09-30-2008
Today's buzz: 'Plagiarism'
Meagan Fitzpatrick
Canwest News Service
A liberal advertisement shows a split screen of Howard's speech and Harper's speech two days later. The buzz:
Prime Minister Stephen Harper was accused Tuesday of plagiarizing much of a speech, he delivered in 2003 as opposition leader, from then-Australian prime minister John Howard. In their speeches, delivered two days apart, both men urged their respective countries to join the U.S.-led war in Iraq.
The background:
As the federal leaders scaled down their campaign activities Tuesday to prepare for televised debates Wednesday and Thursday, Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae was holding a news conference in Toronto, at which he showed side-by-side video clips of Harper and Howard using identical language during their speeches. The Liberals also produced transcripts of the speeches, which showed Harper's was virtually word for word and in the same order as much of Howard's address.
Harper vs. Howard:
"In the final analysis, disarming Iraq is necessary for the long-term security of the world, to the collective interests of our historic allies and therefore, manifestly, it is in the national interest of this country," said Harper.
"In the final analysis, the absolute conviction of the government is that disarming Iraq is necessary for the long-term security of the world and is therefore manifestly in the national interest of Australia," said Howard.
The reaction:
Initially the Tories dismissed and played down the allegations, but a few hours later the party issued a news release with a staffer named Owen Lippert accepting responsibility for "copying" parts of Howard's speech and announcing his resignation from the Tory campaign. Lippert said he was tasked with writing the speech for Harper and he was "overzealous" in lifting parts of Howard's speech. Harper, nor anyone in his office, knew what he had done, said Lippert's statement.
The explanation:
Lippert said he was "pressed for time."
Posted by: aterry