Won't someone please think of the children? (The Harper-Harris plagiarism case)

Yesterday J-rad explosed Harper's plagiarism of a speech of Mike Harris in Montreal.

Today the Globe and Mail reports that Harper is dismissing the new allegations of plagiarism against him:

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper brushed off fresh charges of plagiarism Saturday, saying phrases in one of his speeches — lines apparently first spoken by a former Ontario premier — are nothing more than political boilerplate.

Harper's response is disappointing on a number of grounds. Harper doesn't actually deny copying them from Harris, he merely asserts that copying is OK in this case because … the words were "boilerplate".

To which I can only say. Kids, don't try this at home … or (more to the point) … don't try this at school. A hard-ass professor will fail you for this, and the penalties for repeat offenders are pretty serious.

Update. BCer in TO wonders whether Conservatives are plagarizing themselves now?.

Update II.  Jared, who broke the story of Harper's plagiarism of Mike Harris' speech, brings everyone up to date.

Plagiarism revisited: Mike Harris and Steven Harper duet

Earlier this morning j-rad broke the story of Harper's plagiarism of Mike Harris' 2002 speech in Montreal. There was a video of the speech, however. And now the clever kids in the Liberal warroom seem to have put together a youtube of Harris and Harper singing a duet. Enjoy!

More Harper plagiarism, this time from Mike Harris

Well, well. I suppose we should have expected that. Fresh off the news that Stephen Harper's Iraq speech was copied more or less verbatim from that of Australian Prime Minister John Howard, it was bound to happen that people had a look at his other speeches. Sure enough, j-rad has now discovered more evidence of plagiarism, this time from Mike Harris. Several sentences from Harper's speech in Feb. 2003 on the Federal budget are lifted straight out of a speech of Mike Harris to the Montreal Economics Institute.

Several questions arise. First, and most obviously, who is responsible? Harper found a convenient scape-goat to fall on his sword: Owen Lippert, who resigned. Is he also responsible for for this mistake? Or is there another bumbler on Harper's speech writing team?

Update.  More on Harper's plagiarism of Mike Harris over at mike watkins dot ca.