Influencing Canada's Foreign Policy
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EMBASSY, Wednesday, March 28, 2012—10 EMBASSY, Wednesday, March 28, 2012—11 Feature Feature Africa this spring, she took heat for Joe Oliver Irwin Cotler government’s approach to the Middle Paul Hong Ward Elcock aligning the Canadian International , , Liberal justice East. Need evidence of Mr. Fogel’s Neil Desai. , foreign minister’s , prime Development Agency with private natural resources minister and human rights critic power? After his organization alert- senior policy adviser minister’s special adviser sector interests and especially min- Mr. Cotler is respected, even with- ed the foreign minister’s office to a Mr. Hong is in on human smuggling and The ing companies. Her experience on in the Conservative camp, on issues video link it thought offensive that was charge of advising Mr. the file (since 2007) means she involving Israel and Iran, for instance, tweeted by the chief Palestinian envoy Baird on Asia, parts of illegal migration The former head of the Canadian knows it well. Ms. Oda is influential where the two have some agreement. to Canada, the government called her Africa, Oceana includ- Security Intelligence Service, because she signs off on whether Representing a hotly-contested heav- in for a high-level dressing down and ing Australia and New Canada’s spy agency, the prime minis- to approve millions of dollars in ily-Jewish Montreal neighbourhood, limited communication with her until Zealand, and the UN. top he and Immigration Minister Jason Last week, he was ter tapped Mr. Elcock to be his direct aid funnelled through international a replacement arrived. Ouch. adviser on human smuggling after development NGOs, and on which Kenney have collaborated on anti- with Mr. Baird and nearly 500 Tamils docked in British countries Canada should focus its Semitism initiatives this government the prime minister in Frank Dimant Columbia aboard the MV Sun Sea in has supported. He travels extensive- Photo: Jason Ransom 80 aid most. , Asia. Mr. Hong is the ly abroad and uses his skills as an most known on the August 2010 hoping to make Canada executive vice-president of PMO international human rights lawyer to diplomatic reception circuit of Mr. their new home. Another migrant ship Vic Toews, B’Nai Brith Canada arrived the year prior. Mr. Elcock has influencing defend political prisoners. Perhaps now eclipsed somewhat by POLITICAL STAFFERS Rachel Curran Baird’s trio of senior policy advisers. , prime travelled to Thailand, New Zealand, public safety minister Mr. Fogel’s influence in the Jewish com- He may be younger looking than his While dirty Although his job could be con- minister’s director of policy 30-something years, but this South and Australia to monitor the phenom- Alison Redford, munity, Mr. Dimant is still an important Nigel Wright With a majority under the Tory enon and come up with ways to stem details of his sidered domestic, under Mr. Oliver player influencing the government’s , prime Korean-born Ontario-bred strategist divorce forced it has become international. After a premier of Alberta belt and more time to craft long-term has political smarts and a passion for the flow. He does his work quietly, but Premier for less approach to the Middle East and Israel. minister’s chief of staff policy, Ms. Curran has an important with Mr. Harper announcing millions him to go off- 30-plus-year career in the investment He is well-consulted as a foreign policy A well-paid Bay Street dealmaker, human rights and freedoms. Canada’s message lately business on Bay Street the rookie than six months, Ms. Mr. Wright took a leave of absence last job. She’s the last stop for politi- of dollars of new initiatives to fight Redford, of the pro- stakeholder and holds sway as pub- cally-driven policy proposals before human smuggling in southeast Asia and he’s been MP became minister last spring and lisher of The Jewish Tribune and leader year to serve as the prime minister’s Kasra Nejatian busy pushing started racking up the air miles. He vincial Progressive chief adviser. Rooted in the party’s they are seen by the prime minister. , immigration during his visit there this month and Conservative Party, has of the B’Nai Brith, a national Jewish Rising through the ranks of a minis- an anti-human smuggling bill winding through domes- visited China, Japan, England, the service and advocacy group. Progressive Conservative wing, he is the minister’s director of tic crime laws, US, and Kuwait, pushing Canada’s oil been a “very strong most powerful political staffer in Ottawa. ter’s office and then the PMO, she was strategic planning through Parliament, it’s clear this is it’s important sands as “ethical” oil, the Keystone advocate for energy described to The Hill Times as bright, Wherever you see Mr. Kenney, Mr. still very much a priority. foreign policy not to forget XL and Northern Gateway pipelines, supply to the US—that’s Paul Grod hardworking, and meticulous. , Nejatian is usually only a few steps been helpful,” noted Alykhan Velshi, that this Manitoba social conser- and fighting against the EU fuel qual- national president of the behind. He could be mistaken for a Gen. Walter Natynczyk, chief vative’s responsibility extends to ity directive. Canada’s oil sands make one federal government director of planning in the communications or policy aide, but his Kristen Shane John Baird, foreign minister source. Having worked Ray Novak Described by observers as “a frig- national security, counter-terrorism, international news and Mr. Oliver is Ukrainian Canadian Congress , prime minister’s job is strategic planning. Either way, of defence staff as a senior policy A lawyer and head of an energy prime minister’s office Out of Libya, and with a fight- gin’ machine” and “the most active border protection, and cyber security. their chief defender. Although his job is mostly domesti- principal secretary it’s clear Mr. Kenney listens to him adviser to Progressive company, Mr. Grod since 2007 has led ing force no longer on the ground in hether they sit in the House foreign minister we’ve ever had” He’s been active in the government’s cally focused now, Mr. Velshi, a former You wouldn’t think Mr. Novak has and likes having him around because Conservative Joe Clark the UCC, which represents many in the Afghanistan, the Canadian Forces are Wof Commons, the corner office, for the number of foreign visits he’s efforts to fight human smuggling and top staffer to Mr. Kenney, still has a big a key international role, but he does. a year ago he had resigned from his Gerry Ritz when he was secre- 1.2 million-strong Ukrainian-Canadian taking a breather, but preparing for or the Langevin Block, they make undertaken since taking office last cross-border crime, including work on , agriculture minister personal interest in foreign affairs. And As the prime minister’s longest-serv- former job as director of multicultural Mr. Ritz straddles both domestic tary of state for exter- community concentrated in the prai- the next big engagement. With govern- Canada’s foreign policy, or influence spring, Mr. Baird is, by most accounts, the perimeter security deal. being at the table alongside the prime ing inner-circle staffer (he started affairs and was grilled by the opposi- and foreign aspects of agriculture. His nal affairs, she knows her way around ries. The prime minister last fall attend- ment-wide budget cuts coming, Gen. those who do. off to a good start. Seen to be close minister on a day-to-day basis, he can as his executive assistant in 2001), tion-dominated House ethics commit- job includes boosting agricultural trade, Ottawa and Washington. A bilingual law- ed a UCC dinner in his honour, and his Natynczyk will have a say in how they Through frank conversations with to the prime minister, he’s spent time chime in on those files, said a govern- this 30-something is trusted. The PM tee for using government resources for Peter MacKay, re-opening markets to Canadian beef, yer, her international experience makes caucus members are eager to attend go down and how they affect the future government insiders and policy ana- at home reaching out to long-over- ment insider. Mr. Velshi was for a few is said to employ him on key files, partisan fundraising. But after the elec- and cutting down non-tariff barriers to her “unique among premiers” said a for- UCC events to show support for the capability of the Canadian Forces. lysts, Embassy chose this list of 80 pow- looked diplomatic communities such defence minister months last year the head of Ethical China being the biggest one. During tion, Mr. Kenney rehired Mr. Nejatian A senior minister with a strong trade. But lately he’s been busy defend- mer foreign affairs analyst. She has given large and well-established Ukrainian- erbrokers of Canadian foreign policy. as the Association of Southeast Asian Oil, a group lobbying for the use of oil the Canadian G8 and G20 summits as his communications director. He’s a political pedigree, Mr. MacKay is ing Canada’s continued supply man- legal reform advice in Africa, and helped Canadian community. It was tough to narrow down. Nations. Mr. Baird is at the forefront sands resources, whose message has he sat in on Mr. Harper’s bilateral blunt, fast-talking, Iranian-bred former Morris Rosenberg, deputy tasked with upholding the Tories’ agement as Canada seeks to enter the administer Afghanistan’s first parliamen- Choices were made based on access of trying to re-engineer a values-based been repeated by Cabinet ministers.