Sir John A. Macdonald Day.

Today's Sir John A. Macdonald commemoration was a carefully crafted "non-partisan" tribute. Social and mainstream media has been abuzz about Macdonald's terrible record regarding the abuse of First Nations under his governments. For that reason they had two FN representatives front and centre to give an awkward blessing. Macdonald's chronic alcoholism - which left him paralytic and unable to function for days on end and even when Canada was in crisis - was turned into an endearing human frailty.

More awkward was the fawning introduction by one of Harper's own former speech writers as MC of the event (at 16:00 in the video). He oddly called Harper's father a "public historian" when in fact he was an Imperial Oil accountant and wrote one small booklet on cap badges. He gilded the lily in calling Harper "Canada's servant", before Harper gave a fairly halting and dull speech about Macdonald.

After condemning the Hebdo Charlie killings and proclaiming Canada's values to include freedom of the press: "Harper did not make himself available to the large media contingent on hand for the event and did not take questions from reporters."

The full video is here: http://www.cbc.ca/1.2897073