Stephen Harper's Battle Against Fighting the Aids Epidemic

We were shocked recently when a Harper controlled, unelected senate, overturned a bill passed by our elected MPs to provide generic Aids fighting drugs to Africa. We shouldn't have been. Harper's war on fighting the Aids epidemic is long and fierce.

In 2007, he announced with much fanfare a joint project with Bill Gates Canada. But it turned out to be nothing more than a photo-op.

In fact, the year before, he refused to attend an important Aids conference: 'One of the world's leading voices on the AIDS crisis, U.N. Special Envoy for AIDS/HIV Stephen Lewis, said Harper's decision not to attend the important conference is a "dreadful decision" and an "inexcusable" mistake in political judgment. Conference co-chair Mark Wainberg echoed that sentiment and said by not showing up, Harper is sending a message that AIDS is not a priority for his government.'

And he dropped potential candidate Mark Warner, because he did.

Plans for the new Aids Vaccine factory were quietly shelved, after promises made by Vic Toews to Winnipeg, and Dean Del Mastro to Peterborough, that they would be the beneficiary. (Winnipeg HIV vaccine plant quietly shelved, By Elizabeth Church, Globe and Mail Canada, January 28, 2010)

Now HIV/AIDS expert Julio Montaner is urging Canadians not to vote for Stephen Harper's Conservatives

One of the world's leading HIV/AIDS researchers delivered a barn-burning speech last night condemning Conservative Leader Stephen Harper.

At the 25th anniversary gala of the founding of Positive Living B.C. (formerly the B.C. Persons With AIDS Society), Dr. Julio Montaner said that people have "a responsibility to do the right thing" and get friends and family members to vote in the May 2 federal election. "Because if we don't, we are in for deep, deep trouble ...

So how do we wake up the electorate to the fact?