My guess is he was feeling smug self-satisfaction at thinking he has passed another one over on what he perceive as a bovine public too stupid to remember last week’s headlines.
Said the Nation’s top liar:
(emphasis mine)
“Today, I am honoured to receive a Canadian flag that has been to space, from Canadian astronaut Dr. Dave Williams who participated in missions aboard the space shuttles Columbia and Endeavour in 1998 and 2007, respectively, and to present him in turn with a Peace Tower flag.
“This flag is a reminder to me of how Canadians continue to push the limits of human knowledge and how we are active members of international efforts to explore outer space – from our astronauts playing key roles in NASA missions, to the unique Canadarm that has been used so effectively to build and repair in space, to astronaut Chris Hadfield who is currently in space and will soon assume command of the International Space Station – the first Canadian ever to do so.
I guess we needed that reminder – for past events - since we will soon have few current achievements in space exploration to take pride in.
Over the past year, the Canadian Space Agency has been battered by government budget cuts, buffeted by a critical review, and now even its president is ejecting right out of the place..MacLean is leaving in total silence – not a public word to the media or anyone else.
... Industry and government insiders say there is certainly no love lost between MacLean and the Conservatives. They say that several years ago, he presented the Harper cabinet with a strategic plan to guide the space agency going forward. In response, the government shelved MacLean’s plan, cut his budget, and commissioned an independent review that ultimately slammed the agency for not having a plan.
Last year’s review of the space agency and the entire aerospace industry was conducted by a blue-ribbon panel headed by former Conservative cabinet minister David Emerson. Its final report released last November was apparently the last straw for MacLean.
...One Canadian company alone has lost a $25-million annual business servicing the Canadarm units on the now defunct U.S. space-shuttles. Without the shuttle program, what will happen to the Canadian astronaut program? Finally, the space agency is facing funding cuts, compounding a virtual budget freeze dating back almost a decade.
Who cares about last week's news though, right Stevie? Just as long as you get cool photo ops with cool people especially if they involve the Canadian flag.
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