Sure that was back in 1996, but nobody really noticed. I don’t remember reading about it at all. And I live in the 1996 host city. It was but a footnote in liberal media history. But thanks to the internet, which the liberals of Canada find so pernicious for this very reason, we can review it now:
In 1996, then-prime minister Jean Chretien decided not to attend Vancouver’s World AIDS conference and sent Health Minister David Dingwall.
[…] When Dingwall stood up to speak, thousands of world activists stood up, turned their backs and screamed, “Shame. Shame. Shame,” throughout his speech. He was so upset, he left the conference the next day, [Louise Binder, the UN’s special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa] said.
…and this…
Chretien under fire for shunning AIDS conference
Reuters NewMedia, Inc. – 5 July 1996
TORONTO – Canadian AIDS activists said on Friday they regretted Prime Minister Jean Chretien’s decision to shun an international AIDS conference in Vancouver and urged him not to give up the fight against AIDS.
The 11th International Conference on AIDS opens on Sunday in Vancouver, but Chretien has said he is too busy to attend.
This will be the first time in the history of the conference that the head of government of the host country will not open the event. […]
…And Fancy Pants from Kings-Hants had this gem to add:
Scott Brison, a Nova Scotia [Liberal] MP, said Harper’s decision not to attend the conference sends a clear message to Canadians about the government’s stance on HIV/AIDS.
“Stephen Harper’s absence here tonight demonstrates a shocking lack of leadership and an appalling lack of compassion,” Brison said.
…And I liked this from the far-left (Marxist?) Rabble Babble forum:
It’s becoming more and more apparent that people are only upset about the PM’s absence because of the lost opportunity to boo him.
I’m going to boo the PM and say he’s a horrible leader because he didn’t show up at the Aids conference so I could boo him and call him a horrible leader.
Meanwhile, Jack Layton of the you’ve got to be kidding party was outraged. He found it “shocking and irresponsible”. All is well.
PTBC was founded by Mr. Johannesen in 2000.
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