Minister Dad

The item below is by Laura Payton from the Ottawa Sun, Eye on the Hill column, 19 January

I love this quote from James Moore, the heritage minister, about his conversation this morning with Daniel Caron, librarian and archivist of Canada (that’s his actual title), at Library and Archives Canada. Moore phoned up after LAC cancelled a screening last night of an anti-Iran documentary.

Moore’s only a couple of years older than me but this quote feels very much like when your father is teaching you a life lesson and making it very clear what behaviour he expects.

“As soon as I contacted him this morning and I laid it out to him what my views were, and what our government’s views are, that we believe in free speech, we don’t believe in buckling to the Iranian embassy and we don’t believe in buckling those who want to threaten people with whom they disagree, and that the movie will go ahead and he’ll honour the agreement with Mr. Litwin. As soon as I made that clear to him, he agreed immediately and the movie will be re-shown. And it will be shown in the original location at Library and Archives Canada.”

I can see why Caron agreed.