Harper Government Ignores AIDS 2006

HIV/AIDS has been said to be the worst medical disaster faced by humanity ever. In the face of plague itself ravaging the world, millions of people are working their hearts to breaking, their bodies to exhaustion and their jobs to the point of burnout to cope with the burden and fight the disease. Canadians like Stephen Lewis and Dr. Mark Wainberg were a powerful presence and represented Canada well at the AIDS 2006 Conference in Toronto.

Government policy on HIV/AIDS has implications that affect whether people live or die, and the tragedy is that decisions are all too often made for political rather than humanitarian and health and life-preserving reasons. 30,000 people, from scientists, activists, policy-makers, health professionals, lawyers, community workers, faith groups came to our beautiful country because they have decided that fighting history's worst pandemic was a worthwhile thing to do. No other conference could draw such a diverse international crowd. And where was our Prime Minister in Canada's greatest moment in history as host? Where was he to greet the world's premiere scientists, the world's workers on the ground working against sexual violence against women, for access to life-saving treatment, those working with the 12.3 million children orphaned by AIDS in Africa?

He was in the Arctic Circle. Announcements by our Health Minister were cancelled twice. We all sat ashamed as Africans, Western and Eastern Europeans, South Americans, Americans and Central Americans, South, East and Central Asians, Australians, Australasians, South Pacific Islanders, Middle Easterners etc. came to Toronto to present their work and discuss how to save lives and ensure human rights. There was no welcome for this historic event in Toronto from our Prime Minister. Arctic sovereignty is important, but Stephen Harper claims the trip was planned long in advance as if the issues of the Arctic are so time-sensitive that he had to be there exactly the week of Aug. 13th. The conference was also planned long in advance, why the conflict?

While the South African government's painfully misguided approach regarding treatment in the country most heavily affected by the disease was denounced by every scientist, policymaker and by Stephen Lewis, Tony Clement condemned the condemnation. Let us ask Tony Clement how long he thinks he would last in government if he promoted the use of lemon and garlic to treat cancer.

Harper and Clement have described the conference as politicized. Rather than deal with reality as it is, rather than tackle the issues fo human rights, fairness, discrimination and poverty, we have a leader who is not up to it. We thought politicians were hired by the people to deal with tough politicial issues. Harper's shown to be a real disappointment.

From attending the AIDS 2006, it's clear to me that the NDP is the only party that really gets it. This is serious work, the silent tsunami every month. Canada ought to step up, to fight for life, not deny death. Canada's foreign policy statement is named 'A Role of Pride and Influence in the World'. By ignoring the conference our government has shown ingnorance, not leadership.

Arif Jinha