LaPierre exonerated: He didn't say 'screw' U.S.
Jack Aubry The Ottawa Citizen
( Toooo baddd......The Re-Farmers really thought they had LaPierre on the ropes in their ever present quest to smear
the Liberals,no matter how Anti-Canadian they may be.
Would you like FRENCH FRIES with that crow - thar Harpo?
heh heh heh )
Friday, March 28, 2003
The Senate has accepted Liberal Senator Laurier LaPierre's correction to its version of Hansard, which had quoted him as saying on Tuesday "Screw the Americans."
Mr. LaPierre insisted he actually said "So did the Americans" when another senator had stated that Russia sold arms to Iraq. But he failed to get unanimous agreement from the upper chamber until yesterday's sitting to make his requested change to the Senate Debates.
A tearful Mr. LaPierre had said he would offer his resignation to Prime Minister Jean Chrétien because his honour was being challenged by the opposition members.
Senate Speaker Dan Hays said yesterday that his review of the audiotape of the exchange was inconclusive, but reminded his fellow senators that such changes are usually made without "a fuss." Unanimous consent was then given by the senators to Mr. LaPierre's request for a correction.
In a statement the senator issued earlier in the day, Mr. LaPierre slammed his opponents in the Senate: "Some seek to find anti-American sentiment where none exists. They do so for their own partisan and biased reasons."
Mr. LaPierre also said he was accustomed to criticism "which accompanies the heat of debate," and he has always been accountable for his statements.
To perform its own assessment of the tape the Citizen asked the company Stenotran for its professional analysis.
Bill Curley, of Stenotran, agreed with Mr. LaPierre. "What was said was not 'Screw the Americans.' What was said was, 'So did the Americans.' "
In the House of Commons, meanwhile, Canadian Alliance MP Jason Kenney was rebuked by Mr. Chrétien for attacking Mr. LaPierre for a statement he had not made. Mr. Chrétien said until Mr. Kenney apologizes for misquoting Mr. LaPierre, he would not answer any further questions from him.
Mr. Kenney reminded Mr. Chrétien that the prime minister had also reproached Mr. LaPierre during question period the day before.
Mr. Chrétien had said that if the senator actually said it, "it is completely reprehensible."
Part of the reason opposition senators did not allow Mr. LaPierre's requested change on Wednesday is that the outspoken senator has made numerous anti-American statements in the past.
Canadian Alliance Senator Gerry St. Germain said last November when he was speaking in the Senate about the "moron" comment made by Francie Ducros, Mr. Chrétien's former director of communications -- referring to U.S. President George Bush -- Mr. LaPierre intervened by shouting, "But he is."
And just last week, during another sitting, Tory Senator Consiglio Di Nino, who was asking about a meeting at Meech Lake, was interrupted by another LaPierre intervention: "Does the Honourable Leader of the Government in the Senate know that Liberals do not use Meech Lake for meetings since it was the place where Mr. Mulroney slept with the Americans?" |
