Harper to meet with Dr. Polanyi, others, on eve of historic nuclear summit in Washington

Media Advisory
For Immediate Release
8 April 2010

(Ottawa) – Prime Minister Harper will join 46 world leaders in Washington next week to discuss nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation issues. The summit has been convened by President Obama, and will be held on April 12 and 13, 2010.

On Friday afternoon, April 9, 2010, at 3:00 p.m. Canadian Nobel Laureate John Polanyi, along with Senator Douglas Roche (ret.) and Murray Thomson will meet with Prime Minister Harper to discuss President Obama’s summit and Canada’s position on nuclear disarmament. The delegation will present Mr. Harper with a statement signed by more than 500 recipients of the Order of Canada, urging his government’s support for a Nuclear Weapons Convention, or treaty, to eliminate nuclear weapons.

•           John Polanyi is a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Toronto. His awards include the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the Royal Medal of the Royal Society of London, and over thirty honorary degrees from six countries.

•           Douglas Roche was an MP for Edmonton, served as Canada’s UN Ambassador for Disarmament, and was a Senator from 1998 – 2004. He was the founding Chairman of the Middle Powers Initiative, an international network of eight non-governmental organizations specializing in nuclear disarmament issues.

•           Murray Thomson is the founder of several peace and development non-governmental organizations, including Project Ploughshares.

Dr. Polanyi, Senator Roche, and Mr. Thomson are available to the media prior to, and following, their meeting with Prime Minister Harper at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, April 9, 2010.

For information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Steven Staples, President of the Rideau Institute c. 613 290-2695
e. sstaples@rideauinstitute.ca