Anne McLellan, Canada's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Responsible for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, spoke to her counterpart Michael Chertoff to offer Canada's assistance. I have also written to the Governors of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi to make the same offer. The Minister of Health, Ujjal Dosanjh, has directed the Public Health Agency of Canada to contact U.S. Health and Human Services and offer any assistance that may be helpful, such as emergency medical supplies contained in the National Emergency Stockpile System.
Canadian and American emergency civil response authorities have been in close touch during this time, and we are prepared to respond to any request made to Canada. Yesterday, the Deputy Prime Minister released the following statement: "On behalf of all Canadians, I wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to those who have lost loved ones as a result of Hurricane Katrina, as well as our sympathies to those who have suffered great losses and personal hardship. During this difficult time, we are offering our support to our friends and neighbours."
Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew echoed the comments made by the Deputy Prime Minister and expressed relief that no Canadians had been reported dead or missing. "We have successfully contacted the majority of those Canadians who are registered with our missions and who may have been affected by the disaster," said Minister Pettigrew. "We are confident that the US authorities are deploying all possible efforts to assist."
The Government of Canada cannot emphasize enough the need for Canadians in the area to heed the instructions of local authorities. For Canadians who are in distress or otherwise in need of Consular assistance, they should contact our 24/7 Emergency Operations Centre in Ottawa at 1-800-267-6788. Those wishing to help should contact a relief organization such as the Red Cross. In the meantime, let us all hope and pray for the safety of our neighbours.
Sincerely,
Frank McKenna
Ambassador of Canada to the United States
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"If you must kill a man, it costs you nothing to be polite about it." Winston Churchill
I would say that the chickens are coming home to roost, what they have done to other has now fallen upon their house and it was all done as an Act of God. As President Bush would say it was God's will.
I feel bad for the people, they are the poorest, much like those bombed in Iraq, one can only hope they take a message out of the disaster.
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Good government is not a party government
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"A person who walks in someone elses footprints leaves no footprints." Chinese Proverb
So, I know what it is like to go through hard times and the hard times I have had to live through were the cause of a government abusive legislation, citizen tend to wake up when it hits them.
I too feel for those in Iraq who the Yankees bombed the hell out of and all in the name of oil, well look at oil prices now, and remember they are profiting from that oil which belongs to the citizens of Iraq.
Well my friend, my heart has been hardened and your right what goes around comes around. Lets face it American has brought much hell upon other countries, remember what they did in Viet Nam and today the people are suffering from the spraying of agent orange and other defoliants. Myself being a Canadian citizen who served and trained at Base Gagetown , has just learned that when I was there in 66 and 67 the tested defoliants on myself and many other.
So, I felt the vile actions of government, yes I feel sorry for those poor citizens in America, but I also feel sorry for the citizens of ever nation America bombed the hell out too.
If your looking for me to say I sorry for my remarks, you will wait a long time, because my remarks are true and honest remarks.
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Good government is not a party government
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Every time you complain about the moderators, god kills a kitten.
I think it says a lot about the people who frequent this site that the above post has a "Good" rating. The subsequent statement about feeling "bad for the people" was a transparent attempt to cover up the stench of the preceding piece of nasty schadenfreude. I'd wish for "God" to do some bad things to you, but that would only drag me down to your level.
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"If you must kill a man, it costs you nothing to be polite about it." Winston Churchill
Another point being made, on CNN no less! Is that the majority of these people are poor and black, and that if they were rich and white, things would have been handled differently. I think the colour issue may not be as true as the poverty side. Very sad situation for all the people involved, and for their families. I also don't think it is a matter of being politically correct to compare the devastation in Iraq which was imposed, and this act of God, so to speak, it may be insensitive, but it is also a very real comparison. Bush, talked very little about the human crisis, but did ensure that people knew how the energy sector was being protected and rebuilt! It is strange to see a country as large, mighty and willing to impose devastation on other countries, and yet how unable they seem to be to help their own people. Reassuring people about the state of oil, hardly seems appropriate when all they need and want is some clean water, a bit of food, some shelter and medical treatment, and they need it yesterday. To hear that 'we are doing everything we can and military police will be on the scene asap...but food and other necessities are on the way someday.
Also zero tolerance for looting, and when the white house spokesman was asked to clarify, because some people may loot or steal in order to survive, and would they be excempt, the answer was to reiterate, 'zero tolerance for looting!' That does tell you something about the situation, I mean nobody seems able to get them aid, but if they help themselves, they will be prevented by whatever means necessary! The reality is that most have no money, they are not near their homes or relatives, so the only way they could get water, or food etc would be to steal it, so what options do they have? Die gracefully? This is really sad. Really!
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If I stand for my country today...will my country be here to stand for me tomorrow?
Here we have one of the richest countries in the world, that does not have a plan to help it own citizens, but yet is spending billions fighting a war, over oil. The Bush administration better wake up or he will have a real war right in his own back yard.
The Canadian "government" should have been fast off the make to give at least $1 billion in hard cash towards this disaster, it the very least we could, after all we chased their ancestors out of Canada to live on this flood plain.
So come on Prime Minister Martin dig into the Employment Insurance Fund and offer up $1 billion so these suffering citizens can rebuild. SHOW THE CANADIAN FLAG Paul Martin .
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Good government is not a party government
SOMETHING STINKS