Canada Is The Most Admired Country And Is Highly Respected, Says Prime Minister Stephen Harper; Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien Points Out Country’s Inaction Over Syria Refugee Crisis

Huffington Post reported on Sept. 13 that amid criticisms on the federal government's share in the Syrian refugee crisis, Prime Minister Stephen Harper still believes that Canada is a highly respected country.

"The vast, vast majority of Canadians are immensely proud of this country, and the data we have from around the world indicates that this is the most admired country in the single world, respected as never before," said Harper on Sunday to the crowd in Ottawa community of Stittsville.

Press Reader on the other hand, noted on Sept. 14 how embarrassed former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien is with how slow the country is on taking actions to address the Syrian refugee crisis.

"When I am going around the world, they always ask me, 'What happened to Canada?'" Chretien told a crowd of journalists.

Harper also noted how a government plan last year to deploy Canadian military jets for a bombing mission against the Islamic State in Iraq would cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

"So I said we should use that money to welcome refugees," Harper said. "I wrote that [open letter] a year ago, anticipating the nature of the problem ... I said we should do what we had always done: open our gates. And we did nothing."

Chrétien also berated the government for having only less than 2,000 Syrian refugees processed in the past year-and-a-half.

"Look at the Germans," continued Chrétien. "Hundreds of thousands. They don't do and check them to know if they sleep on the right side or the left side of the bed. They take them in."

"This is what is not happening in Canada," he added. "And it is not part of a Canadian tradition. We have opened our gates all the time. This is the way we have built a very good country."

"And I' very embarrassed by that," Chrétien said.

At the event on Sunday, Harper said the government would be taking in more refugees. "We are going to do it in a matter that reflects Canadian generosity and also protects Canadian interests," said Harper. "Yesterday, the government was very proud to announce that we are creating a matching fund for humanitarian assistance in the region. Canadians can donate, the Government of Canada will match those donations."