20110419 gooch middleton letter
TRANSCRIPT
8/6/2019 20110419 Gooch Middleton Letter
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/20110419-gooch-middleton-letter 1/1
Kelowna—Lake Country Federal Liberal Association
This is a reprint of a letter in the Daily Courier April 19, 2011 by Stan Gooch, former ambassador to
Mexico and high commissioner to India, and Bob Middleton, former ambassador to Cuba and South
Africa.
HARPER’S INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCE SHOULD BE ISSUE
The Harper Government’s poor record on the international stage should ensure that
foreign policy, for once, gets some serious attention during this election campaign.
The past year has been particularly bad for Canadian foreign policy.
The lowest point was the Harper Government’s failure to secure a seat on the UN Security
Council for Canada, for that first time in history. This is a measure of just how far Canada’s
standing in the world community has fallen since Mr. Harper abandoned the successful
bipartisan policies pursued by all Conservative and Liberal Prime Ministers since World
War II. The Harper Governments obstructionist tactics at the Copenhagen conference on
climate change, its unbalanced policies in the Middle East, its jettisoning aid programs and
closing of diplomatic missions in Africa, its failure to engage in Latin America, and its very
late discovery of the rapidly expanding economies of Asia all contributed.
The fact Canada has no seat on the powerful Security Council meant that Canada had novoice in deciding whether and when to implement the “no fly zone” over Libya and no
opportunity to improve the terms and objectives of this engagement which is putting
Canadian lives at risk.
The fiasco at the UN was followed almost immediately by Mr. Harper’s petulant handling
of air negotiations with the United Arab Emirates which cost the Canadian Forces the use
of Camp Mirage worth $300 million per year and crippled Canadian business interests in
this booming region.
The wildly extravagant G8/G20 Summits fell far short of showcasing Mr. Harper’s alleged
global leadership role. The Harper Government’s claim to put human rights ahead of
profits was blown out of the water by the Secretary General of Amnesty International whorecently reported that Canada had lost its longstanding reputation as a human rights
champion—due to the Harper Government’s non-involvement in human rights initiatives
and lack of even-handedness in criticizing human rights abuses. Its suppression of the
truth on Afghan detainees could also have been a factor.
There is no comprehensive Harper foreign policy and clearly no longer-term strategy for
advancing Canadian interests and values in the rapidly changing global environment.
Partisan political considerations drive the Harper Government’s international actions. The
actual conduct of foreign policy been handicapped by lack of prior knowledge and
experience in international affairs at all levels in the Harper Government. The appointment
of no less than three weak Foreign Ministers in just five years means could develop the
international contacts essential to perform effectively. It is doubtful that International
Cooperation Minister Bev Oda had any more credibility abroad than she had in Parliament.
Mr. Harper’s Ambassadors abroad are not permitted to make any public statements or
respond to press inquiries without prior clearance from the PMO. Such restrictions are
unprecedented and greatly reduce the ability of our Ambassadors to defend and advance
Canadian interests abroad. These facts conclusively demonstrate that Harper has not
managed or advanced Canada’s international interests effectively.