PM the PM: Armchair Pundit

Paul Martin hosted the President of European Union at Niagara-on-the-Lake on Sunday. The Prime Minister continues to show his knack for the photo op at the expense of substance or action. As CP reports, it actually sounds like this three-hour pow-wow was built around the photo ops:

Despite a heavy agenda, there wasn't a lot of time for actual discussions at the meeting. After an opening photo-opportunity of the Canadian and European delegations sitting around a conference table, the three leaders went outside barely half an hour later for their official group portrait.

The heavy agenda appears to have entailed random issues being put forth (i.e., Sudan, Iran, Haiti, Afghanistan, Kyoto, avian flu, sharing airline passenger lists) and everyone nodding their heads in agreement that something should be done. The site of the summit, just across the Niagara River from the United States, was probably chosen as an opportunity for Canada and Europe to show up the US. I daresay the Niagara actually marked the sideline and Canada sure ain't part of the playing field.