- U.S. President George W. Bush will not address Parliament
when he visits Canada next week to avoid possible negative reception or
heckling, White House sources said.
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- The sources confirmed to The Globe and Mail Wednesday
that Mr. Bush would not be speaking to Parliament.
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- The U.S. President had been invited by the Canadian government
to address a joint session of the House of Commons and Senate during his
visit to Ottawa, scheduled for Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.
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- But sources said Mr. Bush wants to avoid a potentially
hostile reaction in Parliament, despite the fact that Liberal MPs who are
not pro-Bush had promised Prime Minister Paul Martin last week that they
would behave.
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- The President and Prime Minister will, however, hold
a joint news conference after a lunch on Tuesday.
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- Mr. Bush will then travel to Halifax to give a speech
after what is his first official trip to Ottawa, White House sources said.
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- The side trip would come after a working visit Tuesday
with Prime Minister Paul Martin and a dinner that night with hundreds of
prominent Canadians at the Museum of Civilization.
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- Details of the Halifax portion of the trip weren't immediately
available.
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- Mr. Martin is hoping to to repair somewhat strained relations
with the United States following trade difficulties over softwood lumber
and mad cow disease and Canada's refusal to participate in the Iraq war.
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- Mr. Martin phoned Mr. Bush the day after the Nov. 2 presidential
election with the invitation. Mr. Bush and his officials were enthusiastic
about the visit. The final acceptance came on Nov. 16.
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- Sources say U.S. officials involved in planning the trip
were worried about a cranky audience on Parliament Hill.
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- "We didn't see the need and, frankly, we didn't
want to be booed. There are other, better venues," said one U.S. official.
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- On MP, Carolyn Parrish, who has voiced anti-Bush sentiments
in the past, calling him "war-like", said last week that she
would not tone down her rhetoric outside Parliament, though she promised
not to heckle Mr. Bush inside Parliament.
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- However, after appearing on a comedy television show
during which she stomped on a Bush doll and after saying that the Liberal
caucus could "go to hell" she was kicked out of the caucus last
week.
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- Even though other Liberal MPs have said they will behave,
Mr. Bush's handlers have good reason to fear protests.
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- Planning has been under way for a number of demonstrations
on Parliament Hill in Ottawa since the Bush visit was announced last week.
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- Thousands are expected to descend on Parliament Hill
to protest various policies of Mr. Bush's Republican Party, including its
hard-line approach to marijuana use.
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- On both Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, hundreds are expected to
light up marijuana cigarettes on the Hill at 4:20 p.m., the universal time
accepted by pot-smokers as the time to smoke up.
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- There will also be a mass demonstration against the Iraq
war and another against Canada's participation in a U.S. missile defence
program.
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- The tour would be Mr. Bush's first official visit since
he took office four years ago. The President has been in the country twice
since his first victory ó for a meeting of the G8 in Alberta and
for the Quebec City Summit of the Americas.
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- - With reports from Brian Laghi, Gloria Galloway and
Canadian Press
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- © Copyright 2004 Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
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- http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.
20041124.wbush1124/BNStory/Front/
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