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Harper on defensive over media ban on return of dead soldiers CBC News \|\| April 27, 2006 Prime Minister Stephen Harper defended his government's decision to ban the media from covering the return of bodies of soldiers killed in the line of duty, accusing the opposition of politicizing the issue. Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor said the return of soldiers' remains should be shared only by the military and relatives. (CBC) Reporters were not allowed into the military airbase at Trenton, Ont., to cover the Tuesday evening arrival of the remains of four soldiers who died in a weekend bombing. Harper said the policy has been implemented to respect the privacy of the families. "It is not about photo ops and media coverage," Harper said during Question Period, after being slammed by opposition members over the new policy. "It's about what's in the best interests of the families." Liberal Leader Bill Graham said the policy is "an invention on the part of the government" and called on Harper to reverse his decision. "Politicizing these funerals is entirely unbecoming [the Opposition leader's] office," Harper shot back. Tories trying to hide bad press, critics say Opposition MPs also accused Harper of trying to avoid bad press over the mission in Afghanistan. "Will the prime minister tell us what he's trying to hide?" asked NDP Leader Jack Layton. Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor also weighed in on the controversy, denying the government is hiding anything. He said some families don't believe the media should cover the event, while others do. He said they decided to ban all media coverage to have a consistent policy. Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com Earlier, O'Connor pointed out that media were allowed to cover a solemn sendoff ceremony just before a Hercules transport plane carrying the remains of Cpl. Matthew Dinning, Bombardier Myles Mansell, Lieut. William Turner and Cpl. Randy Payne left Kandahar airfield in Afghanistan on Monday. Family members criticize government At least one bereaved military family believes the government has made a mistake. It should be up to the families to decide whether they want reporters present at such ceremonies, said Richard Leger, whose son Marc was killed in Afghanistan four years ago. "I know, in 2002, it was a great thing for us to have the media there... We wanted to show all Canadians what the cost of their liberty is," he told CBC Newsworld. "People saying, 'Thank you for the life of Marc' – as a parent that's hard to hear, but knowing what's the reason behind it helps us to move on." Maureen Burrowes, who is a cousin of Payne, said the government is depriving her of her chance to be part of Tuesday night's ceremony. "I honestly believed I would see my cousin's return on CBC as I could not be present today," she wrote in an e-mail. "I really feel that our current government has made a very bad decision and voters will remember this in the next election." "The timing is absolutely horrendous and I would love to know how to get this reversed." In the United States, the Bush administration has been criticized for banning images of the arrival of flag-draped coffins containing the remains of soldiers killed in Iraq. White House officials imposed the ban out of worry that such photographs would lower public support for the military campaign. Full article here About KDR \| \| Home \| \| Weekly Features Archive	Weekly Weekly Features Archive
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Harper on defensive over media ban on return of dead soldiers

CBC News || April 27, 2006

Prime Minister Stephen Harper defended his government's decision to ban the media from covering the return of bodies of soldiers killed in the line of duty, accusing the opposition of politicizing the issue.

Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor said the return of soldiers' remains should be shared only by the military and relatives. (CBC)

Reporters were not allowed into the military airbase at Trenton, Ont., to cover the Tuesday evening arrival of the remains of four soldiers who died in a weekend bombing.

Harper said the policy has been implemented to respect the privacy of the families.

"It is not about photo ops and media coverage," Harper said during Question Period, after being slammed by opposition members over the new policy. "It's about what's in the best interests of the families."

Liberal Leader Bill Graham said the policy is "an invention on the part of the government" and called on Harper to reverse his decision.

"Politicizing these funerals is entirely unbecoming [the Opposition leader's] office," Harper shot back.

Tories trying to hide bad press, critics say

Opposition MPs also accused Harper of trying to avoid bad press over the mission in Afghanistan.

"Will the prime minister tell us what he's trying to hide?" asked NDP Leader Jack Layton.

Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor also weighed in on the controversy, denying the government is hiding anything. He said some families don't believe the media should cover the event, while others do. He said they decided to ban all media coverage to have a consistent policy.

Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com

Earlier, O'Connor pointed out that media were allowed to cover a solemn sendoff ceremony just before a Hercules transport plane carrying the remains of Cpl. Matthew Dinning, Bombardier Myles Mansell, Lieut. William Turner and Cpl. Randy Payne left Kandahar airfield in Afghanistan on Monday.

Family members criticize government

At least one bereaved military family believes the government has made a mistake.

It should be up to the families to decide whether they want reporters present at such ceremonies, said Richard Leger, whose son Marc was killed in Afghanistan four years ago.

"I know, in 2002, it was a great thing for us to have the media there... We wanted to show all Canadians what the cost of their liberty is," he told CBC Newsworld.

"People saying, 'Thank you for the life of Marc' – as a parent that's hard to hear, but knowing what's the reason behind it helps us to move on."

Maureen Burrowes, who is a cousin of Payne, said the government is depriving her of her chance to be part of Tuesday night's ceremony.

"I honestly believed I would see my cousin's return on CBC as I could not be present today," she wrote in an e-mail. "I really feel that our current government has made a very bad decision and voters will remember this in the next election."

"The timing is absolutely horrendous and I would love to know how to get this reversed."

In the United States, the Bush administration has been criticized for banning images of the arrival of flag-draped coffins containing the remains of soldiers killed in Iraq.

White House officials imposed the ban out of worry that such photographs would lower public support for the military campaign.

Full article here