WASHINGTON -- As Parliament prepares to vote on a military mission in the Middle East, one famous longtime New Democrat is expressing support for the Harper government's position.
That person is Gary Doer, who was an NDP member of the Manitoba legislature for 23 years before becoming the Harper government's ambassador to Washington.
In an interview with The Canadian Press, Doer declined to comment on his former party and the Liberals opposing the federal government's plan to join airstrikes in Iraq.
But he did weigh in forcefully when asked about the mission's merits.
Doer noting he supported Canada's mission in Afghanistan says he's proud that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has made the right call, one with which the Obama administration is very pleased.
But he warns against expecting one area of agreement to influence other Canada-U.S. files, like the contentious Keystone XL pipeline, noting decisions involving the lives of soldiers shouldn't be mixed with other political files.
