Why Did Stephen Harper Lock Himself in the Bathroom in Brazil?

A Brazilian newspaper has reported that Stephen Harper locked himself in a bathroom in Brazil, until his hosts agreed to change the itinerary to suit him.

The Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, has caused constraints in Brazilian diplomacy on Monday, demanding a change in the ceremony and only go to the salon for lunch with the President after Rousseff met.

The speeches and toasts are common in this type of event can be both before and after lunch. Dilma prefers it that later, but Harper made sure they were done before the guests start eating at the meeting yesterday. He did not explain why. (Translated version)

The Washington Post says:

On a trade mission to Brazil this week, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper reportedly engaged in some undiplomatic behavior ... Folha reported that Brazilian president Dilma Rouseff asked official speeches and toasts to take place after a lunch with Harper Monday. Harper, however, reportedly had a different idea. He wanted the speeches to happen before lunch, and Folha says he locked himself in the private bathroom of the foreign affairs minister until he got his way.

Diplomats and Dimitri Soudas claim that it never happened, but knowing Harper's history of tantrums, it does sound believable. Why would they make something like this up?

Who do they think they are? Fox News?

But let's give him the benefit of the doubt, and say that he didn't lock himself in the bathroom until he got his way.

Another story out of Brazil has been confirmed to be true. Our hapless PM apparently requested that he be allowed to be interviewed by the press at the Presidential Palace, instead of the Foreign Affairs Palace, where visiting dignitaries normally hold their press conferences.

His request was denied.

No report on whether or not he's still locked in a bathroom in Brazil.

This isn't the first time he broke with protocol and created a stir in a foreign country. A report from India's Amritsar, on November 18, 2009:
Controversy and chaos marked Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Golden Temple visit.

Harper refused to partake of prasad at Darshani Deodi after being dissuaded by his aide, Alisa Mohammed. He also declined langar.

SGPC officials said she also made them vacate their information office prior to the premier’s arrival. “When we objected, she said she had already spoken to the SGPC secretary on the matter. It is for the first time that we have suffered such humiliation at hands of a foreigner in our own office,” said a senior SGPC official, expressing resentment over the behaviour of the Canadian PM’s staff ....

And another story from the same publication:

Multi-tier security provided by officials of intelligence, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Punjab Police, CID and the overzealous Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee task force converted the complex into a fortress. Perhaps for the first time, movement of devotees came to a halt during a VVIP’s visit.

Members of SGPC’s task force allegedly snatched cameras of photojournalists and misbehaved with them. Even Canadian journalists were jostled around and manhandled. The video camera of a CBC journalist fell during the melee. “It seemed that everyone was policing and there were more securitymen in the complex,” a Canadian journalist told this correspondent.

Though Indian photojournalists were restricted to three pre-determined points in the Parkarma, their Canadian counterparts were allowed to perch on veranda roofs along the Parkarma. SGPC chief Avtar Singh assured action against erring task force officials.....

Stephen Harper would never try to silence the press would he? Not our Steve.

I really wish that man would just stay home, or start doing what many Canadians are doing now who travel abroad: Sew an American flag to his lapel.

He is such an embarrassment.