are these people not worthy enough to be acknowledged on parliament hill ...

today, how disrespectful to revert back in time, and not fly the canada flag on parliament hill and other government buildings at half mast for these soldiers killed today. these individuals gave their lives; is it that hard to pay tribute to them as individuals, instead of - as one of many on 11th of november? can we not show them that much respect and honour? (don't get me wrong, i have much appreciation / respect for remembrance day, for what it stands for, in remembering all those who sacrificed their lives for canada)

"They did not die in vain. They will be remembered," Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor told reporters in Ottawa. CBC

"We've gone back to the previous tradition." ..."Within the Defence Department we are following our policies and you'll see, at the appropriate places, the flags are at half-mast." Minister Gordon O'Connor CANADIAN PRESS

Canada flags won't go half-mast
Apr. 22, 2006, CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA The flags are continuing to fly high over Parliament Hill and government buildings in the nation's capital despite the deaths of four Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan.

The newly elected Conservative government will no longer lower the flag to half-mast every time a Canadian soldier is killed, saying the automatic flag-lowering was a break with tradition by the Liberals.

"We have returned to the 80-year tradition of remembering all casualties of war or operations on one day Nov. 11th," Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor said.

"We've just returned to a tradition."

Four Canadian soldiers were killed in Afghanistan Saturday near Gumbad, about 70 kilometres north of Kandahar.

The roadside bomb was the work of the Taliban, the military said.

Before the Paul Martin Liberals were in power, it would be unusual for flags to be lowered when soldiers died in the course of duty, O'Connor said.

"For a few years . . . the previous government was inconsistent," the minister told an Ottawa news conference Saturday.

"We've gone back to the previous tradition."

"Within the Defence Department we are following our policies and you'll see, at the appropriate places, the flags are at half-mast."


Harper pays tribute to slain soldiers
22 Apr 2006, CBC News

Prime Minister Harper issued a statement of condolence to the families and colleagues of the Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan on Saturday and praised the four men for "their selfless contribution to Canada."

"This morning I learned that four Canadian soldiers had made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan," Harper said in a statement.

"These men were working to bring security, democracy, self-sufficiency and prosperity to the Afghan people, and to protect Canadians' national and collective security.

The four were killed when a roadside bomb blasted their G-wagon light-armoured vehicle, 75 kilometres north of the coalition base in Kandahar. It was the deadliest attack on Canadians in Afghanistan in four years.

"Canada's mission in Afghanistan faces significant risks such as this daily," Harper said. "I am proud of the work that is being done there and the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to do it."

RELATED: 4 Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan

The men have been identified as Cpl. Matthew Dinning, Bombardier Myles Mansell, Cpl. Randy Payne and Lieut. William Turner. Mansell and Turner were reservists.

"They did not die in vain. They will be remembered," Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor told reporters in Ottawa.