I Would Like the Parliamentary Budget Officer to Cost Out Stephen Harper's Photo-Ops

When Stephen Harper visited Canada’s arctic and was transported to the HMCS Toronto by helicopter for those ridiculous shots of him in an orange jumpsuit with a Star Wars helmet, the Nunavut’s Newspaper called it “The most expensive photo op you’ll ever see.”

He's had many of those. Including this one:

The whole thing was a beautifully staged act of geopolitical theatre. On the waters of Allen Bay, near the High Arctic community of Resolute Bay, beneath brilliant skies, Stephen Harper watched from a Zodiac on Wednesday as Leading Seaman Deidre Dorian dived into the crystal-cold Arctic Ocean. She talked to him by comm link from the ocean floor about seven metres below.

What would something like that cost? These photo-ops go beyond baby kissing and ribbon cutting. They are carefully staged and professionally choreographed. But what is their purpose?

From a Letter to the Editor in the Globe:

This week’s Stephen Harper High Arctic rendezvous and the meticulously staged photo-op with our military is further evidence that the Conservatives appear to be more interested in fluffing up Mr. Harper’s image than they are in dealing with the real issues facing Canadians.

I think that nails it.

His entire tenure has been one long stream of photo-ops. No questions. Few statements, except for partisan nonsense. Just photo-ops.

And his appearance after Hurricane Igor in Newfoundland, raises many questions. While he was pictured walking around the area, he failed to address what should have been addressed.

As Galloping Beaver wonders, after Harper claiming that he'd never seen anything like it.

I'm certainly not going to dispute it. However, first we have Harper telling us where the flood waters were, even though he wasn't there and secondly, he fails to acknowledge what actually happened. A politician chose to take the spotlight and act as a spokesman for somebody else. He doesn't know where the flood waters were; someone else told him. And since Harper was being so authoritative in his assessment and analysis why didn't some reporter simply nail him right then? Question: Isn't it a bit odd for mid-latitude Newfoundland to take a direct hit from a tropical Atlantic Category 1 hurricane? Since you're providing details would you explain how that meteorological event evolved?

Igor did not visit Canada to provide another photo-op for our prime minister. Shouldn't he question that maybe this is not a natural event?

This is what happens when your entire governance is 'focused' on 'camera friendly' events. You ignore the events that need your attention.

Like Global Warming.

I think it's time all those photo-ops were costed out. It's not up to taxpayers to fuel this man's narcissism. Taxpayer funded psychiatric help on the other hand. Now that's something I'd get behind.