Mark Adler, Conservative MP: 'This is the million-dollar shot'
Tory MP begs for photo with Stephen Harper in front of Old Jerusalem's Western Wall
Conservative MP Mark Adler had re-election on his mind Tuesday in front of Old Jerusalem's Western Wall as he pushed Stephen Harper's staff for a "million-dollar shot" with the prime minister.
Adler is the MP for Toronto's York Centre riding, which counts 21,310 Jews among its 113,457 residents, according to 2011 numbers provided by Statistics Canada.
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Adler was caught on microphone asking Jeremy Hunt, one of Harper's staffers, whether he could get a photo with Harper in front of the wall, a holy site for Jewish prayer.
"Jeremy, Jeremy," Adler said. "Can we get in?
"No," Hunt replied.
Adler was undeterred.
"This, it's the re-election. This is the million-dollar shot," Adler said.
Hunt, who is referred to as Harper's "director of stakeholders' relations and outreach" on the Israel delegation list, but has been Harper's executive assistant in the past, is likely used to saying no on behalf of his boss.
"I'm sorry, listen, you and 300 other people," Hunt said to Adler.
"If there's one person, you know ... if I could have done this it would have been done already."
Adler then asked whether Hunt could get Harper over to shake his hand once he was done at the wall, but Hunt's response isn't captured on tape.
Adler is part of Harper's official delegation to Israel and tweeted that he was going to an official state dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that night.
He also tweeted about his trip to the Western Wall.
"Incredible experience at the [Western Wall] – one of the most important sites for Jewish people in Canada and around the world," he wrote on Twitter.
He also tweeted a shot of the crowd leaving the wall, using Kotel, another name for it.
"Leaving the Kotel in Jerusalem with @pmharper and the Canadian delegation," he said, tagging it "Historic Visit."