] Portal:Currentevents September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ... Motto: Advance Ottawa/Ottawa en avant Coordinates: Country Canada Province Ontario County Established 1850 as Bytown City Mayor Larry OBrien Governing body Ottawa City Council MPs / MPPs Members of Parliament (MPs) Mauril Bélanger (LPC), Paul Dewar (NDP), John Baird (CPC), Royal Galipeau (CPC), David McGuinty (LPC),Pierre Lemieux... A Motion of Confidence is a motion of support proposed by a government in a parliament to give members of parliament a chance to register their confidence for a government by means of a parliamentary vote. ... The House of Commons (French: Chambre des communes) is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and the Senate. ... The Bloc Qu cois is a federal political party in Canada that is primarily devoted to promoting sovereignty for the province of Quebec. ... September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). ...

However, Canada has not fully complied to all conditions of the deal before October 1, 2006, the deadline date for both countries to comply.

NORAD

Following a debate and vote in the House of Commons, the Harper government renewed the NORAD agreement with the United States, making it permanent and adding maritime defense to the agreement, which previously covered only air defense. Members of the NDP who were highly critical of the agreement, arguing that the arrangement will reduce Canadian sovereignty over the country's internal waters. NORAD is short for: North American Aerospace Defense Command Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Anti-ballistic missile defense

Previously, the federal government refused to participate in the U.S led project on th anti-missile defense system which would intercept foreign missiles that represents a menace for the Americas.

Stephen Harper had promised a free-vote on the participation of Canada in the project but recently told that his country will not participate.

Arctic lands and waters

Harper declared in early 2006 that the Arctic waters that are located between the Canadian islands of the Nunavut and Northwest territories belongs to Canada. However, U.S officials, including newly-named U.S. Ambassador to Canada, David Wilkins said that those waters were in neutral territory. During the summer of 2006, Harper went to the Arctic region in Alert, Nunavut to defend the country's northern sovereignty not only for the neutral territory issue but also due to the greater attention giving by foreign countries in regards of the land's wide variety of resources. In addition, the government planned to continue fundings for adding military boats and personnel to patrol and defend the northern waters. ^[9] Motto: Nunavut Sannginivut (Inuktitut: Nunavut our strength or Our land our strength) Official languages Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun, English, French Flower Purple Saxifrage Tree Bird Rock Ptarmigan Capital Iqaluit Largest city Iqaluit Commissioner Ann Meekitjuk Hanson Premier Paul Okalik (Independent) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 1 (Nancy Karetak-Lindell) 1 (Willie... Motto: none Official languages Chipewyan, Cree, English, French, Gwich’in, Inuinnaqtun, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun, North Slavey, South Slavey, Tåîchô [1] Flower Mountain avens Tree Tamarack Bird Gyr Falcon Capital Yellowknife Largest city Yellowknife Commissioner Tony Whitford Premier Joe Handley (Consensus government (no party affiliations)) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats... This is a list of ambassadors from the United States. ... David H. Wilkins David Horton Wilkins (born October 12, 1946) is a former South Carolina politician and an American diplomat. ... It has been suggested that CFS Alert be merged into this article or section. ...

U.S. President George W. Bush, Mexico's President Vicente Fox and Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper, right, stand in front of the Chichen-Itza archaeological ruins Thursday, March 30, 2006.

Image File history File linksMetadata Bush_Fox_Harper. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Bush_Fox_Harper. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Vicente Fox Quesada[1] (born July 2, 1942) served as President of Mexico from December 1, 2000 to December 1, 2006. ... El Castillo being climbed by tourists Plumed Serpent, bottom of El Castillo staircase Chichen Itza (from Yukatek Maya chichen itza, At the mouth of the well of the Itza (people)) is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization, located in the northern center of the... March 30 is the 89th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (90th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Passport and border security

The United States government had created the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative which would require before June 2009 that all Canadians and Americans must have a valid passport in order to enter the United States by land or boat. Similar measures will be enforced in 2007 for air-travelers heading to the U.S. The current Canadian Ambassador to the U.S Michael Wilson expressed some concerns that the law could pass before the supposed date and may cause problems for businesses and travelers, but the law previously had a 2007 deadline. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requires all travelers--including U.S. citizens--to and from the Americas, the Caribbean, and Bermuda, to have a passport or other accepted document that establishes the bearer’s identity and nationality to enter or re-enter the United States. ... Michael Wilson may refer to: Michael Wilson (basketball), former player of the Harlem Globetrotters and the University of Memphis, also known as Wild Thing Michael Wilson (footballer), Australian rules football player for Port Adelaide Michael Wilson (soccer), New Zealand soccer player Michael Wilson (politician), Canadian politician and diplomat Michael Wilson...

Wilson previously said in an interview on CTV's Question Period in July 2006 that the economy would not be greatly affected by the new measure but The Federation of Canadian Municipalities expressed that particular concern. ^{[10] [11] [12]} CTV is Canadas largest privately owned English language television network. ... Question Period is a Canadian television newsmagazine, which airs weekly on CTV. The program, which takes its name from the parliamentary process of Question Period, is an interview and panel discussion series on Canadian politics, similar in format to the American Meet the Press. ... The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is a civic advocacy group composed of every municipality in Canada. ...

The Harper government announced in 2006, among several border security policies, that before 2016 all border guards will be equipped with weapons to track possible criminals, including those carrying firearms, that may pass the border on either side of it. The guards had requested the weapons in a previous negotiation. Also, Harper had spend for over $100 million to add extra staff to patrol borders. 400 or more new officers will be added. ^[13] 2016 (MMXVI) will be a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

War on terror

Deployment in Afghanistan

The Canadian government has participated in the war against terrorism since the September 11 attacks in the United States. Later that year, the government deployed troops in Afghanistan to combat the Taliban regime, which was ousted by the coalition forces. Canadian troops have remained in the area to assure security and peace, as Taliban insurgencies were frequent in the following months. So far, 44 Canadian soldiers and a diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan, with most of the fatalities occurring in 2006 as resurgence from the former regime has become more frequent and more violent. Since the Conservative government was elected in 2006, several of the key members of the Cabinet, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay, Defense Minister Gordon O'Connor and Minister of International Co-operation Josee Verner have visited the region in support of the troops or for rebuilding projects Flag flown by the Taliban. ... Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. ... Peter Gordon MacKay, PC, BA, LL.B, MP (born September 27, 1965) serves as the member of Parliament (MP) for Central Nova, Nova Scotia, Canadas Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. ... Hon. ... Image:Photo jverner. ...

Mission extension

In early 2006, the Conservative government proposed a motion to extend the Canadian military mission in Afghanistan by two years. In May 2006, the House of Commons passed a motion, after a short six-hour debate, to extend the mission until 2009 by a slim 149-145 majority.^[14] The House of Commons (French: Chambre des communes) is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and the Senate. ...

Flag policy

The Harper government re-instituted a policy of lowering the national flag at military installations such as Department of National Defence headquarters only , drawing criticism that the government was showing a lack of respect for the soldiers. Previously, the flag was lowered at the Peace Tower of Parliament Hill. ^[15] The Department of National Defence, frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for Canadas military, the Canadian Armed Forces. ... The Peace Tower in view on Parliament Hill The Peace Tower at night For other uses, see Peace Tower (disambiguation). ... Centre Block, Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Canada Parliament Hill, (French Colline du Parlement), -The Hill for locals- is a scenic location on the banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Canada. ...

Harper's speeches on Afghanistan

In a televised speech on September 11, 2006, five years after the attacks in New York City and Washington D.C., Harper linked the events of that day with the current mission in Afghanistan, and encouraged continued support for Canada's military efforts against the Taliban.^[16] During another speech this time at the United Nations Assembly in New York on September 21, he asked the organization for help and mentioned that the crisis "is a test of the world body's relevance" and being the UN's most important test and mission for it.^[17] September 11 is the 254th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (255th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Big Apple, City that never Sleeps, Gotham Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Manhattan Queens Brooklyn Staten Island Settled 1613 Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... Flag flown by the Taliban. ... The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity. ... September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ...

Opposition

While most Canadians support the Canadian Armed Forces in general, the opinion is divided in regards to the necessity of the mission. However, a late-October 2006 survey showed that a majority of Canadians approves the mission despite an increase of casualties from Canadian troops over the past few months. ^[18] The Canadian Forces (CF) (Fr: Forces canadiennes (FC)) are the combined branches of the military of Canada. ...

Among the opposition parties, the New Democratic Party add asked in multiple occasions to the government for the withdrawal of the troops, but was the only party that was fully against the project. ^[19] The Bloc Quebecois had previously asked about an emergency debate in the House of the Commons but haven't showed any opposition to the conflict which the Tories refused. ^[20] On December 12, the Bloc's Deputy Leader Michel Gauthier told the media that the party even considered to introduce a confidence motion on the mission that could topple the government. ^[21] The New Democratic Party (NDP; Nouveau Parti démocratique in French) is a political party in Canada with a social democratic philosophy that contests elections at both the federal and provincial levels. ... Deputy Leader in the Westminster system is the second-in-command of a political party, behind the party leader. ... Portrait of Michel Gauthier. ...

Military spending

Harper had promised that he would improve the military fleet of ships as well as increasing the overall number of soldiers. In the 2006 budget, the Canadian Armed Forces received an additional $5.3 billion over five years. ^[22]

Defense Minister Gordon O'Connor had later requested additional funding of about 15 billion dollars to improve the fleet of helicopters and aircrafts such as the RAF Boeing Chinook helicopter, the Boeing C-17 Globe Masters plane, and the Lockheed Martin Hercules aircraft. Most of the equipment would serve for the soldiers currently serving in Afghanistan. These new equipments would be in addition to new Sikorsky helicopters requested by the previous government's defense minister Bill Graham. ^[23] Sikorsky is an English version of Slavic name Sikorski. ... William C. (Bill) Graham, PC, QC, LL.D, D.U., B.A.(Hon. ...

Israel-Lebanon conflict

Harper at the 32^nd G8 summit, held July 15-17, 2006, which focused much of its attention on the Israel-Lebanon conflict.

Main article: International reactions to the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict

At the outset of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, Harper defended publicly Israel's "right to defend itself," and described the invasion of Lebanon as a "measured" response, feeling that Hezbollah and Hamas's release of Israeli prisoners would be the key to ending the conflict.^[24] Many Arab-Canadians criticized Harper's description of the response as "measured". On July 17, 2006, Harper noted that the situation had deteriorated since his initial comments, but that it was difficult for Israel to fight "non-governmental forces" embedded in the civilian population. Harper reiterated his earlier support for Israel and called on both sides to show restraint and minimize civilian casualties. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3000x2535, 1329 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper User:GeeJo/Gallery ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3000x2535, 1329 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper User:GeeJo/Gallery ... 32nd G8 summit The 32nd summit of the G8 group of industrialised nations took place from July 15 to July 17, 2006 outside Saint Petersburg, Russia. ... The international reactions to the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict have been mixed, with most leaders condemning both Hezbollah and Israel. ... Combatants Hezbollah Amal LCP Islamic Courts Union[3]  Israel Commanders Hassan Nasrallah (Secretary General of Hezbollah), veteran Fatah operative Imad Mughniyeh[4] Dan Halutz (CoS), Moshe Kaplinsky[12], Udi Adam (Regional) Strength 600-1,000 active fighters (of 3,000 - 5,000 available and 10,000 reservists) [5] 30,000... Hezbollah[1] (Arabic: ‎ ,[2] meaning party of God) is a Shia Islamist militant and political organization based in Lebanon. ... Hamas (Arabic: ‎; acronym: Arabic: ‎, or Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya or Islamic Resistance Movement; the Arabic acronym means zeal) is a Palestinian Sunni Islamist organization that currently (since January 2006) forms the majority party of the Palestinian National Authority. ...

The Canadian government made arrangements to evacuate about 30,000 Canadians, mainly of Lebanese descent, from Lebanon after hostilities broke out. The response was criticized as slow and inefficient.^[25] Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay had defended the response mentioning that the capacity of the ships were limited. Peter Gordon MacKay, PC, BA, LL.B, MP (born September 27, 1965) serves as the member of Parliament (MP) for Central Nova, Nova Scotia, Canadas Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. ...

On July 17, a group of protesters, primarily expatriate Lebanese, protested Israeli aggression in front of the Israeli consulate in Montreal; further protests took place July 22 in localities across Canada.^[26] Motto: Concordia Salus Coordinates: Country Canada Province Québec Founded 1642 Established 1832 Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area    - City 366. ...

Despite criticisms, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay joined Harper in reiterating support for Israel's position and urging restraint while calling for a ceasefire. Speaking of the situation in both Lebanon and Gaza on July 18, Harper told reporters, "We all want to encourage not just a ceasefire, but a resolution. And a resolution will only be achieved when everyone gets to the table and everyone admits... recognition of each other," referring to the refusal of Hezbollah and Hamas to recognize Israel's right to exist. Harper laid the blame for the civilian deaths on both sides at the feet of Hezbollah. "Hezbollah's objective is violence," Harper asserted, "Hezbollah believes that through violence it can create, it can bring about the destruction of Israel. Violence will not bring about the destruction of Israel... and inevitably the result of the violence will be the deaths primarily of innocent people.".^[27] In the Cabinet of Canada, the Minister of Foreign Affairs is responsible for overseeing the federal governments international relations department, Foreign Affairs Canada. ... Peter Gordon MacKay, PC, BA, LL.B, MP (born September 27, 1965) serves as the member of Parliament (MP) for Central Nova, Nova Scotia, Canadas Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. ... Map of the Gaza Strip from The World Factbook. ...

In August 2006, Peterborough MP Dean Del Mastro was scheduled for a National Council on Canada-Arab Relations-planned visit to Lebanon along with members of the Opposition parties. However, shortly before his departure, Del Mastro canceled his trip citing for security reasons. ^{[28] [29]} The Honourable Dean Del Mastro, (born 1970 in Ontario) is a Canadian politician, and a Conservative Member of Canadas House of Commons. ... The National Council on Canada-Arab Relations (NCCAR) is a non-profit organization dedicated to building bridges of understanding and cooperation between Canada and the Arab world. ...

Other international issues

North Korea

The Conservative government had condemned the nuclear testing conducted by the North Korean regime of Kim Jong-Il in October 2006. MacKay had strongly supported any sanctions by the United Nations and its Security Council against the country such as trade restrictions on goods and arms as well as possible trade embargoes. ^[30] The 2006 North Korean nuclear test was the detonation of a nuclear device conducted on October 9, 2006 by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. ... North Korea, officially the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK; Korean: Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk; Hangul: 조선민주주의인민공화국; Hanja: 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國), is a country in eastern Asia... Kim Jong-il (also written as Kim Jong Il [1]) (Korean: 김정일) (born February 16, 1941) is the leader of Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, a position he has held since 1994. ... The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity. ... A session of the Security Council in progress The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. ...

Prior to the nuclear testing, MacKay also condemned a previous missile testing made by North Korea in July 2006 and called the country a major threat for the stability of the eastern Asian region. Harper had responded that "the fact that (North Korea) is prepared to arm itself and prepared to threaten to use such armaments... is something that we should be gravely concerned about" ^[31] Picture of Taepodong-1 missile test from 1998 Two rounds of North Korean missile tests were conducted on July 5, 2006. ...

During the APEC summit, in which North Korea is not an APEC country, Canada had send a diplomat to deal with the nuclear issue. ^[32]

AIDS

The City of Toronto hosted an international summit on AIDS, a worldwide issue which affects also Canada. Health Minister Tony Clement represented the government while Stephen Harper didn't attended the summit due to issues surrounded the Canadian Arctic region, which drew heavy criticism by organizers. After the conference, Clement didn't announced at the conference any Canadian funding or measures on combating the disease, "because it was becoming difficult to have a "rational discussion"" However, he did added that the country had significantly increased its financial part for the matter. ^{[33] [34]} On World AIDS Day, December 1, 2006, Canada had announced a 250-million dollar pledge over a two-year period for the fight against AIDS and promised a 10-year 450 million dollar funding to African countries who are hit harder by the disease. Stephen Lewis a UN Special Envoy had requested a funding of 30 billion dollars by the G8 countries including Canada by 2010 ^[35] Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS or Aids) is a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ... Hon. ... The Red Ribbon is the global symbol for solidarity with HIV-positive people and those living with AIDS. World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the global AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa. ... Stephen Lewis at a public speaking engagement on April 25, 2001. ... The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity. ... ... The Group of Eight (G8) consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. ... For the film, see 2010: The Year We Make Contact. ...

Relations with China

While China had rapidly progressed during the 1990's, the Canadian government concluded several economic and partnership deals with the country. However, when the Conservative government took power in 2006, relations between the two had changed most notably due on the question of human rights in China. The Conservative government had criticized its human rights records. President Hu Jintao criticized Canada for making the Dalai-Lama an honorary citizen. Hu also criticized the government and denied any abuse of human rights. Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... Hu Jintao (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Hú Jǐntāo; born December 21, 1942) is currently the Paramount Leader of the Peoples Republic of China, holding the titles of President of the Peoples Republic of China, Chairman of the Central Military Commission and General Secretary of the... The 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso (1876-1933) In Tibetan Buddhism, the successive Dalai Lamas (Tibetan: ཏ་ཱལའི་བླ་མ་; Wylie: Taa-la’i Bla-ma; Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Dálài LÇŽmā) form a tulku lineage of Gelug leaders which trace back to 1391. ...

Before the APEC summit in November 2006, the issue of human rights was a hot topic on Harper's agenda. He discussed the issue in Vietnam with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung where there have been also criticism on the country's respect of rights. ^[36] APEC may refer to: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Action Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour Advanced Placement European Civilization Atlantic Provinces Economic Council This article consisting of a 4-letter acronym or initialism is a disambiguation page — a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nguyen Tan Dung (Nguyễn Tấn Dũng) was First Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam from 29 September 1997 to May 2006 . ...

At the APEC summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, Harper met with Hu, after tensions between the two countries nearly called off a scheduled meeting between the two leaders. There were no official reports of discussions on the issue of human rights, but Harper had urged that the relations between the two countries needs to be built. ^[37] Hanoi opera house Hanoi (Vietnamese: Hà Nội; Chinese: 河内), estimated population 3,500,800 (1997), is the capital of Vietnam and was the capital of North Vietnam from 1954 to 1976. ...

See also

• Stephen Harper
• Domestic policy of the Harper government

Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. ... Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party Government of Canada planned and adopted, since its election on January 23, 2006, several policies regarding to various interior and domestic issues in Canada such as social and environmental policies. ...

Footnotes