The Canadian Press account of the French language debate ("French Language Debate Shows Gallic Flair," April 14) included what seems to be a complimentary interpretation of Stephen Harper's interjection on the very serious matter of Quebec sovereignty.
The anonymous writer, with telling lack of objectivity, had just characterized Ignatieff's remarks on the subject as "draping" himself in the Canadian flag. Then the writer asserted that Harper's riposte was his best of the evening.
In this, the well-named, hopefully soon-to-be-ex-Prime Minister, went back to his trademark harping about a hypothetical coalition, inviting viewers to imagine those three other leaders in such an arrangement.
What should have been taken from this is both Harper's lack of courage to speak out on national unity while in Quebec, and how he undermined his own tedious fear-mongering about a coalition.
The other three party leaders really have fundamental differences which, I might add, could and should only be put aside to rid Canada of the prospect of a Harper majority. But the no-name CP scribe missed this irony altogether in his or her clear bias towards the Conservatives.
The Citizen rightly insists that we whose opinionated words appear in these pages identify ourselves: the same should apply for spineless Canadian Press writers who sneak their preferences into what is supposed to be objective news reporting.
Norman Dale
Prince George
