Post by Souriquois on Apr 12, 2016 12:27:27 GMT -4
He's baaaaack...
Last month, Globe and Mail feature writer Ian Brown wrote about his search for Stephen Harper, concluding that since the October election that he lost, and nearly 10 years leading the country, the former Conservative prime minister has "virtually vanished."
Not so fast. The American news organization Politico found him. In a piece about the state of the Republican Party, fundraising and where the richest GOP donors are putting their money, or not, Politico reported that Mr. Harper had spoken last Thursday at Sheldon Adelson's Las Vegas mansion to the top officials of the Republican Jewish Coalition.
The former prime minister was speaking about how to unite fractured parties, according to the newspaper’s account. There is no mention of exactly what he said or how his message was received. But Mr. Harper is an expert on the issue, having successfully united the federal Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance parties in 2004 – a move that led to nearly a decade of power.
Mr. Adelson, noted in the article, is the 22nd richest person in the world, and has been a big donor to prospective Republican presidential candidates. But, he has not donated to anyone yet in the 2016 race.
In addition, Mr. Adelson, who owns the spectacular Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas, is also described as a media mogul in Israel, owning a daily newspaper. He is a huge supporter of the country.
Mr. Harper, meanwhile, is also a big proponent of Israel, and showed that during his tenure in Ottawa. He visited the country in 2014 and was treated like a rock star as he was greeted enthusiastically by Israeli officials and even regular people were chanting, "Harper, Harper."
The former prime minister has kept a low profile since his party's defeat last October. He does come to Ottawa from his Calgary riding when the House is sitting, and participates in votes - but he avoids the media.
That will be harder for him to do in May. The Conservatives announced last week that he will be speaking at the party's convention.
Not so fast. The American news organization Politico found him. In a piece about the state of the Republican Party, fundraising and where the richest GOP donors are putting their money, or not, Politico reported that Mr. Harper had spoken last Thursday at Sheldon Adelson's Las Vegas mansion to the top officials of the Republican Jewish Coalition.
The former prime minister was speaking about how to unite fractured parties, according to the newspaper’s account. There is no mention of exactly what he said or how his message was received. But Mr. Harper is an expert on the issue, having successfully united the federal Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance parties in 2004 – a move that led to nearly a decade of power.
Mr. Adelson, noted in the article, is the 22nd richest person in the world, and has been a big donor to prospective Republican presidential candidates. But, he has not donated to anyone yet in the 2016 race.
In addition, Mr. Adelson, who owns the spectacular Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas, is also described as a media mogul in Israel, owning a daily newspaper. He is a huge supporter of the country.
Mr. Harper, meanwhile, is also a big proponent of Israel, and showed that during his tenure in Ottawa. He visited the country in 2014 and was treated like a rock star as he was greeted enthusiastically by Israeli officials and even regular people were chanting, "Harper, Harper."
The former prime minister has kept a low profile since his party's defeat last October. He does come to Ottawa from his Calgary riding when the House is sitting, and participates in votes - but he avoids the media.
That will be harder for him to do in May. The Conservatives announced last week that he will be speaking at the party's convention.