8/6/2019 20110419 Gooch Middleton Letter

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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.