John Baird No More Honest Broker

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No More Honest John Broker Baird

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2 From the Editor: Values and Vision in Foreign Policy

Canadian Politics and Public Policy

EDITOR L. Ian MacDonald [email protected]

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lisa Van Dusen [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Thomas S. Axworthy Andrew Balfour Brian Bohunicky Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and Prime Minister Stephen Harper. PMO photo Derek H. Burney Catherine Cano COVER PACKAGE: HARPER’S FOREIGN POLICY Margaret Clarke Celine Cooper 4 John Baird Fen Osler Hampson Q&A Daniel Gagnier 10 Martin Goldfarb Patrick Gossage Canada’s Principled Foreign Policy: No More Honest Broker Brad Lavigne 13 Jeremy Kinsman Kevin Lynch The Legacy of the Honest Broker Jeremy Kinsman Derek Burney and Fen Osler Hampson Velma McColl 17 Trade as a Driver of Foreign Policy Geoff Norquay Zach Paikin 20 Jack Hughes Economic Diplomacy Demands Free Trade with China Robin V. Sears Gil Troy 24 Yaroslav Baran Canada’s Place at Ukraine’s Euromaidan WEB DESIGN Nicolas Landry [email protected] FEATURES GRAPHIC DESIGN 26 Douglas Porter AND PRODUCTION Ottawa’s Fiscal Update: Getting from A ($18 billion) to B (Zero) Monica Thomas in Two Short Steps [email protected] 30 Robin V. Sears Defining Leadership In a Changing World Policy 34 Patrick Gossage Policy is published six times annually Getting a Handle on Scandal by LPAC Ltd. The contents are copyrighted, but may be reproduced 36 Verbatim / Kelvin K. Ogilvie with permission and attribution in The Silo Syndrome in Canadian Health Care print, and viewed free of charge at the Policy home page at BOOK REVIEWS www.policymagazine.ca. Printed and distributed by St. Joseph 38 David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell, Review by Mike Coates Communications, 1165 Kenaston Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 1A4 39 Double Down, Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, Review by Lisa Van Dusen Special thanks to our advertisers. 40 How We Lead, Joe Clark, Review by Anthony Wilson-Smith

January/February 2014 2

From the Editor / L. Ian MacDonald Values and Vision in Foreign Policy

elcome to our special issue that policy is made by the govern- turning away from associate mem- on Canadian foreign poli- ment, not the bureaucracy. From Is- bership in the EU and back towards W cy under the Harper gov- rael to CHOGM, from Syria and Iran Russia. While other countries such ernment. It’s not the Canadian hon- to Ukraine, Goldfarb sees the emer- as the US, France and Germany have est broker foreign policy; it’s any- gence of “principle over expediency.” remained on the sidelines, Baird thing but that. It’s the no-more-hon- Jeremy Kinsman begs to differ. A for- went to European Square in Kiev and est-broker foreign policy. mer head of mission in Moscow and publicly sided with the protesters. As articulated by Foreign Affairs Min- London, as well as Rome and the EU, “Thank you, Canada,” they cried. Ba- ister John Baird, in a wide-ranging Kinsman is one of our most experi- ran explains centuries of background Q&A with Policy, Canada’s foreign enced foreign policy hands, and la- in the Ukrainian-Russian dynamic. policy has returned to its founding ments what he sees as Canada’s loss principles of promoting democracy, of influence in leading foreign policy n our features section, Douglas freedom and human rights. circles. He regrets the abandonment Porter, chief economist of BMO Capital Markets, looks at Finance In our 45-minute conversation at his of the honest broker legacy of en- I Minister Jim Flaherty’s drive to bal- Centre Block office, Baird discussed gaged middle-power multilateralism ance Ottawa’s budget by 2015 and the Harper government’s unstint- built over decades. concludes he’s on track to do so, ing support of Israel, Syria’s use of Then there’s the role of international though he’s “arguably staked the gov- chemical weapons on its own people, trade as a driver of foreign policy. It ernment’s reputation” on hitting the Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and Cana- didn’t just happen with Trade Min- numbers. “Next stop—Budget 2014.” da’s boycott of the Commonwealth ister Ed Fast’s announcement last Heads of Government Meeting in Sri November 27 of the government’s In a lovely essay on leadership in a Lanka because of the host country’s Global Markets Action Plan. As Derek changing world, Robin V. Sears, con- dismal human rights record. Baird H. Burney and Fen Osler Hampson siders political giants of the 20th cen- also went to Kiev and met with Ukrai- point out, “with roughly one third tury, from Willy Brandt, for whom he nian protesters angry about their of our GDP and one in five jobs, Ca- worked at the Socialist International, government’s reneging on a plan to nadian diplomacy has always been to Nelson Mandela and his “long become associated with the European heavily invested in trade.” Canadian walk to freedom.” On the other side Union, returning to the Russian orbit leadership gave us the Canada-US of the leadership coin, Patrick Gos- instead. Baird is also plainspoken on Free Trade Agreement, the North sage looks at the Ford Follies in To- two human rights issues—the treat- American Free Trade Agreement and ronto and concludes that with each ment of gays in Russia and the Sochi now the Canada-Europe Trade Agree- scandal, “our public life will be fur- Olympics, and forced marriages of ment. These are “significant diplo- ther diminished.” girls and young women. matic achievements that involved Finally, in a Verbatim, Sen. Kelvin On Canada-US relations, and the Key- many of Canada’s top diplomats.” Ogilvie, accepting Rx&D’s Health Re- stone XL pipeline project as a test of Having done something big with search Foundation Medal of Honour, the relationship, Baird said it will be CETA, Jack Hughes makes a case for decries the “silo syndrome” in Cana- “good for the Canadian economy, it Stephen Harper thinking big again, dian health care. In the practice of will be good for the American econo- and “transforming Canada from a health care in Canada, he warns “as my. It will be phenomenal for Ameri- trading nation into a global trading many as 30 per cent of all health in- ca’s energy security. It will be good for power.” To this end, Hughes writes terventions may do harm.” America’s national security, it will be the PM “should devote the balance of Lastly, we offer three reviews of cur- good for the prosperity of Canada.” his time in office to a single goal: Free rent books: Mike Coates on Malcolm Leading off our cover package, Mar- trade with China.” Gladwell’s latest, David and Goliath; tin Goldfarb writes that Harper’s Finally, Yaroslav Baran considers Lisa Van Dusen on Mark Halperin “principled foreign policy” sends a Canada’s privileged relationship with and John Heilemann’s Double Down, message to the Foreign Affairs depart- Ukraine in light of massive protests and Anthony Wilson-Smith on Joe ment, and the entire public service, against President Victor Yanukovich Clark’s How We Lead.

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Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird: “If anything our foreign policy has moved back to what it historically was.” Photo: Rick Roth

Policy: Mr. Baird, thanks for doing Q&A: A Conversation this. The thematic of this issue of Policy Magazine is “No More Honest Broker” and you said in your speech With John Baird at the United Nations in September, “No more going along to get along”. “We promote Canadian values” Tell us what that means in terms of a principled foreign policy and what it means in terms of Canada’s traditional role as a middle power in the world. In his Centre Block office last December 10, Foreign Af- Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird: I think if anything, our for- fairs Minister John Baird sat for an extended interview eign policy has moved back to what with Policy Editor L. Ian MacDonald on our foreign it historically was. In two world wars, Canada didn’t put its finger in the air policy thematic “No More Honest Broker”. For Baird, to test where the rest of the world was. Canada’s foreign policy is actually re-aligning to our his- We didn’t wait for our allies, all of our allies to make a decision. We stood and torical origins of doing what’s right, rather than going did what was right and I think too of- along to get along. ten, some people have a view that Can- ada is somehow a referee in the world or somehow, you know, the world’s arbiter. No, we have interests. We promote Canadian values and that’s tremendously important.

Policy 5 I know for some, it’s deeply offensive, I think too often, some people have a view that Canada is but I’m at meeting after meeting af- somehow a referee in the world or somehow, you know, the ter meeting where it would just be so much easier to just go along with the world’s arbiter. No, we have interests. We promote Canadian crowd to be popular. I remember be- values and that’s tremendously important. ing at one of my first leaders’ summits as foreign minister, at the Common- wealth meeting in Perth, Australia and votes or less votes, if you look at my tionship with Kuwait. Our relations in this is the first meeting where Canada own constituency, we have 2,800 North Africa are pretty good. was bringing up the issue of early and Jews. We also have 11,500 Muslims People may take issue with—with one forced marriage and you could see and Arabs—there’s at least three times or two of our stands, but we’re en- some in the room were deeply un- as many people from a different back- gaged in a big way. I am very present comfortable and it was suggested that ground in Canada. But that’s not why in the region. Canada is very present for the good of the meeting, for the we take the position. Do we welcome in the region. For the first time ever, good of the Commonwealth that we the support and we hope people agree we’ve appointed a representative to just maybe scale back our interven- with our policy? Absolutely, but that the Organization of Islamic Coop- tions and I paused and thought for certainly was not the motive. eration. We’ve had our first formal a moment. If Canada is not going to meeting with the Gulf Cooperation speak up for these young girls at the Policy: Do you feel that Canada has Council and we’ve been active in Commonwealth, the Commonwealth got out in front of the United States in Libya and Tunisia. I’ve established a which is founded on values, who is terms of its support for Israel? good relationship with the new for- going to do it and where are they go- John Baird: I think our government eign minister of Egypt. I think on ing to do it? is never hesitant to express our sup- many issues, we align ourselves with I did the same on issues of religious port for the only Jewish state. We feel the Arab world, our concerns about freedom and gay rights and if we don’t strongly that Israel—the amount of Iran, our concerns about the Muslim have a strong voice, who is going to? attention that Israel gets in many in- Brotherhood in Egypt and our tough And we don’t simply look at what our ternational fora is over the top and is stance on Assad and his use of chemi- allies do and go with the crowd. out of proportion with reality and we cal weapons against his own people. don’t want to see the only Jewish state So I think we have excellent relations Policy: Let’s look at some examples isolated. in the Arab world. where there have been some conspicuously clear lines of policy that have Our government is never Policy: I want to come to Syria. Last been drawn by you and the present hesitant to express our August, President Obama said the government. Israel, there’s been no support for the only Jewish Assad regime had, quote, “crossed a more staunch supporter of Israel, not state. We feel strongly red line” using chemical weapons in even in the United States, than the that Israel—the amount of the slaughter of hundred of civilians. Harper government. The prime min- Then the US and France announced ister has said that any threats to Israel attention that Israel gets in plans for missile strikes. Then Secre- are also threats to us, including any many international fora is tary of State John Kerry tossed off a nuclear threat from Iran. Now he’s over the top and is out of casual comment about how if the Syr- received some political benefit in the proportion with reality and ians would relinquish their chemical sense that the Conservative Party won we don’t want to see the only weapons within a week or so, the US predominantly Jewish seats in the Jewish state isolated. would call off the attack. An hour lat- Greater Toronto Area in the 2011 and er, the Russian foreign minister, Ser- 2008 that you never won before. Ipsos gey Lavrov, was on the phone, took recently released an exit poll in 2011 him up on it and the next thing you that gave you 52 per cent of the Jew- knew, they were in Geneva negotiat- ish vote in Canada. But one doesn’t ing a deal. You said: “This is a man, get a sense that Mr. Harper has been Some have disagreed with our posi- Bashar Assad who up until a week ago doing this for votes, because in the tion, but I think they respect that denied that they had such weapons”. beginning he didn’t have those votes. Canada takes a clear position. Our re- So what’s your sense of the trust levels John Baird: It’s a mistake to say that lationship with the Muslim world, our there? we were taking this position because relationship with the Islamic world, John Baird: The prime minister and of a diaspora or a community within with the Arab world, I think is excel- I strongly supported the president and Canada. I think anyone, anyone who lent. I travel regularly, I’ve established his decision to follow through on the knows me, whether they agree or dis- a lot of good friendships. Whether it’s red line. But after the vote in the Brit- agree with me, knows that I passion- —the foreign minister of Jordan, the ish Parliament, I think the president ately support the Jewish people, pas- foreign minister of the UAE are both had to deal with the shadow of Iraq sionately support the state of Israel good friends of mine, the foreign min- and a growing isolationist view, not and the prime minister is exactly the ister of Bahrain. We have a good rela- just in Congress but in the country. same way. If you were to make a po- tionship with Saudi Arabia. We have All of us who are passionate about litical calculus, will this get you more a good relationship, a very good rela- the Middle East and North Africa as I

January/February 2014 6

Policy Editor L. Ian MacDonald and John Baird in the Foreign Affairs Minster’s Centre Block on December 10, 2013. “We can’t take a Kumbaya policy when it comes to Iran,” Baird said during the wide-ranging 45-minute conversation. Photo: Rick Roth

am, we’re still coming to terms with Policy: Let me ask you about another you respond to that? the shadow that Iraq places over the arena where Canada has taken a stand John Baird: Let me say two things. United States. So he made the deci- that’s conspicuously its own and One is, we feel the Commonwealth sion to go down the path of trying to that’s the CHOGM, that Common- is in need of reform. We were very get an agreement in Geneva to destroy wealth Heads of Government Meeting pleased that the Eminent Persons the chemical weapons. But we were in Sri Lanka which Mr. Harper boy- Group did a lot of good work. A Cana- prepared to strongly support him. The cotted because of the local regime’s dian, a member of our caucus, Sena- prime minister did at the G20 and I human rights record and it ended tor Hugh Segal was a member of that, did publicly. up that he wasn’t alone on that. You I think it was a 10-person group and even tweeted that “almost half of all played a major role of shaping a pretty Policy: Not with missiles because we Commonwealth heads of government pragmatic reform. All leaders in Port don’t have any. aren’t attending the CHOGM, the of Spain agreed that there had to be lowest number in years.” John Baird: No, we don’t have cruise a reform and to rejuvenate the Com- missiles and we don’t have B-52 bomb- John Baird: Well, there were 54, monwealth, to make it relevant. We ers. When we did have the resources, there were 54 heads of government received their report and the run-up like in Libya, we were prepared to play in the Commonwealth and then 53 to Perth, at the meeting of Perth and a major role and did 10 per cent of when Gambia withdrew. And only 27 with the secretary general and the sec- the bombing, it didn’t put up red flags showed up. retariat and some forces in the Com- and a Canadian led the mission, but monwealth did everything they can we were prepared to give them open Policy: And India didn’t show up to water down the reform that all lead- public and private support, private as- either. ers agreed to. When there were prob- surances at the G20 itself and open as John Baird: India explicitly boycot- lems in Pakistan, there were problems far—in diplomatic calls of the world. ted, the prime minister of Mauritius in Fiji, in Zimbabwe, the Common- Having said that, I think you’ve got to wealth took action, but with respect give John Kerry some credit. Getting explicitly boycotted and I think the to Sri Lanka, we couldn’t even get this rid of that stockpile of chemical weap- fact that you have—it’s still a Com- issue put on the agenda to discuss. ons is a major accomplishment. monwealth Summit, the Common- wealth Heads of Government Sum- The issue of the Maldives was briefly Policy: Is compliance the hard part mit. What would people think at a G8 on and then off the agenda and then in terms of enforcing this agreement? meeting only four leaders showed up. finally—those are the two cases. And I think it’s a wake-up call to an organi- John Baird: Yes, thus far, yes. the Commonwealth is not there to ac- zation in big trouble. commodate evil, it’s there to confront evil. It’s a commonwealth of values. Policy: Getting Assad to turn over his Policy: Critics of this policy, those chemical weapons? who are Canadian joiners of every I think frankly, because of Canada’s John Baird: Thus far, you’re talking club, would say Canada’s place is at stand, India joined us, Mauritius about fully respecting the agreement, the table. Joe Clark, one of your pre- joined us. Mauritius was so disappoint- thus far, I think it’s been positive. decessors, has said that. How would ed in the Commonwealth that they

Policy 7 resigned their chairmanship and said The United States is a friend and an ally and I chose my words they wouldn’t host the next Common- very carefully because we want this agreement to work. I hope wealth meeting and the ultimate in- my skepticism is misplaced. But when it comes to trusting dictment is that only half of the leaders showed up in a leaders’ meeting. Iran, they haven’t earned—they haven’t earned trust from David Cameron went and the United the international community and that’s why it’s not trust and Kingdom is a very difficult situation verify, it’s verify, verify, verify. obviously with the Queen being the head of the Commonwealth. The fact that the prime minister has spoken up degree of effort into this. The United women, hang gays and they’re not so loudly, probably encouraged David States is a friend and an ally and I going to get the benefit of the doubt Cameron to take a more active and chose my words very carefully because from Canada and I’ll tell you, in the vocal approach, of visiting—visiting we want this agreement to work. I Middle East, there’s not many coun- Jafna and speaking out. I do note that hope my skepticism is misplaced. But tries who disagree with me or disagree he was not in the chair for a majority when it comes to trusting Iran, they with Canada. of the leaders’ portion as well. haven’t earned—they haven’t earned trust from the international commu- Policy: Let’s look at Ukraine. Canada Policy: Okay, let’s look at Iran and was the first country under Prime Min- the deal between the P5 plus one and nity and that’s why it’s not trust and verify, it’s verify, verify, verify. We’re ister Mulroney to recognize Ukraine in the Iranian government, on relaxing 1991. You’ve been there recently and economic sanctions in return for di- already hearing reports that they’re looking at alternative ways of enrich- in the House of Commons, just be- aling down their nuclear program. fore Christmas, you were asked by the Normally, critics at least would—had ment. We’re already hearing reports of the Iranian government taking opposition foreign affairs critic, Paul expected the government to—work Dewar: “What were you doing mixing with our allies as both opposition par- a very different perspective on the agreement they signed than others it up down with the crowds?” He said ties put it in the House. You said that that you should be trying to bridge you were “deeply skeptical”. and let’s just hope that over the next six months, we can get a final agree- Ukraine’s “great divide” between the John Baird: Privately I don’t know a ment. We’ve fought too hard, the pro-Russian and the pro-European single country in the Middle East that international community has fought supporters there and you replied, “I’ll would disagree with Canada’s posi- too hard, Canada has fought too hard tell you whose side this government tion other than Syria and Iran. Obvi- on nuclear non-proliferation going stands on, we stand on the side of the ously it’s a first step. back 40, 50 years. Ukrainian people and their fight for democracy.” What was your sense? Policy: Is, again, implementation the We can’t take a Kumbaya John Baird: I’ll put it in context. The hard part? policy when it comes to government went into a small demon- John Baird: Implementation, well Iran. This is a government stration, to break things up under the this is the first step. This is an interim whose nuclear program is guise that—to remove these protest- six-month agreement. So the hard deeply disturbing. This is a ers, beat protesters, beat journalists, part will be getting a final agreement. a lot of violence because they, quote, Our view is 10,000 spinning centri- government with an atrocious “...had to put Christmas decorations fuges, enriching uranium, a nuclear human rights record and in the square”. Obviously they were state is a big issue for its Gulf neigh- getting worse under President trying to clean up the street before bors. If Iran wants to have a civilian Rouhani. the international community arrived nuclear program, that’s fine. You and then they made the decision, don’t need to have an enrichment ca- just before the meetings in Vilnius to pacity. You can immediately sign on suspend their European association to the International Energy Agency. The last thing we need is another four agreement talks and the decision on Canada was the chair of the IEA until or five countries in the world, many that. a few months ago. We played a very unstable, to get or look at getting nu- A lot of leaders, a lot of foreign min- active role as chairman. We were a big clear weapons and that’s what we’re isters didn’t go. I did. The message funder of the IEA. I visited their lead- fighting for and that’s the historic Ca- that I delivered to—to my colleague, ership in Vienna. Their leadership has nadian position. We can’t take a Kum- the foreign minister, we had a good visited me here in Canada. So we’re baya policy when it comes to Iran. professional meeting, was to be very very active. We’re making sure the This is a government whose nuclear mindful of how they conduct them- IEA has the capacity to be able to ful- program is deeply disturbing. This is selves, to avoid violence and to en- fill the agreement. a government with an atrocious hu- gage with the opposition. I also took Certainly, this agreement was less a P5 man rights record and getting worse the opportunity that I was there to plus one and more a bilateral agree- under President Rouhani. The num- meet with some of the opposition—I ment between the United States and ber of executions have gone up, not met with the government, I met with Iran, but they’ve obviously been ne- down and finally, a government who the three opposition leaders, heard gotiating this since March. I congratu- supports terrorism. It’s a state spon- their take. The Canadian embassy is late John Kerry. He’s put a significant sor of terrorism and you know, stone two blocks from where this demon-

January/February 2014 8 stration was going on. I don’t know He spoke with a strong Policy: Let’s turn to trade and the how I could not walk two blocks to and powerful voice, frankly economy and Canada-US relations. At hear and listen to the people protest- not just alone but putting the end of November, your colleague, ing. Mr. Dewar said that I was taking Trade Minister Ed Fast, released the sides. Well, I was listening and he was together an international— Global Markets Action Plan, or as insinuating that I don’t listen. I talk an international effort, it was immediately dubbed, “diplo- to the protesters on Sri Lanka in front primarily first within the macy for dollars” and I guess some of the Commonwealth meeting or in Commonwealth and then of the traditionalists in your depart- front of our Commonwealth meeting elsewhere. There was no ment thought we’re leaving our tradi- in London or in New York at the UN, moral relativism there and tional areas of interest. What are your you better believe I stop and talk to thoughts on that and CETA, the Can- them. So I went and I listened and that was probably Mr. ada-Europe Trade Agreement or the my colleague, the foreign minister of Mulroney’s single biggest Comprehensive Economic and Trade Germany did, the foreign minister of stand for what was right in Agreement, is the TPP the next play? Poland did and the foreign minister the entire time that he was And what about the bilaterals with of the Netherlands did and I suspect prime minister. South Korea and Japan? that if I hadn’t, they would be the first saying why wouldn’t Canada go and My job is about promoting stand with them. Canadian values and He wasn’t afraid to buck the trend, he It is a real concern that you have promoting Canadian interests. wasn’t afraid to take a bigger role and some—some very real influences from Increasingly those interests I’ll tell you—when you stand on prin- one of Ukraine’s neighbours and you ciples like that, it does matter. It can are—have an economic know, obviously we want the best, we talk to Natan Sharansky who was in a dimension. What do we want peace and prosperity and freedom want for the world? Three for the Ukrainian people and I think Soviet gulag and when Ronald Reagan the best path for them to achieve all called the Soviet Union an “evil em- things: peace, prosperity and three is with the association agreement pire” that gave him hope and the fact freedom. with the EU. I’ve engaged with my col- that when Mr. Mandela was released, league in the past. I spoke to him 10 one of the very first calls he made was days before, on the decision that they to Brian Mulroney and that is Canada made to suspend their discussions with at its best. Sometimes people don’t John Baird: I’ve always been very the EU, to encourage him in this path, agree with us, but I’ll tell you, more clear. My job is about promoting even though it may be difficult and agreed with Mr. Mulroney on South Canadian values and promoting Ca- we’ll continue to engage. Africa when he left office than when nadian interests. Increasingly those he started. interests are—have an economic di- Policy: You spoke earlier of actually mension. What do we want for the returning to the principled origins of Policy: On Arctic sovereignty and the world? Three things: peace, prosper- Canadian foreign policy. We’re speak- North Pole, part of the policy that you ity and freedom and I’ll tell you, there ing on the day of Nelson Mandela’s announced before the holidays was a will be more peace in Israel and the memorial service in South Africa and mapping of the Lomonsov Ridge to Palestinian Authority when the Pal- it occurred to me that one example the North Pole. Is drawing a map go- estinian economy grows, when peo- of that was Mr. Mulroney’s crusade ing to get us what we want or what ple have the capacity to provide for against apartheid and to freeing Nel- more do we need to do? themselves and their family, can earn son Mandela. On this, he differed John Baird: What the prime minis- a decent pay cheque. For Haiti, what from Ronald Reagan and Margaret ter has said, or what our government is our goal for Haiti? Peace and pros- Thatcher. perity and freedom. That’s why we’re has said for the past eight years is that making investments in security so John Baird: Arguably his two closest we will aggressively stand up for our that they’ll be peace. That’s why we’re friends in the circle of foreign leaders sovereignty in the north. We support making investments in humanitarian and he took on Thatcher and Reagan the convention on the continental and development assistance. head on. He wasn’t going to go along shelf and the commission’s work. to get along with our major allies. He Our officials have done a tremendous What we also want—I mean the guild spoke with moral clarity. He spoke amount of good work. and—the guild and the clothier op- with a strong and powerful voice, erations in Haiti, they’re coming in. frankly not just alone but putting to- What the government said is that we They’re going to provide jobs for the gether an international—an interna- wanted to get all the facts before we people of Haiti. We don’t want to tional effort, primarily first within the make a decision, to get the mapping give them development assistance. Commonwealth and then elsewhere. and then to analyzing before we made We want them to be able to provide There was no moral relativism there a final submission which I think is a for themselves and their families. So and that was probably Mr. Mulroney’s good one. Canadians expect us to do trade is a big part of that and promot- single biggest stand for what was right our best and to—and to make an in- ing Canadian interests. Listen, when in the entire time that he was prime formed decision. We’ll get the facts Barrick Gold does well, that’s good minister. and then we’ll submit. for Canadians who own Barrick Gold.

Policy 9 The Canada Pension Plan Investment of 150 million people”. And inter- Policy: And finally, a subject that’s Board, the Ontario Teachers Pension estingly the State Department had a close to your heart. You’ve made Plan, the municipal pensioners in On- number that they subsequently stuck speeches about this cause that you’ve tario, when Barrick does well, in the to, that it would create 42,000 direct adopted as your own and that’s young Dominican Republic, in Chile, in Af- and indirect jobs and TransCanada’s women and girls and forced marriag- rica, Canada does well because there’s number is 16,000 direct jobs and es. What your sense of the progress on so much Canadian investment there. they’re very confident of it. that dossier? That’s good for Canadians’ retire- John Baird: This is a project that will ment. When we have—when Canadi- be good for the Canadian economy, it Maternal and early child an companies do well, they pay—they will be good for the American econo- health, women and peace pay more taxes and that’s how we pay my. It will be phenomenal for Ameri- for health care and education. and security, early and forced can energy security. It will be good for marriage, rape as a weapon We’re not afraid to push for Canadian America’s national security, it will be of war, these are all issues interests on the economic side, but good for the prosperity of Canada. it’s never an either/or equation with that are important to Canada. Canadian values or Canadian trade Policy: Are you confident that Sec- These are not just some arcane interests. retary Kerry understands how impor- human rights issues. This is all tant this is to us? about development as well. It’s not about a pipeline, it’s John Baird: I had a great relation- not about the energy sector, ship with Hillary Clinton who was a big supporter of Canada. I’m develop- this is about the future ing a really solid relationship with— prosperity of our country. It with John. I have huge admiration John Baird: This is the first time matters, it’s important and we for his leadership, particularly on the that this is front and centre on the want to see it approved and Israeli-Palestinian peace question. I international agenda. Someone has we’re working aggressively have spoken to Ambassador Gary Doer called it the effect that Hillary Clinton brought in 1995, that women’s rights at the political level and the in Washington. The embassy is working hard and the government is seized are human rights and then her leader- diplomatic level, with the with it. We’ll see—we’ll see where it ship on this as secretary of state. Can- province of Alberta, with goes. It’s important for Canada. ada has been very active in that and the private sector to get it Canada is doing a lot on putting the approved. Policy: Two final questions. First on issue of early and forced marriages on the treatment of gays in Russia. The the agenda. We’re working with civil Olympics are coming up in Sochi in society. We had the first side event at Policy: On Canada-US, in a word, Key- February. How confident are you that the UN General Assembly on it. We’re stone, is this a test of the relationship? the Olympic Village is going to be a getting a lot of support. place of tolerance? John Baird: It’s not about a pipeline, We’ve got to change attitudes. This is it’s not about the energy sector, this John Baird: It would be a public re- not exclusively a government issue, is about the future prosperity of our lations disaster for the Russian Federa- but it’s an attitude and we’re putting country. It matters, it’s important and tion if they started to arrest people for a lot of programming dollars into, we want to see it approved and we’re walking around with a rainbow flag working a great organization, Girls, working aggressively at the political or if two athletes were holding hands. Not Brides, in London. It’s an inter- level and the diplomatic level, with Obviously we’re concerned and we’ll esting issue for a conservative man the province of Alberta, with the pri- have consular officials available, we to champion, but there is a theme in vate sector to get it approved. always do in foreign countries to deal this. If you look at the prime minis- with any issues, but this is kind of— ter’s leadership on maternal and early Policy: What’s your sense of where it’s kind of selfish to sort of think of child health, women and peace and the White House is coming from on the human rights of a few thousand security, early and forced marriage, this, because usually in a negotiation, athletes for 16 days rather than the rape as a weapon of war, these are all you say to the other guy, what do you 140 million Russian, 150 million do- issues that are important to Canada. need for your comfort level and to get ing 365 days a year, year after year These are not just some arcane human you to where you need to be on this? after year. I think it’s patently clear rights issues. This is all about devel- You get conflicting messages coming what—what the motivation in this opment as well. If country X in Africa out of Washington. President Obama (Russian) law is and Canada was the wants to see itself grow and succeed, gave an interview with the New York first big country to speak up against they need everyone in their country Times in July where he pointedly re- it and I was pleased to see President making it grow and if you’re only us- ferred to the tar sands rather than the Obama and Mr. Cameron in the UK to ing 49 per cent of your population’s oil sands and he added that Keystone follow Canada’s lead. And obviously brain power, you’re not going to get would create only 2,000 jobs during we’ll maintain our opposition. I had very far. construction and after that, he said: a long discussion with Sergey Lavrov, “We’re talking about somewhere be- the Russian foreign minister about it tween 50 to 100 jobs in an economy and we’ve agreed to disagree.

January/February 2014 10

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Prime Minister Harper on Parliament Hill in February 2012. PMO photo Canada’s Principled Foreign Policy: No More Honest Broker Martin Goldfarb

hen Stephen Harper became Prime Minister, he W was determined to change The Harper government’s determination to change Cana- the process and thereby the perception of how our government makes deci- dian foreign policy has been nowhere more obvious than sions. Harper apparently believed that in its bilateral relationship with Israel and how it informs previous governments had been overly influenced by expediency as defined by Canada’s role in multilateral institutions. The shift in both the civil service and the media. Espe- policy and process has agitated the media and public ser- cially in foreign affairs, I think he believed that decisions were made based vice and precipitated a backlash in some quarters. It has on realpolitik or the path of least of- also proven that policy based on principle can be achieved fense and he was determined to reposi- tion how citizens experienced govern- without the high price some had predicted. ment decisions. Now, decision making would be driven by principle. The first and best example of this is the Harper government’s position on Israel. It seems to me that Prime Min- ister Harper chose to support the principle that countries have a right to act in their own interest. Flowing from this was the belief that the State of Israel should have the right to act accord- ingly. While Israel is often criticized

Policy 11 for acting in its own interest, even if In my mind, there was also a political positioning in Canada. its decisions are ethical and legal, Can- The prime minister was sending a clear message to both the ada would support these decisions on principle. civil service and the press that they would not have as much influence in decision making with this government as they have What did Canada actually support and what has been the result? The is- had with previous governments. sue for Harper was to get the civil service to pay attention to this new approach to decision making and at the of influence. What is interesting to me criticism that came from people like same time to get the attention of the is that the press never engaged in an former UN Ambassador Paul Heinbeck- media. His actions were brilliant as he argument on the values, principles or er and former Ambassador Michael clearly accomplished both by support- ethics in the condemnation of Israel at Bell (Canada’s former ambassador to ing the government of Israel on prin- the UN or on the principles that Cana- Jordan, Israel and Egypt) who wrote ciple—because it was democratic in the da was adhering to in its open support in the Globe and Mail that this meet- same way that Canada is democratic. of Israel. ing “crossed a critical red line”. The Israeli values were easily understood in Support for Israel is cited as the reason PA welcomes our support and even acknowledges that Canada can have Canada. why Canada did not win a two year a special relationship with Israel and a term on the Security Council in 2010, Previous prime ministers gave great productive relationship with it at the losing out to Portugal. It was the first speeches in Canada to Jewish audienc- same time. es about how they admired and were time Canada had lost a bid for a Secu- supportive of Israel. But, when it came rity Council seat since the founding of Emigration to Canada is still booming. to vote at the UN, following the advice the UN in 1945. Canada is still a desired destination, especially from countries in the Middle of our bureaucracy, Canada often ab- This may be true. But has it really hurt East. The 2011 Statistics Canada Na- stained and rarely voted with Israel. Canada’s image? Has anybody decided tional Household Survey showed that When resolutions at the UN condemn- not to trade or do business with Cana- the highest proportion of new immi- ing Israel for one thing or the other da because of its support for Israel? In- grants to Canada between 2006 and were voted on, Canada rarely voted deed, Joe Oliver, our Natural Resources 2011 came from the Middle East and with Israel. Harper changed that. minister, has stated that no Arab coun- Asia (56.9 per cent). Our commitment try has refused to do business with Canada began to vote with Israel: Harp- to Israel has not deterred immigrants Canada because of Canada’s support of er’s position was that his support of Is- or students who want to emigrate to rael was a principled support based on Israel. Taking a principled position— or study in Canada. The Doomsday ethics and morality. As Foreign Affairs doesn’t it suggest that as a country we scenario promised by so many in both Minister John Baird made clear in his believe in fairness? Is alleged influence the media and the civil service (includ- speech to the UN General Assembly on more important than principle? In the ing previous ambassadors) has not September 30: “Canada’s government long perspective principle generates materialized. doesn’t seek to have our values or our respect, admiration and support. I be- principled foreign policy validated by lieve, with Stephen Harper, that prin- imilarly, Canada’s unstinting elites who would rather ‘go along to ciple will win out on the end. support for Israel at the UN was get along’.” Principled foreign policy Riyad al-Maliki, the Palestinian Author- seen as the partial driver of Qa- is in Canada’s long term best interests. S ity’s foreign minister, recently visited tar’s bid to move the International Civ- But in my mind, there was also a politi- Canada. The Globe and Mail reported il Aviation Organization from Montre- cal positioning in Canada. The prime that Minister al-Maliki’s visit showed a al to Doha. The UN aviation body has minister was sending a clear message warmer tone towards Canada and that been in Montreal since its creation in to both the civil service and the press Minister Baird reciprocated the warmer 1947. But Qatar later withdrew its bid that they would not have as much in- tone towards the Palestinian Author- in the face an intense lobbying cam- fluence in decision making with this ity. Baird referred to Minister al-Maliki paign by the federal, Quebec and Mon- government as they have had with as a friend. What Baird clearly dem- treal governments, in which over 100 previous governments. Elected repre- onstrated was that Canada’s support countries were contacted. sentatives would now decide and im- for Israel has not really hurt Canada’s The Harper government has applied plement policy. The message that this standing with the PA. Baird said that government would not act as previous this new way of doing business to other Canada and the Palestinian Authority areas, both externally and internally. governments had was clear and direct. “see eye-to-eye on many issues in the Apparently, many in the civil ser- region”. Canada is contributing an ad- Externally, Harper’s focus on the health vice were aghast. They privately con- ditional $5 million on top of the $25 of women and girls is another example demned the government and quietly million previously pledged to the PA of speaking out and acting through the spoke to the press suggesting that these and the PA appeared delighted to take Muskoka Initiative, where many in the decisions with respect to Israel would it. world would prefer silence. Again, as cost Canada valued support and influ- Baird said at the UN in reference to vi- ence at the UN, both in the Middle learly, Baird’s meeting with Is- olence against women: “We condemn East and elsewhere. raeli Justice Minister Tzipi it. Even though some might prefer that C Livni in East Jerusalem has not we kept quiet. The discomfort of the o this day, the media continue been a deterrent to our government’s audience is of small concern, particu- to challenge Harper’s position evolving positive relationship with the larly in the context of a crime that calls T on Israel in the context of loss PA. And this is true, despite the hyper- to heaven for justice.”

January/February 2014 12 And in early December, Baird visited Ukraine and drew opposition criticism for meeting with protesters in Kiev’s Independence Square. In question period on his return, Baird defended the decision. “I am very proud to promote Canadian values, to promote a citizen’s right to peacefully protest, and I’m very proud to have not only met with government representatives when I was in Ukraine, but I’m very proud to have travelled to [Independence Square] to meet with opposition leaders and hear the voices of the people of Ukraine who are pushing for democracy and freedom in their country.”

n the other hand, Harper has Netanyahu arrives at the Centre Block on his 2012 visit. No government, not even the US government, made principled decisions has been as staunch a supporter of Israel as the Harper government. PMO photo O that I do not think are in the best interests of Canada, such as elimi- Harper’s decision not to go to the Com- cility and allowing more international nating the long form census. The new monwealth Conference in Sri Lanka inspections. procedure ultimately provided us with is another example of principle over “We think past actions best predict inadequate data but nevertheless this expediency. The government did not future actions,” Baird said. “And Iran government acted on the principled want to be seen to be condoning Sri has defied the United Nations Security belief that they were protecting the Lanka’s human rights record whether Council, it has defied the International privacy of Canadians. They believe or not other Commonwealth nations Atomic Energy Agency. Simply put, that the government should not force decided to attend the meeting or how- Iran has not earned the right to have Canadians to answer questions that ever they may react to Canada’s posi- the benefit of the doubt.” they see as inappropriately personal. tion. Then, just a week before the Com- Although I do not agree with this poli- monwealth summit in mid-November, Harper’s decision not to cy, the principled process is the same. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan go to the Commonwealth Singh also decided not to attend. He Conference in Sri Lanka is Principle will be supported by the pub- was clearly following Harper’s lead. lic because politics is about interests another example of principle and principle drives interests that make Baird even took to Twitter. “Almost over expediency. The sense. In the case of Israel, Canada has half of all of all Commonwealth heads accepted the principle that it can re- of government are not attending the government did not want to be seen to be condoning spect both the Israeli and Palestinian #CHOGM summit (23/51) lowest interests, even if they conflict. Canada number in years,” he tweeted on No- Sri Lanka’s human rights has accepted the principle that Israeli vember 13. In a subsequent tweet he record whether or not other interests are ethical and legitimate. wrote: “Thanks to @pmharper’s prin- Commonwealth nations They are driven by values and history. cipled leadership, Sri Lanka has been decided to attend the meeting It is these principles that are the back- unable to use the #CHOGM summit to bone of Harper’s support for Israel. whitewash its human rights record.” or however they may react to Canada’s position. As a political strategy, supporting Israel And in a lead editorial on November signaled that policy is now established 14, the New York Times praised Harper’s by those who are elected, continuing boycott. “To their credit,” the Times the concentration of power in the ex- On November 25, the day after the noted, “Prime Minister Stephen Harper ecutive branch and the Prime Minis- deal was announced, Baird told the of Canada and India’s prime minister, ter’s Office started 50 years ago. It es- House of Commons during Question Manmohan Singh, announced they tablished that things are different in Period: “We will support any reason- would not attend.” Now, Canadian Ottawa. The civil service and the media values inform foreign policy elsewhere, able measure that actually sees Iran are still recovering. too. take concrete steps back from its nuclear program. Regrettably, we do not Martin Goldfarb is Chairman of Goldfarb More recently, on the interim nuclear have a lot of confidence or a lot of trust Intelligence Marketing, a Toronto-based deal with Iran, Baird said Canada was in the regime in Tehran.” public opinion research and marketing “deeply skeptical” of the six month firm. During the Trudeau years, he was agreement negotiated by the P5 plus While at the end of the day, it is dif- the principal pollster for the Liberal one (The US, Britain, France, Russia ficult to envision Canada not support- Party of Canada. He is the co-author, and China, plus Germany) of reduced ing its G7 partners and NATO allies, with Howard Aster of Affinity: Beyond economic sanctions in return for mod- neither is Canada simply going along est concessions on uranium enrich- to get along. Again, it’s a principled Branding. ment, delaying a new heavy water fa- position. [email protected]

Policy 13 The Legacy of the Honest Broker Jeremy Kinsman

The Harper government has changed Canada’s approach to international relations in myriad ways, from our position on Israel to our policy on Iran to the recently unveiled shift to economic diplomacy. Critics say that what John Baird has called a shift to “conviction politics” is actually the abandonment of a legacy of middle-power multilateralism built over decades. Former ambassador Jeremy Kinsman argues that it’s not too late for the government to articulate a foreign policy agenda that speaks to our values and again provides a multilateralist model for the world.

“ hat’s happened to Can- that reputation appears increasingly John Baird, it is a change to “convic- ada?” is the question Da- tarnished.” tion politics.” In a 2003 speech to vid Emerson kept getting Civitas, Harper pressed “conserva- W Conservatives retort that part of asked abroad even while he was for- tive insights on preserving historic what’s “happened” is that the world eign affairs minister. The impression values and moral insights on right is more competitive than coopera- recently channeled by Louise Arbour and wrong,” especially in “the great tive. Stephen Harper’s brash approach is that Canada is “largely absent from geopolitical battles…against modern to foreign affairs has put Canadian the international scene,” or worse, tyrants” that he depicted as “battles economic interests first, and has oth- seen as an international spoiler. The over values.” It was the year he urged erwise chosen a “principled foreign editor of a big audience European Canada to support the US-UK inva- policy” over Canada’s traditional role publication wrote to me: “In the past sion of Iraq 2003 as “an issue of moral Canada has been held up as a shining as honest broker. clarity.” beacon on the world stage. However, For Harper’s latest foreign minister, In The Longer I’m Prime Minister, Paul

January/February 2014 14 Wells suggests the value Harper cares Canadians were valued as leaders, chairs, drafters, mediators, about most is smaller government, and peacekeepers because we could work with others, not a skepticism about big government because we were delusional about the UN’s weaknesses, plans that extends to large international issues, especially multilateral which are the weaknesses of our world. We always knew the plans that could constrain national alternative of no UN would be worse. sovereignty, such as concerted action to combat climate change. Canadian approach as “abrasive and and private Canadian vocation even Joe Clark sees Canadians as “multilat- combative.” if our own official contributions never eralists by talent and by instinct, but hit the targets Lester B. Pearson set also by interest.” Indeed, Canadians We were indeed consensus-seekers. for the world after he stepped down have placed international cooperation Canadians didn’t “go along to get as prime minister in 1968. Efforts ex- at the heart of foreign policy for six along” as Baird puts it. Most interna- tended to the Commonwealth and decades, seeking remedies and safe- tional fora don’t function by majority la Francophonie that gave Canadian guards for the threat of nuclear war, votes. Without consensus, there is no prime ministers a valued forum of in- glaring economic disparity between binding operational outcome. Without ternational leadership, including pur- North and South, apartheid, or the compromise, conflicts aren’t resolved. suing a human rights agenda. fateful conflict between Arabs and Is- Nor will inclusive democracy emerge. raelis. Canadians built new alliances, I have seen successive United Nations Looking back, do we idealize our “gold- including with civil society, which secretaries-general at several times of en age” of creative multilateralism? advanced human security norms for crisis in what they called “this House” hen former New York City universal justice, through the Interna- turn to Canadian Foreign Affairs min- tional Criminal Court, and a respon- mayor Ed Koch was cam- isters as “family,” as the ones most paigning in one of the sibility to protect civilians at risk of likely to marshal consensus. Cana- W mass atrocity. city’s dramatically changing outer dians were valued as leaders, chairs, boroughs 30 years ago, a stressed el- Our generally multilateral drafters, mediators, and peacekeepers derly long-time resident begged him, because we could work with others, to “Please, make it like it was…make it methods were invested in a not because we were delusional about like it used to be.” Canadian reputation, even the UN’s weaknesses, which are the an internationalist brand, of weaknesses of our world. We always “Lady,” Koch replied, “It was never as helpful world citizenship. We knew the alternative of no UN would good as we say it was…but I’ll try.” were in our minds good guys be worse. We were the best situated to It’s improbable Stephen Harper will with no record of colonial work for the best we could get, and in try. He doubts “ordinary” voters care the international division of labour, much about multilateral activism on conquest or aggressive our allies and others counted on Can- intentions, a developed big and lofty international issues. He ada to work the world’s conference doses them with military patriotism country apt to care about the rooms in ways they couldn’t. and commercial nationalism, adding underdeveloped. In the serious trade and payments calculated rhetorical gestures for spe- universe in which our economy was cific diaspora constituencies on behalf invested, two generations of econom- of whose issues, as Clark puts it, “we ic officials in Ottawa and Geneva were lecture and leave.” real players, providing leadership to The calculus seems dubious. Among successive rounds of multilateral trade ur generally multilateral Canadians with university degrees, negotiations. We sat on the “Quad” methods were invested in a the EKOS poll last October 31 shows with the US, the European Communi- Canadian reputation, even that the Conservatives are 21 points O ty, and Japan. In time, the G7 became an internationalist brand, of help- behind the Liberals (Liberals 42.1 per our focus for building cooperative in- ful world citizenship. We were in our cent; NDP 26 per cent; Conservatives ternational governance. minds good guys with no record of 21.0 per cent). The eight point Con- colonial conquest or aggressive inten- On peace and security, to paraphrase servative lead among Canadians with- tions, a developed country apt to care Duke Ellington, UN peacekeeping was out university degrees won’t get them about the underdeveloped. our melody but the rhythm of NATO back above 30 per cent nationally. was our business. As an original NATO John Baird recently told the Israel A changed world does call for changed stalwart, Canada was labeled a So- Times that having put “moral relativ- diplomacy, though. The multilateral viet adversary during the Cold War. ism” behind, Canada has now aban- system is arguably less productive as Yet, the lens through which Canada doned “worship at the altar of com- new poles of power jostle for position promise and consensus,” which may viewed the world seemed ground to amidst a relative decline in US and EU explain why Canada’s star has plum- a prescription that could focus be- influence following the neo-liberal meted at the United Nations, where yond America’s binary global struggle economic model’s car crash in 2008, South African High Commissioner against communism. political dysfunction since, and two Membathisi Mdladlana described the Development assistance was a public punishing expeditionary wars.

Policy 15 Whether the world is multipolar or seriously, which is pretty much what lines meant we had to lock as much even zero-polar, the content of inter- is happening to Canada. decision-making as possible into a national relations is shifting from rela- network of rules-based institutions, to tions among states to relations among On Iran, Baird’s position is govern the border, shared waterways, peoples within those states, now extreme. There is every reason air quality, and especially trade flows networked and connected by ubiqui- to criticize the human rights and disputes. tous communications tools creating a The US, of course, has many close shared awareness and aspirations. regime in Iran, but to refuse to recognize the possibility of friends and suitors, but valued the Everywhere, people are questioning range of Canada’s international net- their relationship to governments, change is obtuse. works that we could sometimes de- seeking, even in China and Cuba, the ploy usefully in a constructive way empowerment to influence decisions when US superpower status was a dis- that affect their lives. qualification. Former US secretary of Free elections are a goal in most plac- State James A. Baker said Canada usu- es, but the words heard most are “fair- ally “gets it right,” even when the US ness,” and “dignity.” didn’t, such as on the wars in Vietnam Critics in Canada and abroad see “do- and Iraq. mestic politics and ideology written Brian Mulroney’s ability to negotiate he Arab Spring has been ragged. all over” our policy on Iran, as noted an FTA (and an acid rain pact) with That the revolution of Tahrir by Steve Saideman, presuming it is the US and yet take a quite different T Square has failed to produce a linked to seeking recognition as the and prevailing tack on apartheid is functioning democracy confirms that most loyal ally of Israel. Surrounded an example. Jimmy Carter, Ronald it takes time to build inclusive demo- by 350 million Arabs and threatened Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill cratic capacity. It’s not a process to by a potentially nuclear Iran, the Jew- Clinton all valued the contacts Ca- be downloaded. Compromise has to ish state needs friends. In My Promised nadian prime ministers had. Pearson be learned. That the nonviolent mass Land, Ari Shavit recounts the country’s deployed Blair Seaborn to talk to the protest movement in Syria got history in terms that will move every North Vietnamese and Lyndon John- jacked by an armed uprising enabling friend of Israel, which includes almost son agreed to the Auto Pact. Pierre the dictator to stomp down is a varia- all Canadians. But Shavit warns that Trudeau broke from the pack to open tion of an old story of authoritarian Israelis need to confront the “moral, relations with the Chinese. Richard repression that in the long term will demographic, and political disaster” Nixon, advised by Henry Kissinger, fail. that is the military occupation of Arab followed. John Baird’s “dignity agenda” claims lands beyond the 1967 borders, and to address some of these trends. There the continued expansion of Israeli set- The necessity for Canada’s prime have been some innovative approach- tlements. Tom Friedman writes in the minister to have an excellent personal es to Internet outreach to civil society New York Times, “If Israel doesn’t stop relationship with the US president is in places like Iran. Sadly, in Canada the settlement madness, denying the not discretionary. Instead of building itself, NGOs are regarded as adversar- Palestinians a West Bank state, it will one, Harper lines us up with Obama’s ies. Government transparency and fit the caricature of its worst enemies.” right-wing critics, valorizing Bibi Ne- tanyahu’s take over Obama’s on the parliamentary oversight on which we Helping Israelis find an equitable solu- wisdom of the laboriously crafted used to mentor transiting democracies tion rather than cheerleading is what temporary agreement with Iran, or have been dumped. Joe Clark suggests friends are for. US Secretary of State earlier on a G8 statement on the occu- it’s all part of Harper’s “suspicion” John Kerry is shuttling regularly to pied West Bank territories. When we about other peoples’ motives, at home the area and American military spe- ought to be coming up with ammuni- or abroad. cialists are detailing plans to help en- tion for the president to use against US sure Israeli security after withdrawal. On Iran, Baird’s position is extreme. decriers of the oil sands, evidence that Once, Canada provided the Israelis There is every reason to criticize the Canada is working for abatement of useful expertise on truce verification. human rights regime in Iran, but to carbon, Harper instead loudly called refuse to recognize the possibility of Under the Oslo accords, Israel accepted a working group on refugees only Obama’s politically fateful decision change is obtuse. Having unprofes- on the Keystone XL pipeline a “no- sionally closed Canada’s embassy because Canada agreed to chair it. To- day, we’re out of it. brainer,” promising we “won’t take no there, he presumed to know enough for an answer,” whatever that means. to call Rouhani’s election fixed and predicted the nuclear-sanctions trade- e have folded a lot of tents, off would fail. Moreover, the verbal especially on the environ- outbursts occurred on trips to drum ment. The bilateral rela- here does the Harper gov- W ernment get it right? up business in undemocratic Kazakh- tionship with the US is one we can’t W stan and very repressive Bahrain, fold. Figuring out how to share a Going for greater world economic which escaped criticism. The first rule continent with a close ally, friend, stature by diversifying economic part- of principled diplomacy is consisten- and superpower who could always nerships beyond the US has always cy. Without it, a country isn’t taken power-drive our interests to the side- made sense. The Comprehensive Eco-

January/February 2014 16 our commercial goals, we’re just another foreign competitor. On foreign aid, the Harper government is meeting an ambitious five- year commitment of $2.85 billion to maternal and child care abroad. Oth- erwise, perhaps as acknowledgement that the reduction of two billion people from the global extreme poverty rolls has come mainly from private sector development rather than aid transfers, CIDA has been subsumed into a mega-department whose aid vehicles will be partnerships with Ca- nadian private sector enterprises. Aid can usefully draw from the competence of the Canadian private sector, provided we are transferring to local governance and empowerment business ethics of transparency, account- ability, inclusivity, and meritocracy and not sucking up to local authori- tarians to permit a Canadian company to bribe its way to a deal, as happened in Libya. Economic diplomacy is President Obama and Prime Minister Harper at a press conference following their first bilateral meeting nourished by influence, by on Parliament Hill in February 2009. The necessity of a good relationship “is not discretionary,” observes Jeremy Kinsman. PMO photo our international standing earned from our primacy on nomic Trade Agreement with the Eu- been economic. international issues of peace, ropean Union is a big deal, more than The necessity for Canada’s security and governance other a good one for the economy. It is a governments care about. building block for the construction of prime minister to have an a common economic home between excellent personal relationship North America and the EU, based on with the US president is our massive inter-investment and not discretionary. Instead It’s not too late for the government to articulate an agenda for foreign shared democratic and economic of building one, Harper governance, however imperfect. It is policy that speaks to our values and lines us up with Obama’s our economic well-being and again not “against” Asia, where we abso- right-wing critics, valorizing lutely must also succeed in a pivot of shines a plausible “beacon” to the our own, but it will strengthen North Bibi Netanyahu’s take over world community. Canada’s reputa- America’s competitive position. Obama’s on the wisdom of the tion for pluralistic fairness and eco- laboriously crafted temporary nomic well-being make us in BBC Foreign policy needs to be a dual track: agreement with Iran. polls the second most “popular” we need strategic partnerships based country, after Germany. But we have on mutual economic interests, as with to trust others again, including our China, but at the same time we need own diplomats who represent our to insist on the right to express our so- But economic diplomacy is nourished diplomatic legacy. It is an asset to de- ciety’s solidarity with the rights of civ- ploy, not to be sneered at. by influence, by our international il society and human rights defenders standing earned from our primacy on In the Canadian foreign service, governed by multiple international Contributing Writer Jeremy Kinsman covenants. The two tracks can be mu- international issues of peace, security was head of mission in Moscow, Rome, tually reinforcing if done well. and governance other governments care about. The adult reality is that London and Brussels (EU). He now That’s where the Ed Fast “all hands Canada abroad has to represent and directs a democracy development project on deck” to mobilize “all” Canadian operate on a composite policy level of for the Community of Democracies diplomatic resources behind Cana- economic interest; creative multilat- and has positions at the University dian private sector companies gets it eralism and community citizenship; of California, Berkeley and Ryerson wrong. and consistency in values. The mo- University in Toronto. First, Canadian diplomacy has always ment we are seen to represent only [email protected]

Policy 1717

Mexican President Carlos Salinas, US President George Bush and Prime Minister Brian Mulroney watch as trade ministers Jaime Serra Puche, Carla Hills, and Michael Wilson sign the NAFTA for their three countries in San Antonio, Texas in December 1992. Photo courtesy of the George Bush Presidential Library. Trade as a Driver of Foreign Policy Derek Burney and Fen Osler Hampson

he “Global Markets Action Plan” announced by Trade The Harper government recently unveiled an economic di- T Minister Ed Fast last November 27 is a timely reminder of how central plomacy push that will emphasize enhanced trade in Can- economic diplomacy is, and has been, ada’s engagement with other countries. For the plan’s crit- to Canada’s foreign policy. ics, it represents yet another shift away from development For a country with trade as its life- blood—roughly one third of our GDP and diplomacy toward business in this country’s interna- and one in five jobs linked to exports— tional relations. Burney and Hampson argue that not only Canadian diplomacy has always been heavily invested in trade. Since Con- is economic diplomacy not new; it has been the centerpiece federation and the introduction of Sir of Canada’s key achievements in recent decades. John A. Macdonald’s National Policy, which protected Canada’s infant industries and also saw the construction of two great railway projects to link the country from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, economics has domi- nated our history and our engagement with the world.

January/February 2014 18 The year 2014 marks the 20th anni- Together the three NAFTA members today have a combined versary of the formal ratification and GDP of roughly $18 trillion US. That’s huge by any measure and coming into force of the North Ameri- can Free Trade Agreement, which was makes North America’s market the world’s biggest, exceeding negotiated and signed on December the European Union’s total nominal GDP of $16.6 trillion and 17, 1992 by President George Bush, more than doubling China’s GDP of $8 trillion. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Mexican President Carlos Salinas. Pre- ceded by the Canada-US Free Trade Service during its illustrious 118-year PM from negotiating the Acid Rain Agreement, the inclusion of Mexico history. One nagging problem is that Accord with President Bush, and sup- with NAFTA produced a global eco- we have too few companies active in porting the reunification of Germany nomic juggernaut. Together the three global markets. That is why the goal and the independence of Ukraine. NAFTA members today have a com- of encouraging SME’s (Small and Me- Trade is actually one component of bined GDP of roughly $18 trillion dium-sized Enterprises) is particularly our foreign policy in which our scope US. That’s huge by any measure and welcome. both for relevance and influence is makes North America’s market the actually commensurate with our com- world’s biggest, exceeding the Euro- This emphasis on more parative advantages, hence our voice pean Union’s total nominal GDP of focused trade promotion and leverage in trade negotiations. $16.6 trillion and more than doubling As the saying goes, we must “play to China’s GDP of $8 trillion. is hardly revolutionary and certainly not, as some our strengths.” While trade promo- However, Canada’s economic future persistent critics of this tion has a prominent, supporting role cannot rest on trade and investment to play in assisting Canadian firms with its NAFTA partners alone. From government lament, a signal abroad, it is the history of success- an all-time high of 87 per cent of total that other instruments of ful trade negotiations that has given world trade at the beginning of this Canadian foreign policy will be Canada the essential foundation to century, Canada’s trade with the Unit- diminished or downgraded. promote, enhance and protect our ed States has shrunk to slightly above economic interests around the world. 70 per cent and is projected to fall further to 65 per cent as we lose market The Free Trade Agreement share to China and Mexico. The most recent casualty of the flagging US- with the US, NAFTA and, Canada economic relationship is the This emphasis on more focused trade most recently, the CETA with auto sector which, since the time of promotion is hardly revolutionary the European Union are the Auto Pact, ranked first or second in and certainly not, as some persistent also significant diplomatic terms of Canadian exports to the US. critics of this government lament, a achievements that involved Those heady days are long gone and signal that other instruments of Cana- many of Canada’s top there is little prospect that they will dian foreign policy will be diminished return. An elevated Canadian dollar, or downgraded. Canadian ambassa- diplomats. tougher competition from abroad and dors and many of their embassy col- the skewed terms of the 2009 bailout leagues have often been their coun- of General Motors and Chrysler have try’s chief trade promotion officers, sharply weakened Canada’s position more so than those from countries From the early post-war period, se- in the US auto market. that are not as dependent on trade for nior Canadian diplomats were at the their livelihood. That is as it should forefront of major multilateral trade uch of the emphasis of the be but there is nothing that suggests negotiations beginning with the Harper government’s new that this emphasis is, or should be, launch of the GATT (General Agree- M plan is therefore on trade exclusive of all others. Our diplomats ment on Tariffs and Trade) in 1947 promotion, harnessing our diplomat- can walk and chew gum at the same running through subsequent rounds ic assets more systematically to seize time. Knee-jerk critics of the new plan and culminating with the creation market opportunities for Canadian should put away their slings and ar- of the WTO (World Trade Organiza- firms in dynamic emerging econo- rows. There is no real target here. tion) in 1994. The Free Trade Agree- mies, notably those in Asia where ment with the US, NAFTA and, most much of current global growth is oc- lthough negotiating free trade recently, the CETA with the European curring and where our future prosper- agreements, first with the US Union are also significant diplomatic ity lies. A and then with Mexico, was a achievements that involved many of The objective is to seek commercial central pillar of the Mulroney gov- Canada’s top diplomats. All of these gains for Canadian companies by ernment’s foreign policy, that did agreements delivered tangible gains to promoting exports, attracting needed not prevent the prime minister from the Canadian economy with benefits inward investments and safeguarding playing a leadership role in combat- for producers and consumers alike outward investments. ‘Meat and pota- ing apartheid and supporting Nelson and with rules governing trade that toes’ diplomacy has been the standard Mandela’s remarkable transition role enabled us to compete more effective- for Canada’s Trade Commissioner in South Africa. Nor did it prevent the ly in global markets.

Policy 19 Negotiations are now underway primacy and Canada’s record on that clearer rules of law for trade and pro- marily with Korea, Japan and India as score is second to none. Reciprocal viding strong, predictable safeguards well as under the broader Asia Pacific openings for trade in our own econ- for exporters and investors alike. omy that flow from trade agreements umbrella of TPP (Trans Pacific Part- Contributing Writer Derek H. Burney promise dual dividends—lower prices nership), priorities that link directly is a senior strategic adviser to Norton and broader choices for our consum- to the thrust of the “Global Markets Rose Fulbright. He is chancellor ers and more competitive and produc- Plan”. If successful, these negotiations of Lakehead University and was tive domestic industries. would give Canada privileged access Canada’s ambassador to the US from to markets with significant prospects It is well to remember, as well, that it is 1989-1993. As chief of staff to Prime for growth. They also offer the added the size of our economy that enabled Minister Mulroney, he was directly advantage of diversification. The more Canada to gain a seat at the G8 and involved in negotiating the Free Trade diversified our exports become the G20 summits considered by many to Agreement with the US. derek.burney@ more competitive and efficient we will be the high table of global diplomacy. nortonrosefulbright.com Our stable fiscal performance through be in a rapidly globalizing economic the financial debacle has given us one Contributing Writer Fen Osler Hampson environment. of the few credible voices on macro- is a distinguished fellow and director The ability to negotiate trade economic issues at the most recent, of Global Security at the Centre for agreements that serve the annual sessions of these groups. International Governance Innovation. He is also chancellor’s professor at Carleton national interest is the hallmark In an increasingly uncertain world, it University. He is the author of nine books of economic diplomacy and is essential that a middle power like and editor/co-editor of more than 25 Canada deploy all of its combined Canada’s record on that score other volumes on international affairs instruments of foreign policy—trade, and Canadian foreign policy. is second to none. aid, political and security—coher- ently and selectively and in a manner that will serve our national interests. Trade negotiations and trade promotion may seem ‘grubby’ to some but The ability to negotiate trade agree- they have been and will continue to be key elements of our foreign policy ments that serve the national interest tool kit, bringing tangible dividends is the hallmark of economic diplo- to our economy, helping to establish

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January/February 2014 20

Prime Minister Harper speaks on his visit to China in 2012. China is Canada’s second largest customer, while Canada is not in their top 10. A Canada-China free trade agreement would be an historic achievement and a major legacy piece for Harper. PMO photo, Jason Ransom. Economic Diplomacy Demands Free Trade with China very prime minister since Sir Jack Hughes John A. Macdonald has sought E to leave their personal imprint on Canada’s foreign policy, yet only a handful can credibly claim to have changed our country’s role in the The recently unveiled Global Markets Action plan put eco- world. Prime Minister Stephen Harp- nomic diplomacy at the forefront of Canada’s foreign policy. er has an opportunity to be among them—but it is an opportunity he While Canada has myriad interests in a multitude of mar- must still seize. kets, the onus is on the prime minister and his cabinet to Harper’s decision to embrace, endorse narrow our national focus on a primary priority market— and espouse the doctrine of economic diplomacy, to marshal all of the na- China—just as they did this past year with regards to the tion’s diplomatic assets to open new European Union. markets for Canadian companies, may represent a seismic shift in how we conduct our international affairs— but it risks being dismissed as empty rhetoric unless or until it is matched by equally bold action. To that end, if the prime minister is truly committed to leveraging our foreign policy for domestic prosper-

Policy 21 ity and to transforming Canada from If the prime minister is truly committed to leveraging our a trading nation into a global trading foreign policy for domestic prosperity and to transforming power, he should devote the balance of his time in office to a single goal: Canada from a trading nation into a global trading power, he Free trade with China. should devote the balance of his time in office to a single goal: Free trade with China. The negotiation of a comprehensive economic trade agreement with Chi- na is the logical and natural extension of the particular type of economic diplomacy advocated by the Harper tent been diluted by the TPP. When announced were not changes at all, government. If successful, it would se- Canada launched its negotiations but, rather, the re-packaging of poli- cure preferential access for Canadian with Japan, it had yet to be persuaded cies which have largely been adhered goods, services and investment to the to join the TPP. The full value of what to in practice since the early 1980s. greatest potential market in the world. we hoped to gain was based, at least in If the prime minister wants to prove While the recently announced Glob- part, on a far greater degree of exclu- those critics wrong, he will need to al Markets Action Plan does identify sivity than is likely now. do more than promote the great work China as a priority market, it is only Last, but certainly not least, is India. being done by the Canadian Trade as one of 80 countries so recognized— There is little doubt that a compre- Commissioner Service. He needs to a fact which invariably brings to mind hensive trade agreement with India commit both his government and the Harper’s stinging indictment of his would be a coup for Canada. The size, country as a whole to a foreign policy predecessor, Paul Martin: “If you have scope and scale of the Indian market initiative that is as bold and provoca- hundreds of priorities, you have no are massive, and governed by politi- tive as his proposed change in strate- priorities.” cal, legal and financial models not dis- gic direction. It is true that Canada has myriad in- similar from our own. Without question, Stephen Harper de- terests in a multitude of markets, but serves more credit than he has been the onus is nevertheless on the prime hile some have expressed given for the successful negotiation minister and his cabinet to narrow our hope that a deal can be of the Canada-EU trade agreement—a national focus on a primary priority W signed by the end of 2014, singular achievement which promises market—just as they did this past year that deadline could be impacted by to benefit every region of the country. with regards to the European Union. India’s national elections this com- Part of the problem may have been ing spring. It is not clear what the that the merits of the deal were so here will undoubtedly be some outcome of those elections could be, clear and indisputable that they didn’t who will argue that the gov- though most predict another coali- inspire much in the way of energetic ernment has already pivoted tion government. If the talks drift into debate. T 2015, they could be further delayed by to the Pacific. To them, the ongoing free trade talks with Korea, India and the federal election in Canada. There are a number of Japan—supplemented by the Trans Finally, all three of those negotia- stakeholder groups and Pacific Partnership—are sufficiently tions were launched before the Harper constituencies within Canada ambitious to ensure that we maintain government committed itself to what who would vigorously oppose our competitive advantage. International Trade Minister Ed Fast closer economic collaboration While those opportunities are unques- described as a “sea change in the way between Ottawa and Beijing— tionably important to Canada, both Canada’s diplomatic assets are de- but it is a discussion deserving collectively and on their individual ployed around the world.” If the shift to economic diplomacy does not en- of debate. merits, they are not without limita- gender new priorities, it is simply a tions. Nor are they substitutes for se- shift in tactics, not strategy. curing greater access to the world’s second largest economy. If the shift to economic Free trade negotiations with China, Canada experienced a major setback diplomacy does not engender however, would require as much deft when the United States concluded its new priorities, it is simply a diplomacy on the domestic front as trade agreement with Korea before we shift in tactics, not strategy. they would at the bargaining table. were able to do so. By getting a deal There are a number of stakeholder after the Americans, we will have al- groups and constituencies within ready lost out on some of the most Canada who would vigorously op- lucrative opportunities for our agri- pose closer economic collaboration cultural exports. Korea remains the between Ottawa and Beijing—but it is cautionary tale about the need to seize There are already those who contend a discussion deserving of debate. and secure “first mover” advantage. that the fanfare surrounding the un- The situation with regards to Japan is veiling of the Global Markets Ac- or their part, the Chinese have somewhat similar, at least insofar as tion Plan was much ado about noth- made repeated overtures signal- our bilateral hopes have to some ex- ing. They claim that the changes F ing an interest and desire to

January/February 2014 22 enter into some form of compre- Yet, the potential difficulty and dura- would henceforth “concentrate its ef- hensive trade negotiations. To date, tion of any negotiations should not be forts on markets that hold the great- Canada has demurred. We cannot as- considered deterrents. The economic est promise for Canadian business.” It sume that China’s interest in us will benefits that Canada would stand to is difficult to fathom a market which gain by being the only G8 country holds greater promise than China. remain constant. While they are our with preferential access to the United second-largest trading partner after The Canada-China Economic Com- States, European Union and China de- the United States—we are not even in plementarities Study, which was pre- mand that we at least try. pared jointly by both governments their top ten. To those with concerns, whether about and released in August 2012, iden- Harper should echo Foreign the nature of the Chinese economy, tified a number of areas where our Affairs Minister John Baird’s Canadian sovereignty or national se- two economies complement each observation that any free curity, Harper should echo Foreign Af- other. The study noted that China is expected to become the world’s larg- trade agreement with China fairs Minister John Baird’s observation that any free trade agreement with est economy in the coming decades, would be fundamentally China would be fundamentally differ- and that there was untapped poten- different than either NAFTA or ent than either NAFTA or the Canada- tial for further growth in the bilateral the Canada-EU CETA. Indeed, EU CETA. Indeed, no two agreements relationship. no two agreements are are created equal. If Prime Minister Harper is able to created equal. It is not known whether the prime successfully negotiate free trade with minister had free trade with China in China, he will have delivered on the mind when he directed Fast to pursue full promise of economic diplomacy. Moreover, and more importantly, he None of this is to suggest that any such a strategy of economic diplomacy following the 2011 election, but there will have ensured that Canada’s for- negotiations would be short or easy. It eign policy will forever bear his per- are clear signs that it has been seri- took New Zealand four years to suc- sonal imprimatur. ously considered since. cessfully conclude its free trade agree- Jack Hughes is a Vice President at ment with China, and, at the time of hen Fast released the Hill+Knowlton Strategies, where he leads writing, Australia has expressed con- Global Markets Action the company’s Procurement + Trade fidence that it will finally do so after Plan this past Novem- Group. almost nine years of talks. W ber, he asserted that the government [email protected]

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Policy 23

Protesters in Kiev demonstrating against President Yanokovich’s reneging, under pressure from the Russians, on becoming an associate member of the European Union. Shutterstock photo Canada’s Place at Ukraine’s Euromaidan Yaroslav Baran

It would be rare for foreign policy discussions to start with ety- The mass protests in Kiev’s European Square (“Euromaid- I mology, but in the case of Ukraine’s current political crisis, an”) are merely the most contemporary manifestation of nothing could be more apt. The name a tragic and blood-soaked history: a strong Russian ruler “Ukraine” comes from an archaic Sla- vonic term meaning “borderland”. in the north with long arms, attempting to weaken the in- And that’s precisely what Ukraine has tegrity of a Ukrainian state to the south. For Canada, the been through most of its history: the response to the protests is about more than the 1.25 mil- frontier between modern, democratic Europe with its Western values, and lion citizens who claim Ukrainian roots. That is why John the russophone, Orthodox, sphere to Baird was met with mass chants of “Thank you, Canada!” the north and east, with its autocratic when he ventured onto European Square. and imperialist traditions. Russia’s separate identity and history began in the early 12th-century, when Prince Yuri Dolgoruky—a second-son scion of Kiev’s ruling dynasty—went north with an army to the sparsely- populated Suzdal lands, set up an ar-

January/February 2014 24 chipelago of strongholds, and even- What started as a modest but significant protest over the EU- tually established the new fort of Russia debate grew into a virtual general strike in Kiev due to Moscow. From his new northern base, Prince Yuri—nicknamed “Yuri Long- the violent crackdown on the early, modest manifestation. Arms”—embarked on a lifetime quest to reach back down and manipulate the traditional capital of the Kievan, But the modern-day Czar President signing an EU agreement supported proto-Ukrainian, medieval state. His Vladimir Putin extended his long by a clear majority of his countrymen. tactics ranged from occasional sacking arms once again to quietly, yet firm- The current crisis is the mass protest and pillaging of Kiev to attempts at in- ly, demonstrate the consequences of in response—a mass protest that, in stalling puppet aristocrats to keep the Ukraine’s move closer to the West. December, grew in energy, and dan- Grand Prince of Kiev politically weak. Ukraine’s globally-coveted chocolates ger, by the day—and whether there is were decreed to no longer meet Rus- a way out of this impasse. And so it all began. sian food safety standards. Ukrainian What started as a modest but significant Yuri Long-Arms’ descendants became manufactured vehicle parts—always protest over the EU-Russia debate grew integral to the heavy-manufacturing the first ruling dynasty of Muscovy— into a virtual general strike in Kiev due the kings who would eventually (with supply chain—were no longer deemed to the violent crackdown on the early, Constantinople under constant attack safe for Russian conditions. Border modest manifestation. As with most form the Turks) relocate the mantle checkpoints sprang into action with other political controversies, it’s not of Caesar (“Czar”) in an effort to ap- unprecedented documentation re- the act, it’s the response, that matters propriate the East Roman Emperors’ views causing several-day queues for most. President Yanukovich’s decision divine sanction mythology, and bring exporters trying to get their goods out to unleash the riot police on peaceful it north: for the new caesars, the Rus- the door. And the coup de grâce: Mos- protesters catalyzed a much larger and sian Czars. cow declared it was time to renegoti- much more volatile civil unrest that is ate natural gas rates for 2014—at non- Fast forward 900 years, and the mass now demanding his resignation as an preferred rates, of course. protests on European Square (“Euro- entry-level concession. maidan”) are merely the most con- For Yanukovich, there was no decision temporary manifestation of a tragic to make. The European market may be This was the explosive situation into and blood-soaked history: a strong much larger and wealthier than the which Canadian Foreign Affairs Min- Russian ruler in the north with long Russian market, but the prosperity it ister John Baird walked on December arms, attempting to manipulate the represented for Ukraine was a future 4 with his decision to personally at- affairs and weaken the integrity of prosperity—a hypothetical one. Euro- tend an Organization for Security and a Ukrainian state to the south. And pean integration would also require Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) meet- while military prowess was the tra- political and economic reforms that ing in Kiev while virtually all other ditional tool (from the Yuris to the would be unwelcome by the oligopo- “FMs” had opted to send deputies or Czars to the Bolsheviks) the methods list clans dominating Ukraine’s politi- junior representatives. Baird could du jour, in the post-Soviet era, tend to cal and economic life. easily have chosen to hide behind of- be economic. ficial safety concerns, boycott spin, or the diplomatic convenience of send- Russian deal, on the other ing junior reps “to send a political kraine’s domestic energy hand, would be immediate, message”. No. John Baird made the industry remains underde- would reinforce trade and sup- veloped, while its industrial A bold decision to go to Kiev himself. U ply lines already in place, and would Because Canada can do for Ukraine supply chains were deliberately con- stave off considerable discomfort in structed during the Soviet era to force the short term. It could also be done what no other country can do. And economic integration among Ukraine, without disrupting the post-Soviet Canada has always had an interest as Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan. Under château clique power structure which no other countries have had. such circumstances, a series of well- underlay Yanokovich’s political for- chosen wheel turns and lever pulls tunes as well as the immense personal John Baird made the bold from Moscow could cripple Ukraine’s wealth he is reputed to have amassed decision to go to Kiev himself. economy and cost it billions of Euros since becoming president. Moreover, in a matter of weeks. Yanukovich hails from the heavily Because Canada can do for This is precisely what happened in the russified industrial south-east, where Ukraine what no other country lead up to the Vilnius Summit—the Russian tends to be the home language can do. And Canada has high-level meeting between EU del- and Russain pop culture is readily con- always had an interest as no egates and Ukrainian President Victor sumed. Culturally, a middle-aged rus- other countries have had. Yanokovich, which was ostensibly to sophone industrialist from Donetsk be a final decision point and signing or Dnipropetrovsk, and a young, edu- ceremony for Ukraine’s entry as an as- cated, and west-leaning student from Canada boasts some 1.25 million citi- sociate-class member of the European the western metropolis of Lviv, may as zens who claim Ukrainian roots. The Union. Vilnius was to be one foot into well be from different planets. post-war era saw a massive wave of im- the EU for a post-Soviet country the But the more immediate problem in migration—many from DP camps—of size of France and sitting on the edge Ukraine is not that the president chose Ukrainians who maintained not only of Europe. to bow to Putin’s pressure rather than their language and culture, but also

Policy 25

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird with protestors in Kiev, where he was met by chants of “Thank you, Canada.” Flickr photo their political awareness and involve- Canada’s foreign policy vis-à- pre-Christmas deal in which Moscow ment. They supplemented an earlier vis Ukraine remains bold and raided its pension fund to offer Kiev wave of turn-of-the-century economic $15 billion in bond purchases as well refugees that settled the prairies and principled while the US has as a sweetheart deal on the critical opened up the West. And this critical largely checked out, the UK natural gas that fuels its economy—in sequence of waves gelled the Ukraini- concedes the lead to Europe, classic Cold War style. You can side an-Canadian community into a po- and Germany and France with the West, along with its outrage, litical force, woe to be ignored now in weigh their own pros and press releases and reprimands, or you Canadian politics. can side with us—your old friend, cons of poking the Russian who comes with a big bag of cash and This is why we have official multicul- bear. an even bigger bottle of vodka to wash turalism—the brainchild of Ukraini- it down and forget the consequences. an-Canadian Tory Senator Paul Yuzyk. tense situation. In 2004, the mass Or- This is why we had Ray Hnatyshyn as The West was indeed snookered in a ange Revolution protests demanded a governor-general at the end of the Cold War manoeuvre that, in hind- re-election following widespread Yan- Cold War. And this is why Canada, sight, seems obvious in its slow-mo- ukovich-camp electoral irregularities. under Brian Mulroney in 1991, was tion replay. But the West also has as- But it all happened right after a presi- the first Western country to recognize sets capable of the understanding, the dential election, so even Yanukovich Ukrainian independence from the tactics, the context, and the principle had a face-saving out: “Fine. Do the required to countermove in this ongo- Soviet Union—breaking ahead of the election all over again. I have nothing ing high-stakes game of chess. Once NATO flock with whom Canada nor- to hide.” This time, however, we are of those assets is Canada, and another mally takes such steps in concert. 14 months away from the next elec- is John Baird. And this is why John Baird was met tion—practically mid-term. There is with mass chants of “Thank you, no room for an electoral compromise, And in the immediate term, if noth- Canada!” when he ventured onto Eu- and little mood to engage between a ing else was practically gained by ropean Square. hardline old-guard president and the John Baird’s bold personal foray into mass protests demanding, finally,the Kiev fray, it will have left one This is why Canada matters to Ukraine, and end to the russo-oligarch estab- critical indelible reminder: that even why Canada is paying attention, and lishment that has controlled most of as the rest of the world checked out why Canada’s foreign policy vis-à-vis Ukraine’s post-independence reality. for the holidays, Ukraine’s democracy Ukraine remains bold and principled movement still had Canada watching while the US has largely checked out, In the news cycle, the dogs bark and its back. the UK concedes the lead to Europe, the caravan moves on. Late December and Germany and France weigh their became a time for year-enders and Yaroslav Baran, a principal of the own pros and cons of poking the Rus- holiday cheer. In sum, ideal condi- Earnscliffe Strategy Group, is a former sian bear. tions were emerging for a crackdown senior communications adviser to or at least a thirty-silvers deal with Stephen Harper, and helped lead the nlike the Orange Revolution, Moscow that few outside Ukraine Canadian election observation missions there is no obvious exit from would notice. to Ukraine in 2010 and 2012. U what is now an extremely And indeed, this came to pass with a [email protected]

January/February 2014 26

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty delivers Budget 2013. He’s put the government’s reputation on the line, and his own, in promising budegtary balance and a small surplus by 2015. PMO photo, Jason Ransom Ottawa’s Fiscal Update: Getting from A ($18 billion) to B (Zero) in Two Short Steps Douglas Porter Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s November fiscal update was filled with positive news. Indeed, ratings agency S&P reaffirmed Canada’s AAA rating the day after the announcement. The budget projections—if they unfold as predicted—could open the door for much- welcomed tax relief and also provide a platform for the next federal election in 2015. But the finance minister has staked the government’s reputation on meeting the balanced budget target within the next two years, and there are still hurdles ahead.

n vivid contrast to the high drama was modest, as widely expected at the $17.9 billion (or 1 per cent of GDP) over the fiscal landscape south start of the year—Ottawa’s finances from $18.9 billion for FY12/13, and I of the border, including the baf- have mostly unfolded as per the bud- from the initial projection of $18.7 bil- fling government shutdown in Oc- get plan. A better-than-expected start- lion. The government booked a one- tober, Canada’s budget backdrop has ing point for the deficit partly spilled time allowance of $2.8 billion in the continued to quietly improve. With into the latest projection, but only a current fiscal year for the Alberta broad Canadian economic trends pro- small part. This year’s deficit is now floods, partially offset by a $0.7 bil- ducing few surprises in 2013—growth projected to narrow only slightly to lion boost from the General Motors

Policy 27 stock sale. Excluding special factors underlying GDP growth in both real next year’s deficit outlook by $1.1 bil- and contingency reserves, the under- (1.7 per cent) and nominal (3.0 per lion to $5.5 billion—which is certain- lying deficit in the current fiscal year cent) terms. Ottawa is now expecting ly within striking distance of balanc- would be closer to $14 billion, a de- a larger surplus two years hence ($3.7 ing the books a year early, especially cent improvement given the sluggish billion), (see Chart 1) and trimmed considering a $3 billion contingency

CHART 1: BUDGETARY BALANCE AFTER MEASURES

Billions of dollars 20 Actual Projection 9.8 10 5.7 3.7 5.0 0

-5.5 -10

-20 -18.9 -17.9

-30 -26.3 -33.4 -40

-50

-60 -55.6 2009- 2010- 2011- 2012- 2013- 2014- 2015- 2016- 2017- 2018- 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Source: Department of Finance

CHART 2: FEDERAL DEBT TO GDP RATIO

40 Actual Projection Federal debt-to- 35 34.1 33.2 33.1 33.1 33.1 33.1 32.2 GDP target: 31.4 30.6 25% 30 29.2 29.1 28.2 27.6 26.0 25.0 25

0 2005- 2006- 2007- 2008- 2009- 2010- 2011- 2012- 2013- 2014- 2015- 2016- 2017- 2018- 2021- 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2022

Sources: Department of Finance; Statistics Canada

January/February 2014 28 reserve is built into the figures. Canada is dealing with a transition from 5.4 workers for every While there were no major new rev- person over 65 as recently as in 2000, then down to 4.6 in elations in the mid-year update, there 2012, and headed for 3.6 by 2020. were some notable tidbits. The debt/ GDP ratio is expected to hold steady at 33.1 per cent in FY13/14, marking ernment’s reputation on hitting the the Federal Reserve has been buying the fifth consecutive year of an es- balanced budget target within the back bond at the rate of $85 billion sentially flat profile on this key met- next two years, and there is still work per month—in the year ahead. In a ric. The goal is to cut it to 25 per cent to be done and hurdles ahead. nutshell, the global recovery remains by 2022 (see Chart 2). Ottawa also fragile, and Canadian exports have included very long-term fiscal projec- n the domestic front, the essentially been flat for more than a tions, which see the debt/GDP ratio stubbornly sizeable discount decade. dropping to zero by 2039, despite the on Canadian oil prices and In terms of what Ottawa can control, demographic challenges from slowing O ongoing uncertainty on the prospect there is also still some wood to chop. labour force growth and rising health of new pipelines casts serious doubt The federal government will need to & pension costs. on the outlook for resource revenues find more efficiencies than simply On balance, Finance Minister Jim Fla- (which drive Ottawa’s bottom line freezing the operating budget, which herty’s update was rife with seemingly through firmer nominal GDP growth will save $550 million in the current positive news, including the strongest and corporate profits), not to mention fiscal year and $1.1 billion in FY14/15. employment and income growth in growth in Alberta and Saskatchewan As well, the aging population will the G7 since 2006 (see Chart 3). In- (the recent star performers). External gradually exert rising budgetary pres- deed, ratings agency S&P reaffirmed risks for Flaherty’s forecast include the sures. Canada is dealing with a transi- Canada’s AAA rating the day after the fact that inflation is probing the low tion from 5.4 workers for every person announcement. The budget projec- end of the comfort range in Europe over 65 as recently as in 2000, then tions—if they unfold as expected— and the US after years of persistently down to 4.6 in 2012, and headed for could open the door for much-wel- sluggish activity, and lingering ques- 3.6 by 2020. Health care outlays are comed tax relief and also provide a tions over how the emerging markets another concern, although the unilat- platformFro mfor 200 the 6next to 201 federal2 election will react to the Grecentlyrowth announcedin Real pe r eralCap announcementita Disposabl eon In ctheseome outlays From 2006 to 2012 in 2015. However, the finance minis- tapering of QE3—the third round by Flaherty in December 2011, after ter has also arguably staked the gov- of quantitative easing under which meeting his provincial colleagues,

CHART 3: GROWTH IN EMPLOYMENT FROM 2006 GROWTH IN REAL PER CAPITA DISPOSABLE TO 2012 INCOME FROM 2006 TO 2012

10 15

12 8 9

6 6

per cent 3 4

per cent 0

2 -3

0.0 -6 0 -9

-2 -12 Canada Germany United France Italy United Japan Canada Germany United France Italy United Japan Kingdom States Kingdom States

Note: Base year for calculations is 2005. Notes: This chart shows gross personal per capita disposable income deflated Sources: Haver Analytics; IMF; Department of Finance calculations. by the Consumer Price Index. The last data point is 2012 for all countries except Japan for which it is 2011. Base year for calculations is 2005. Sources: Haver Analytics; IMF; Department of Finance calculations.

Policy 29 gives Ottawa some certainty on this persistently weak growth suggests the prescription is not more restraint, but front. Recall that upon the expiration emphasis should be elsewhere, espe- likely less, whether through tax relief of the 2004 Health Accord in 2014, cially if the world economy stumbles or infrastructure spending. From a health transfers to the provinces will anew in 2014. Countries with a strong bond market perspective, shrinking continue to grow 6 percent annually credit profile, such as Canada, could deficits and restrained growth will for three years, and then in line with stand ready to support growth if need the economy after that, with a floor of be. Long-term interest rates remain at contain the upward move in long- 3 percent. exceptionally low levels, which is pre- term yields, following a year in which some yields jumped by a full percent- Moreover, there is the cisely the time when the public sector could be making long-term invest- age point in the summer on merely broader question of whether ments if global growth fails to revive the prospect of Fed tapering. aiming for a balanced budget notably in the year ahead. Canadian within two years is even the governments did increase infrastruc- Bottom line: Ottawa has managed to appropriate goal for fiscal ture spending through the recession, keep its finances on the straight and policy at this juncture. While but the initiative has faded almost ev- narrow through a prolonged period erywhere with the intense focus shift- of sluggish growth. Exceptionally low shrinking government deficits ing to balancing the books. Given are all the rage globally, borrowing costs and fewer spending persistently weak underlying activity pressures than faced by the provinces persistently weak growth and the notable absence of a growth have helped. The federal government suggests the emphasis should driver, the economy can use any small be elsewhere, especially if boost it can get and perhaps a little should manage to balance the books the world economy stumbles less focus on restraint. At the very within the self-imposed two-year deadline of 2015, albeit with its fiscal anew in 2014. least, redirecting spending toward infrastructure would be a positive step. reputation on the line. Whether this The fiscal update had little impact is the appropriate goal for fiscal policy on the GDP forecast (see Chart 4), al- remains open for debate and highly though the potential for tax cuts in dependent on how the global econo- oreover, there is the broad- 2015 or beyond would certainly be a my unfolds in the next two years. er question of whether aim- positive for the medium-term growth M ing for a balanced bud- outlook. Any significant firming in Next stop—Budget 2014. get within two years is even the ap- Canadian economic growth over the Douglas Porter is Chief Economist of propriate goal for fiscal policy at this next few years remains contingent on BMO Capital Markets. juncture. While shrinking govern- better US growth. If the latter doesn’t ment deficits are all the rage globally, evolve as we expect, the correct policy [email protected] Economists now expect slower nominal GDP growth than at the time of Budget 2013 CHARTChar t4: 1 .3 REALRea GDPl GD GROWTHP Growth OUTLOOK Outlook NNOMINALominal G GDPDP G GROWTHrowth Out OUTLOOKlook

3.0 5 Budget 2013 Budget 2013 4.7

Update 2013 Update 2013 2.5 4.2 2.5 2.4 4 per cent per cent

2.0 3.3 1.7 1.6 3.0 3 1.5

1.0 2 2013 2014 2013 2014

s surveys . Source: Department of Finance March and September 2013 of private sector economists

January/February 2014 30

Defining Leadership In a Changing World

Robin V. Sears

Nelson Mandela and Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in Parliament at his joint address to the House and Senate, June 18, 1990. Mandela said he was pleased to speak to the Canadian Parliament first, to thank Canada and its government for all they had done for him, especially since he could not speak in his own Parliament. PMO photo

The 20th century produced nniversaries of events sur- and Vietnam, and, perhaps like Barack rounding great leaders always Obama, was somewhat better at mov- a pantheon of great and A provoke unkind comparisons ing audiences than at driving govern- complex leaders, from the with the performances and personas ment. Robert Caro’s magisterial, soon- commanding eloquence of of their successors. The mists of time to-be five volume audit of Lyndon erase their weaknesses and bathe their Johnson’s life has forced those of us Churchill to the breathtak- achievements in the nostalgic glow of old enough to remember hating him ing grace of Mandela. In an golden memory. The 50th anniver- for the war in Vietnam to step back era of caution, incremental- sary of John F. Kennedy’s assassina- and reconsider his accomplishments. tion evoked such a mood. It is espe- Assessments of great leadership are ism and marketing-driven cially strong as his tragic fall is usually rarely set in stone. The judgments of politics, how do we define rolled into the equally painful deaths history force painful edits of the rep- leadership and measure of his brother, Robert, and of Martin utations of both the mighty and the Luther King Jr. only a few years later. maligned. The lens of one’s own expe- greatness? The ache of missed opportunity that rience affects one’s vision of greatness. their being snatched from us so sud- For the Polish, Winston Churchill’s denly engendered remains. acquiescence to the murder of tens We choose to forget that Kennedy of thousands of their countrymen by got not a single historic piece of leg- quiet agreement with Josef Stalin at islation passed, waffled on both Cuba Yalta will forever mute the colours of

Policy 31 his reputation. Canadians and Aus- Merkel’s hesitant physicist-housewife 19th century. Each of those genera- tralians who know of Churchill’s role leadership rank her anywhere near tions was marked by dozens of great in decreeing the appalling and mean- Konrad Adenauer, Willy Brandt, leaders despite the frivolous tempta- ingless sacrifice of their young men Helmut Schmidt, or Helmut Kohl? It tions of their era. at Gallipoli in the First World War is preposterous to mention François Nor can the argument that good times and in Hong Kong during the Sec- Hollande’s name in the same sen- merely require basic management be ond World War, will never see him as tence as Charles de Gaulle’s or Fran- given any credence today. The list of grateful Englishmen always will. çois Mitterrand’s. causes, issues, and countries desper- Yet, there are standards and there are The respected students of leader- ate for strong principled leadership standard-bearers, and we are right to ship—scholars like Warren Bennis, remains too long to even contemplate demand adherence to those tests and Peter Drucker, Antony Beevor, Doris such a weak excuse for mistaking to mark our leaders against them. It Kearns Goodwin—all agree that lead- management for leadership. is hard, in Canada, the United States, ers are made and not born. Yes, your It is hard to think of a more Europe, Africa, and in much of Asia, to odds at the brass ring are better if you look at today’s important government are English-speaking, tall, handsome, incremental and cautious and business leaders and see men and white, male, and eloquent. But Mar- exponent of manager-as- women who are the equals of the tin Luther King was only 5-foot-6, Lee leader than our current prime greats of their own nations’ histories. Kuan Yew is not eloquent, Indira Gan- minister. Stephen Harper’s dhi was far from handsome and none The rationalizations are many: great career has been built on of them is white Greatness is available and testing times deliver greatness to the avoidance of anything to all. So why is it so scarce today? otherwise ordinary leaders. Peace is big, potentially divisive, or rarely a maker of great leaders; con- Part of the reason, as Churchill acidly transformational. flict is. Good times require merely put it, is that, “It is hard for a nation good leadership. But those are simply to look up to leaders whose ears are to rationalizations of failure. the ground.” Today’s marketing-driven political and corporate leadership Whether it is carbon limits or reduc- Would South Africa not be a better style emphasizes incremental change, ing income inequality or a solution and happier place now if Nelson Man- cautious initiative, and ears firmly to the Israel-Palestine conflict, lead- dela had served more than a single attuned to the latest focus group ership will involve strong persuasion term as its president? Mandela’s re- research. about some unappealing changes. cent passing reminded the world that Rosalynn Carter put it well: “A leader a onetime prisoner, jailed for 27 years, nother crippling contribution takes people where they want to go. became the father of his country and A great leader takes people where the democratically elected president to the scarcity of leadership is the decline of deference, the they don’t necessarily want to go, of a free South Africa. And it reminded A but ought to be.” Given her insight, Canadians of Brian Mulroney’s cam- slow erosion of faith in institutions and in society itself, the apparently it must have been painful to see her paign of conscience against apartheid husband fail at it. and to free Mandela. Released from endless rise of social anomie and dis- prison in early 1990, Canada would engagement in much of the developed It is hard to think of a more incremen- be the first country he visited after his world among the young. In the 1960s, tal and cautious exponent of manager- release, and Parliament the first one we thought it so very clever to wear as-leader than our current prime min- he would address. buttons that read, “What if they gave ister. Stephen Harper’s career has been a war and no one came?” The underly- built on the avoidance of anything Part of the reason, as Churchill ing message of our cynical stance was, big, potentially divisive, or transfor- acidly put it, is that, “It is hard “No leader deserves your trust. Don’t mational. This leadership strategy has for a nation to look up to listen to them.” And it’s less than a worked beautifully for him and for his lifetime ago that such a breakdown in new party, but it is hard to see history leaders whose ears are to the confidence led to the bloodiest chap- being impressed by his contribution ground.” Today’s marketing- ters in an already bloody 20th century. to transforming Canada’s weaknesses driven political and corporate into strengths, to taking us where we Not to be credited is the finger wag- ought to be. In fairness, in negotiating leadership style emphasizes ging at traditional journalism, video the Canada-Europe Trade Agreement, incremental change, cautious games, and the impact of digital tech- he has delivered on a big idea, possi- initiative, and ears firmly nologies and contemporary social me- bly a transformational one. attuned to the latest focus dia. “Nobody reads anymore, young group research. people don’t care, and we are rotting Obama risks harsh judgment for the our collective minds with salacious opposite shortcoming: promising trivia,” is the trope of many a grumpy much and failing to perform. The fias- aging progressive, ironically joined co that was the healthcare rollout was by knuckle-draggers like Bill O’Reilly. not only a failure of management, but Can one see a single Churchillian The same was said about coffee hous- a failure of real political leadership. gene or speck of Margaret Thatcher es three centuries ago, gin houses two Obama’s achievements in energizing DNA in David Cameron? Does Angela centuries ago, and opium dens in the and engaging disaffected black, His-

January/February 2014 32 death of the Warsaw ghetto.” He felt he “had to do something to express the particularity of the commemora- tion at the ghetto monument. On the abyss of German history and carrying the burden of the millions who were murdered, I did what people do when words fail them.” No, he did what only a brave and thoughtful leader would do at such a moment. Brandt also understood that bombas- tic leadership is merely a sad imitation of the real thing. The Donald Trumps and Silvio Berlusconis and similar bel- lowers in Canadian politics can never aspire to true leadership because they fail the test of authenticity. One proof of authenticity in leadership is the willingness to take private risks, with no prospect of public acclaim, because that is the only way forward. Fifteen years after that Warsaw moment, I was witness to that side of In Warsaw in December 1970, West German Chancellor Willy Brandt kneels at the monument to those Brandt’s leadership in an opulent murdered by German soldiers during the uprising by Polish Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto in 1943. (courtesy, Robin V. Sears). Kremlin office in front of the recently elevated Soviet leader, Mikhail Gor- bachev. I was a staffer to Brandt in his Obama’s achievements in the Monument to those who had been murdered by German soldiers in the role as President of the world’s largest energizing and engaging uprising of Polish Jews in the Warsaw federation of political parties, the glob- disaffected black, Hispanic, Ghetto in 1943. It is distant history to- al partnership of hundreds of labour and young Americans by day, but was only 27 years in the past and social democratic groups—the So- the millions now risks being then. He was surrounded by a mix of cialist International. He was heading a local officials and ordinary citizens, delegation of European leaders to meet seen merely as proof of the surprising new Soviet Communist eloquence. Eloquence can many of them old enough to have witnessed the atrocities. In the famous Party general secretary. We didn’t be the foundation of great photograph of that day, you see on know then that he would change the leadership, but not its content. the assembled faces combinations of world, but his style and candour in doubt, shock, and even happiness as those meetings told everyone this was they witnessed the unbelievable. a transformational leader. panic, and young Americans by the The leader of the hated German na- It was the time of Soviet dissidents, millions now risks being seen merely refusniki, and of international cam- as proof of eloquence. Eloquence can tion fell suddenly and without warn- ing to his knees, his hands clenched paigns on their behalf. Many progres- be the foundation of great leadership, sives around the world would regular- but not its content. in front of him, head abjectly bowed, his pained gaze unbroken by a single ly pound the Soviets, partly as proof of their own anti-communist creden- eadership is not always about word. He remained there in absolute tials, partly because it was popular to a conscious strategy of change, silence for what seemed to observers do so, and always got great domes- methodically executed. Some- like an eternity. L tic media coverage. The British, the times it is framed by an incident or He said later, “An unusual burden ac- French, and the Italians were the most an inspiration born out of character companied me on my way to Warsaw. cynical at this. They had begun to at- and experience. When West German Nowhere else had a people suffered tack Brandt for not being more robust Social Democratic Chancellor Willy as in Poland. The machine-like anni- in his public critique of the Soviet Brandt ventured on his first trip to hilation of Polish Jewry represented a Union. I began to get worried about Poland—in front of the survivors of heightening of bloodthirstiness that the impact of his silence. They and I a people more savagely crushed more no one had held possible.” should have known better. often by his German forefathers than He was deeply apprehensive about any other—he knew the expectation the visit and the balance he needed his was Nobel Peace Prize win- of history on him in that moment. to walk between German anger at ner Brandt, after all, the man On that cold, grey afternoon in Decem- his being too apologetic and, as he T who had devised the only suc- ber 1970, Brandt slowly approached said, his “memory of the fight to the cessful strategy for dealing with the

Policy 33 Soviets and their dreadful East Ger- Improbable as it may seem to his crit- Bill Davis. Today, not many Canadi- man clones, if you judge success as ics, John Baird is another internation- ans outside Saskatchewan know of winning freedom for those persecuted al player who understands the differ- the skill and potential of Brad Wall—a most viciously. His Ostpolitik strategy, ence between public declamation and great premier in a province that has greased by billions in German marks private entreaty. He has made similar had more than its share of greats—but and covert American dollars, won the efforts on behalf of today’s refusniki, they will. release of many Soviet and East Ger- the oppressed gay men and women in The seminal leader of the advertising man dissidents—simultaneously un- Russia and the Middle East. But he un- business in the post-war era, David dermining both systems through the derstands, as well, that it is a subject Ogilvy, founder of the agency that corruption of key officials, happy re- that he cannot discuss and still hope still bears his name in 120 countries, cipients of these secret payments. (It is to be useful to them. liked to say that good clients create a chapter of the Cold War that will not So, whither Canada in the business good agencies. He might have added be written fully until more of those in- and governmental leadership stakes? that great clients demand grand ideas volved have passed on, so secret and We have had strong, courageous well executed. illegal were some of the schemes.) prime ministers, both of the high pro- Perhaps the same is true of democratic As the nervous political staffer, I was file/big vision type and of those whose leadership: voters with high expecta- increasingly insistent as the visit successes were more often offstage. tions, who demand big change and to the Soviet Union entered its fi- We have had Canadian corporate and big solutions to critical problems are nal hours that Brandt should offer a trade union leaders who were indis- likely to get better leadership than crumb of criticism to the media about putably best in class. those who accept the trivial or the the Soviet dissidents. To my final plea, insultingly picayune—see, for a sorry he looked at me dismissively, and sim- adly, however, in every field, example, changing the tax code to re- ply said, “Watch!” many of those Canadian lead ward gym memberships. ers work on behalf of organiza- Sulkily, I did, until the closing minutes S Given the Mackenzie King-like small tions and companies based elsewhere. of the final meeting with Gorbachev. change, delivered seriatim in small Two Canadians, Lynn Williams and Brandt rose, crossed the room, and packages to small numbers of vot- Leo Gerard, spent much of their careers shook the Soviet leader’s hand, for ers in the past seven years, it will be running one of the largest and most an uncomfortably long time. I had a shock to some Canadians to return well respected international unions, to the scale of vision of a Pearson, a glimpsed his hand as it came out his the United Steelworkers Union in the Trudeau or a Mulroney. pocket; I was stunned. US. Several Canadians play key roles in We need to do a better job of demand- Brandt had palmed a tiny envelope. running Silicon Valley firms. Some of ing leadership capable of tackling As he turned to leave, he said quietly, our best academics lead American and it. “Sir, it would do me a great honour if Asian institutions. you were to inquire about some of the Our run of national leaders, from Contributing Writer Robin V. Sears is names on that list.” Three months lat- Lester Pearson and Tommy Douglas, a principal of the Earnscliffe Strategy er, several of the dissidents were qui- to Ed Broadbent, Bob Stanfield, and Group. He was national director of the etly released. Brandt never mentioned Pierre Trudeau, to Brian Mulroney and NDP during the Broadbent years, and his action, and was never credited for Jean Chrétien, has been impressive. worked on the staff of former West it. And I was grateful once again for We have had premiers of world states- German chancellor Willy Brandt at the my schooling at the feet of this in- man-level competence and skill in Socialist International. credible leader. Peter Lougheed, Allan Blakeney, and [email protected]

January/February 2014 3434

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford at a summer street festival in July 2013, when rumours of his substance abuse issues were already frequent. In November, he confirmed he had used crack cocaine, as well as driving under the influence. Shutterstock photo Getting a Handle on Scandal Patrick Gossage

Having lived through a ma- uring the years when I was knew what was happening, and he jor scandal in the 1970s at Pierre Trudeau’s press sec- still doesn’t talk. D retary, a major scandal hit I had one tense discussion about the the business end of interna- and I was in the thick of it. Pierre media’s apparent “right to know” Trudeau’s wife, Margaret, had left 24 tional press calls, Patrick with the eminent CBC-TV journalist, Sussex for Toronto, where she hung David Halton. I still believe that what Gossage has firm views on out and smoked dope with the Roll- I told him should apply to any and all the link between infamy ing Stones, then New York where she and fitness for public office. partied at the best discos. It was in- political scandals: the burden of proof ternational news and I was regularly rests on the media and opponents In an era of perpetual cover- awakened at home in the middle of to prove that what happens in one’s age and constant commen- the night by European tabloids want- private life seriously affects his or her tary, where do we draw the ing a quote or reaction, and sad Cana- ability to carry on in a leadership role. dian journalists assigned to cover her, This lens was applied to B.C. Premier line between damage con- asking where she was. Gordon Campbell when he was arrest- trol and delusion? Rob Ford I could satisfy neither, since the boss’s ed in 2003 in Hawaii, charged with has set out to redefine the total silence on the breakup of his drunk driving. Despite vocal calls for standards, but some basic marriage completely shut his aides his resignation, and the classic accu- down as well. Only his loyal executive sations of lack of judgment that os- principles never change. assistant at the time, Robert Murdoch, tensibly made him unfit to carry on,

Policy 35 he survived handily, and became the it has to be admitted that Mayor Ford has expanded forever symbol of the highly successful Van- the definition of political scandal, and in doing so become couver Olympics. Trudeau’s unwill- ingness to fuel the media’s insatiable an unlikely global celebrity. By his admission, he’s been “in a curiosity about his marriage kept the drunken stupor” and “extremely inebriated,” to say nothing of Margaret story where it belonged, he his use of crack cocaine, or his admission of drunk driving. remained in office and went on to become the most eligible bachelor in North America—again. Now, a different standard applies whether he is still standing or not. have been anything but private is both south of the border and in To- And as with Stephen Harper, his dis- judged amid blurred lines and lack of ronto. In the US, sex scandals involv- dain for the media will live on with context. ing the likes of Anthony Weiner and the denizens of Ford Nation, who David Petraeus have quickly iced ca- blame the press for his woes. dd to this the absolute obses- reers. Weiner’s “sexting” suggestive The victim positioning works with sion of major mass media photos of himself to several women some, depending on where the narra- A with these prolonged outings caused a media frenzy, his eventual tive leads. Everyone loves a redemp- of public figures, and the willing- resignation from Congress and a hu- tion story (see Bill Clinton). For when ness of aides whose advice has been miliatingly quixotic New York may- you really analyze what has hap- ignored to fuel the fire with “what oral bid. And just as the Toronto pened in Toronto, barring a criminal the butler saw”, and we have what I Police are involved in exposing Rob conviction, what is trumping Ford is consider a real threat to the ongoing Ford’s questionable activities, so the not so much how he has run the city, sound management of civic society. FBI exposed Petraeus’s extramarital but the international soap opera and The low opinion so much of the pub- affair with his biographer, leading to embarrassment to Toronto which he lic has for politicians is enhanced, both being hounded mercilessly by has caused. He and his brother Doug voter turnout reduced, a churlishness the media and his exit as Director of are counting on it not lasting another replaces any real interest in public af- the CIA. six months. fairs or respect for office holders, and fewer and fewer seek public office. till, Rob Ford is trying to live The ability to expose private by my test. It remains to be lives of public figures In the permanent state of war that seen how effectively. He is argu- characterizes contemporary partisan S has grown to horrific politics, real debate over policy solu- ing that despite the circus surrounding his private life, it is business as proportions. In some cases, tions to glaring social and economic usual for him. He boasts about what disqualifying degrees of problems is replaced by personal at- he has accomplished for the city, and malfeasance or stupidity tacks, media exposure of personal vows to continue what he was elected are exposed, but in many failings, and a general meanness in our public discourse. to do—save taxpayers money. But, it more, behaviour that should has to be admitted that Mayor Ford never have been anything We are a long way from my conver- has expanded forever the definition sation with David Halton some 35 of political scandal, and in doing but private is judged amid years ago when, in fact, the media so become an unlikely global celeb- blurred lines and lack of and the opposition left the personally rity. By his admission, he’s been “in context. beleaguered Trudeau alone. Scandals a drunken stupor” and “extremely certainly are more lurid and more inebriated,” to say nothing of his use widely covered and discussed than of crack cocaine, or his admission of they used to be. And it’s not likely to drunk driving. As a New York Times get better. Canada will come of age headline aptly put it: “Toronto’s in the sex scandal department soon, mayor rampages on, to city’s shame”. These salacious morality plays that and our public life will be further His serial admissions, foul language, so disastrously distract from the busi- diminished. outright lies, meandering apologies ness of government have become a and the escalating evidence of his sad feature of our current public life Contributing Writer Patrick Gossage bullying, raise the bar for political here and in all western democra- is the founder and chairman of misbehaviour. cies. They are greatly exacerbated by Media Profile, the Toronto-based This is what stymies the brains be- the availability of citizen video and communications consulting firm. He is hind several mayoralty candidates ubiquitous and irresponsible social the author of the 1987 bestseller, Close who hope to bury Ford and the Ford media. The ability to expose private to the Charisma, about his years with nation in the municipal elections this lives of public figures has grown to Pierre Elliott Trudeau. year: what he has done, and what he horrific proportions. In some cases, [email protected] stands for—saving taxpayers money disqualifying degrees of malfeasance and reducing waste—will be hard and or stupidity are exposed, but in many fast features of the next campaigns more, behaviour that should never

January/February 2014 36

Kelvin Ogilvie accepting the Health Research Foundation’s Medal of Honour. “There are silos among the research disciplines,” he said of Canada’s health care system. “There are silos between clinicians and researchers, social scientists, doctors and nurses. And there are silos between the public and private sectors. Rx&D photo The Silo Syndrome in Canadian Health Care Verbatim / Kelvin K. Ogilvie

At a November 20th gala in Montreal, former Acadia Uni- have been fortunate to have been able to spend an important part versity president Kelvin K. Ogilvie was awarded Rx&D’s I of my life directly involved with Health Research Foundation Medal of Honour. He is now research that would benefit human- ity. This ranged from the invention Chair of the Senate Standing Committee for Social Af- of a drug to combat lethal viral infec- fairs, Science and Technology. In his acceptance speech, he tions to synthetic developments that enabled the biotechnology revolution warned that “the silo syndrome” in Canadian health care and provide the means that others is preventing positive outcomes for patients, adding that “ continue to use to make advances in in the actual practice of health care in Canada as many the treatment of gene based disease. In the broad area of health research as 30 per cent of all health interventions may do harm.” there is a great deal of activity in Can- His solution: “We must change the whole process of health ada. It represents about a $6 billion investment. The Canadian Institute for care delivery and make it patient oriented.” Health Research alone invests about $1 billion annually. The investment is more than providing a playground for researchers—it has the potential to lead to social, economic and health benefits for Canadians. And Canadi-

Policy 37 ans seem to feel this is an important One of the major causes of death in Canada is mistakes within area in which to invest their tax dollars, with surveys suggesting that 90 the health care system—incorrect prescriptions or dosage, per cent respond that they consider incompatible treatments, infection, and mistakes in surgery. health research either important or Great research advances are neutralized if they are used very important. improperly. But while we have been very successful in basic research with, for example, professional silos, often conflicting disease areas. My own view is that we major developments in treatment and and at best simply not collaborating. need major new directions in how we diagnosis of cancer, particularly breast And we have no system for identify- approach, for example, cancer as a cancer, we are little better in this area ing best practices wherever they occur disease and its treatment. than any other in terms of translat- and disseminating them across the ing research developments into social system. And, we lack the traditional inally I think the federal gov- and economic benefit. Overall, Cana- motivation for innovation—competi- ernment has an unprecedented da falls near the bottom in compari- tion. I won’t even touch on the issue son to OECD countries in this critical of “provincial jurisdiction”, a guaran- F opportunity to use its offices to area. What is even more discouraging tor of silos if ever there was one. bring the parties together to identify is that licensing and creation of spin- and disseminate new best practices in health delivery. And I think Health offs is actually in decline. nd in the research world it appears that silos prevail in spite Canada must move, and move with And in the actual practice of health some dispatch, to eliminate barriers to care in Canada as many as 30 per cent of some recent initiatives un- A successful health research and health of all health interventions may do derway to change the system. There related industry success in Canada. harm. are silos among the research disciplines; there are silos between clini- Nowhere is this more evident than in cians and researchers, social scientists our fragmented approach to clinical o we have a couple of major and biological scientists, doctors and trials in this country. challenges in health research nurses. And there are silos between the I don’t want to leave you with the im- in Canada—how can we ensure public and private sectors. Our IT ini- S pression that I think that all is wrong that research developments translate tiatives seem to be in a world of their into greater economic and social ben- own, separate from the needs of prac- in these areas in Canada—not at all. efits? And how can we enhance our titioners and every other need except We have, historically, and currently, research efforts in terms of better de- the need to “protect privacy”. one of the finest collections of re- livery and management of health care? searchers per capita in the world. We For example, one of the major causes I want to suggest that the key to our just need them to work with one an- future in health care is collaboration. of death in Canada is mistakes with- other, across disciplines, in synergy In health care delivery alone, the num- in the health care system—incorrect to a far greater degree. And we need ber of deaths and major hospital errors prescriptions or dosage, incompatible them embraced in a culture of trans- treatments, infection, and mistakes in seem to be directly linked to the silos in health care delivery. Not only do lating their results into social and eco- surgery. Great research advances are nomic benefit. We need to demolish neutralized if they are used improperly. the silos exist but those we look to for solving individual patient issues—the the silos and we need our federal bu- I recognize that Canadian research practitioners, largely doctors and nurs- reaucracy to assume a higher level of has had great success in protecting es, are not trained as scientists—they interaction with all the players with Canadians. From CIHR funded basic are not good at connecting the dots. bringing benefit to Canadians as the research we have had Canada take primary objective. the lead in dealing with the SARS and H1N1 pandemics. And basic research We must change the whole As we approach one of the most excit- allowed us to respond to the threat- process of health care delivery ing periods in history in translational ened shortage of medical radioiso- and make it patient oriented— knowledge application in human topes when the Chalk River reactor bring a collaborative approach health, the age of genetic application broke down. and personalized medicine, we need to identifying, treating and new management approaches to the But I want to spend my time on the managing the patient’s issues. two challenges I raised a minute ago. health care system and we need a It appears to me that Canadian health major culture change in the world of care and Canadian health research health research and its application. share one major flaw—both suffer So my first major point is that we Kelvin K. Ogilvie, Chair of the Senate from the silo syndrome. must change the whole process of Committee on Social Affairs, Science In reviewing the 2004 Health Accord, health care delivery and make it pa- and Technology, is a former president my Senate Committee, Social Affairs, tient oriented—bring a collaborative of Acadia University. He is the inventor Science and Technology, heard repeat- approach to identifying, treating and of Ganiclovar, a drug used worldwide edly that there is sufficient funding in managing the patient’s issues. to fight infections when the immune the health care system in Canada to And we must bring a truly collabora- system is weakened. deliver a first-rate health care system. tive approach to research into both [email protected] But we are not doing that. Rather, we major health issues and health deliv- have a system fraught with multiple ery. This is particularly true in major

January/February 2014 38 Policy Book Reviews

opponent. The circumstances that Never Gladwell writes about are largely pre- ordained. There are no rules for self- help—only stories of the character Underestimate conditioned by the inner strength of an Underdog the underdog. But there is one overarching lesson that Gladwell offers Malcolm Gladwell that everyone engaged in David and Goliath: Underdogs, competitive pursuits should Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants. New York, Little Brown heed. That is to study your and Company, 2013. opponent. David knew, after all, how Goliath planned to Review by Mike Coates fight. alcolm Gladwell’s latest book, M David and Goliath: Underdogs, But there is one overarching lesson Misfits, and the Art of Battling Gi- that Gladwell offers that everyone en- ants, is a must-read for political and gaged in competitive pursuits should business junkies. As in his previous unarmed shepherd’s son, David, to heed. That is to study your opponent. books, The Tipping Point, Blink, and face the giant in battle. Now, David David knew, after all, how Goliath , Gladwell demonstrates his Outliers may have been young, but he was an planned to fight. Many strategists, knack for organizing seemingly sim- experienced “slinger” in Saul’s army— from Sun Tzu to Clausewitz, have ple principles into something more slinging was a common method of written about the importance of ob- thought-provoking. immobilizing enemies in those days. taining intelligence. Gladwell takes Don’t get me wrong, though— Hurtling down a hill to meet Goliath, this to a new level by emphasizing the Gladwell is no philosopher king. In- and whirling a slingshot that could creative use of intelligence. Too many deed, since The Tipping Point, which launch a projectile with the force of so-called “strategists” are unable to I’d argue was a truly prophetic precur- a firearm, David was able to strike the think outside the box. By looking at sor to the explosion of social media, giant down with pinpoint accuracy every situation unconventionally, it’s his books have been rather thin. In before the weighed down Philistine possible to uncover an opponent’s Blink, he told us that the best deci- could even move. The underdog was weaknesses or determine how best to sions are the ones we make without victorious because the favourite failed undermine their strengths. According thinking, and in Outliers, he reminded to anticipate that his opponent would to Gladwell, if you change the rules of us that practice makes perfect—two fight by different rules—rules that the game by fighting on your terms, very basic lessons. But however sim- best aligned with his own abilities. even an underdog can win. Gladwell’s ple the takeaway message, his stories world view has also been informed are always insightful and uplifting, ladwell’s book is full of such sto- by his own experience as a Canadian and his use of research clever. G ries: A ragtag Arab army under growing up next to the United States; David and Goliath is Gladwell’s best Lawrence of Arabia attacked the Turks as a David next to a Goliath. work since The Tipping Point. His cen- at Aqaba from behind their defences after crossing 600 miles of brutal des- Students of Canadian politics should tral thesis is that the victorious un- take notice. Gladwell could well be derdogs in politics, business, and life ert. A young college student was able to publish more work because he writing the story of a bookworm and are often the products of challenging introverted loner who went on to be- backgrounds. It’s these difficult cir- shrewdly chose to attend a less presti- gious school, where competition was come one of Canada’s most success- cumstances that make these individu- ful prime ministers. Smart strategists als inherently stronger than others— less fierce. Nineteenth-century im- pressionist artists avoided displaying continually underestimate him, but they’re conditioned by the school of by changing the rules of campaign- hard knocks. their work in the traditional Salon, choosing instead to host their own ex- ing and appealing to fewer groups of Gladwell’s best example of this phe- hibitions where their unconventional committed voters who reflect values nomenon is the biblical story that art didn’t face the scorn of the estab- similar to his, Stephen Harper is able to inspired the book’s title. Goliath, an lishment. The dyslexic school boy constantly outperform expectations. experienced soldier in the Philistine who studied hard and was not demo- Whether he’s read David and Goliath or army, prepared for battle outfitted in tivated by failure went on to become not, Harper surely knows the story. heavy armour and wielding weapons the CEO of Goldman Sachs. It’s uplift- of close combat. He and his Philistine Mike Coates is the Chairman and CEO ing stuff. leaders were clearly expecting to meet of Hill+Knowlton Strategies Canada, a fellow warrior of similar size and If there is a lack in David and Goli- and is a member of Hill+Knowlton’s experience. Instead, Saul, the king of ath, it’s that this book doesn’t teach Global Council. the Israelites, sent a young, practically you the ABCs of defeating a superior [email protected]

Policy 39 filled in that answer many of the big The Making questions about Mitt Romney’s failed challenge of Barack Obama, including of the what the hell Romney was thinking during some of the more gobsmacking President, moments of the campaign. ecision by decision, judgment 2012 D call by judgment call, Double Down lays out just how the 2012 campaign went from being a referendum Mark Halperin and on Obama’s presidency to a refer- John Heilemann endum on Romney’s fitness for the presidency. After turning Romney’s Double Down: Game Change, 2012. business resume against him with the New York, Penguin Press, 2013. exposing of Bain Capital as a job kill- ing outsourcer, the Obama campaign Review by Lisa Van Dusen received the unforeseen, unforced gift of the “47 per cent” video in which Romney effectively wrote off half of he making of the president isn’t the electorate as lazy and entitled dur- T what it used to be. When Theo- dore H. White owned the campaign ing a surreptitiously taped speech at chronicling franchise during the 1960s a Florida fundraiser. The shock isn’t and 1970s, it was before the Internet, that Romney never fully recovered, it’s that he never seemed to grasp the before Twitter, YouTube and Insta- can get a little wearing. There are mo- damage. gram; 24-hour news coverage wasn’t ments, between Michele Bachmann’s even a gleam in Ted Turner’s eye. motor coach meltdowns and Donald There are few major bombshells in In Double Down, White’s heirs, Mark Trump’s birther barker stunts, when Double Down. The downside of hold- Halperin and John Heilemann, un- reading Double Down is like having to ing the making of the president fran- spool the various threads of the 2012 wade through the police report from chise these days is that so little goes US presidential campaign without get- a 20-car pileup you wish you’d never unreported in real time. That leaves ting tied up in the technicalities of a witnessed in the first place. But, again, mostly background, colour and the system that has become overwhelm- we don’t spend a lot of time here pon- perspective gained by the pollsters, ingly process driven. We re-live the dering the state of democracy. staffers, consultants and principals reality that some of the most game- with the benefit of hindsight. Much changing moments of the presidential In hundreds of “deep has been made of the revelation in campaign, to coin a phrase, occurred background” interviews, this book that certain White House because of technology that wasn’t blanks were filled in that operatives poll-tested Hillary Clinton available to alter the course of history as a possible replacement for Joe Biden answer many of the big as number two on the ticket ahead of until recently, but we don’t dwell on questions about Mitt what that means for democracy. the campaign. Less has been made of Romney’s failed challenge the more stunning revelation that the As with Halperin and Heilemann’s of Barack Obama, including Clintons made it a condition of Bill’s Game Change, the best-selling re-tell- what the hell Romney was campaigning for Obama that Hillary’s ing of the historic 2008 presidential lingering 2008 campaign debt be tak- campaign, Double Down sticks to the thinking during some of the en care of. campaign narrative. From the “freak more gobsmacking moments show” of the GOP primary process of the campaign. Less has been made of the that unfurled a sort of culling of the more stunning revelation nutters whereby every freak had his or her implausible day in the frontrun- that the Clintons made Double Down’s true value comes it a condition of Bill’s ner sun, to the reality-check disaster through in Halperin and Heilemann’s of Hurricane Sandy in the final days reporting on the general election campaigning for Obama of the general election campaign, this campaign. With the preponderance that Hillary’s lingering 2008 is the story of the story. It is a politi- of leaking, the constant stream-of- campaign debt be taken cal junkie’s paradise of the backroom consciousness Twitter commentary care of. brilliance, incompetence and, on one and the perpetual, hyper-tactical cable occasion, vomiting, that went on be- warfare that characterizes campaigns hind the roller coaster headlines. these days, you would think there Mostly, Double Down performs the For anyone who closely followed the would be few surprises left for a book service of humanizing the candi- story as it was happening, the re-tell- to unearth. But in hundreds of “deep dates and the characters that popu- ing of the Republican primary circus background” interviews, blanks were late both campaigns. After prevailing

January/February 2014 40 against both Hillary Clinton and John Those qualities—good and bad—are McCain in 2008, Obama still can’t present in Clark’s How We Lead: Cana- muster the situational suspension of da in a Century of Change. disbelief to embrace the gruelingly It is a prescription for how to conduct prepped, overhyped but crucial ritual foreign policy, and a polemic against of the campaign debate. Romney has Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s gov- still never adequately explained why ernment. On the first count, it is im- he strapped Seamus to the roof of the pressive; on the second, less so. family car, he doesn’t always take direction or understand why people Clark understands that the world has don’t understand him, but he loves changed dramatically since he was in his America. Romney operative Stu- government. His world had two su- art Stevens didn’t settle for shouting perpowers, no social media, less fear expletives at the television while Clint of international terrorism, and little Eastwood was indelibly upstaging the consideration of China as an emerg- GOP convention with a rambling, ing global economic force. More open immigration policies were still under incoherent dialogue with an empty debate, and the benefits of the North stool; he wisely excused himself and American Free Trade Agreement lay threw up. ahead. Today, as he writes: “The dy- Such is the texture that hundreds of namics of leadership have changed, hours of deep background produce. because the world has changed.” Makes you hanker already for the Hill- best solution is to ‘go abroad.’ Was lark also sees the weakness in ary Clinton-Jeb Bush edition. there ever a better example than Joe some of his own arguments. The Lisa Van Dusen volunteered for the C Clark? At home, his nine-month stint past can appear more golden than it 2008 Obama primary campaign in as prime minister and longer turns as really was—and this may especially South Carolina, covered the 2008 leader of the Progressive Conservative be true of Canadian diplomacy. But, presidential campaign as a columnist party were marked by political mis- he argues, “constructive myths are for Sun Media and became Washington steps. The most notorious was the in- essential to our future” because they Bureau Chief for Sun Media in 2009. ability to count opposition votes in a inspire. Similarly, though he criticizes She is currently Associate Editor of minority House in 1979 that cost him the Harper government for cutting en- Policy magazine. the PM’s job in the 1980 election. gagement with non-governmental or- [email protected] ganizations (NGOs) he acknowledges that such organizations can be spec- It is a prescription for how tacularly wasteful and ineffective— to conduct foreign policy, such as in distressed Haiti, sometimes and a polemic against Prime known as “The Republic of NGOs.” A Prescription Minister Stephen Harper’s Those points represent the even-hand- government. On the first ed side of Clark. Then there is the side count, it is impressive; on the that dislikes this government so much on Foreign that he dismisses substantive achieve- second, less so. ments. At one point, he declares: “In- Policy and ternational issues have played virtually no part in the elections won by Ste- a Polemic phen Harper, nor in the platforms or (Conservative) prominent policy posi- But Clark, as external affairs minister tions”. He then acknowledges that Af- Against under Brian Mulroney from 1984 to ghanistan, China, and the Middle East 1991….there was a statesman! Whether are exceptions—very large ones, in fact. Harper the issue was the end of the Cold War, Add the recent Canada-Europe free the Middle East tinderbox, or apart- trade deal and you have a significant heid in South Africa, Clark seemed as body of international policy engage- Joe Clark smooth and assured abroad as he was ment by this government. At another How We Lead: Canada in a Century ham-handed at home. The breathtak- point he observes: “A steady economy, of Change. Toronto: Random House ing self-confidence that served him a respected military, vigorous trade Canada, 2013. poorly in domestic politics was an initiatives and a forward-looking im- advantage internationally, where the migration policy are important assets.” Review by Anthony ability to clear one’s throat loudly is But, he continues: “They draw on only a prerequisite to being heard at all. A part of Canada’s proven capacity and Wilson-Smith more important attribute was the so- potential as an international citizen.” f a politician wants to be a states- phisticated understanding of diplo- Again, those positive achievements are I man, as an old adage has it, the macy that Clark developed on the job. no small things.

Policy 41 It’s also unfair to suggest That stance has nothing to do with politician. Fine, but he shouldn’t re- that the Harper government trade—as is also the case with the re- sent others as much as he does for be- cent decision to boycott a Common- ing the same. is so focused on trade ties wealth conference in Sri Lanka because that it ignores principles— A former Editor of Maclean’s, Anthony of human rights abuses. Clark can de- Wilson-Smith reported from more than and then to criticize them, as test present policy stances as much as 35 countries worldwide. He is President Clark does, when they act on he clearly does, but should be consis- of Historica Canada. the latter. tent in his reasons for doing so. There are also traces of barely-submerged [email protected] ego, such as the startling assertion that “for two decades now, our country has gone silent in debating big ideas.” By no coincidence, two decades ago was t’s also unfair to suggest that the when Clark left government. I Harper government is so focused on trade ties that it ignores principles— That said, this is a book worth reading, and to learn from. In 1991, when and then to criticize them, as Clark I was freshly returned to Canada from does, when they act on the latter. The years in Moscow as a journalist, I sat initial snubbing of China, which he Blue - Pantone P 100-16 C in on a briefing by Clark in which he cites, was a mistake in trade terms— Grey - Pantone P 179-4 C provided his analysis of world affairs. but founded on principle, whether or His level of knowledge and under- not one agrees. Clark also criticizes standing was remarkable. On global the shunning of the regime in Iran at events, it remains that way today. On a time when Britain, the United States the domestic front, not so much. That and others have muted their rhetoric. makes him both a statesman and a

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