Our Foreign Minister tells the world--“I am a Door Opener”
Is this what Canadian foreign policy has become?
What was billed as a major foreign policy speech by the Foreign Minister, Melanie Joly, two years into her surprise cabinet appointment, proved mostly empty of substance and devoid of anything new. Lots of generalities and bromides, though, and a hint of uncorked idealism from an old bottle.
You can follow the speech on CPAC, here:
https://www.cpac.ca/episode?id=8472a620-48b6-4a3f-80ef-0e2b694a1028
Delivered before an audience of the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto on October 30, the Minister began, necessarily, by reviewing Canada’s position on the war in the Middle East. Nothing new here. She described the horror of Hamas’ terrorist attack; affirmed Israel’s right of self-defence; emphasised the need to obey international law during the armed conflict; and stressed the importance of establishing a humanitarian pause or “truce” to allow much-needed aid into the Gaza strip. There was a little more punchiness in a reference to settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, which she said must stop. There was no reference to a future plan for the region beyond embrace of a two-state solution.
Then she shifted gears, in and out of French, to the broader international threat environment. To set the scene she reached for a Madeleine Albright (former US Secretary of State) quote about international relations being more like a game of pool than of chess. Thanks, tips. Nothing from the storehouse of Canadian wisdom and experience on foreign affairs?
Joly talked about two guiding principles for Canadian foreign policy:
Defence of Canadian sovereignty
The conduct of pragmatic diplomacy
On the sovereignty theme, she promised that the long-delayed defence policy update will come out and prove Canada’s commitment to bolstering its military capacity. Over to you Minister Blair.
Joly briefly reviewed the geographic compass point in an upbeat fashion. The moderator afterwards called this an “optimistic outlook.” To put it mildly.
Looking to the south she said Canada would work with the US on border security and immigration. (That’s it?)
To East, across the Atlantic, Joly claimed Canada as a reliable NATO partner and strong supporter of Ukraine. Nothing about what the future might hold; nothing about support for a Ukraine peace plan; nothing about Putin’s Russia.
To the West, Joly affirmed the Indo-Pacific strategy, with a bit of a twist, suggesting the emphasis should be on closer ties with two key Asian states, Japan and South Korea. The current friction between Canada and India, and reduced hopes of an Indian connection as a counter-weight to China, was described as a “moment in time.” The clock might stretch on that one, Salvador Dali fashion. On relations with China—zero, baby.
Where Joly went further was in regard to the Northern compass point. She promised that Canada would safeguard the Arctic and exercise sovereignty, without saying anything about how. She said Canada will make the necessary investments to ensure economic development in the North, again nothing on how. Easy talking points. She promised that Canada will work with the Nordics and the US on Arctic issues. No mention of the future of the Arctic Council or what to do about Russia as a key Arctic power.
Joly then turned to democratic protections and promised strong defences against foreign interference, surprisingly without mentioning her own department’s leading role in countering disinformation.
She did say a ‘Foreign interference Transparency Registry ‘was coming, misnaming it a “Foreign actor” registry. But this is in the purview of the Minister of Public Safety, Dominic Leblanc. So a promise she can’t deliver on.
Joly committed to sending foreign diplomats who engaged in foreign interference packing. OK, let’s see some action on that front with regard to the Russians, and a little quicker and more decisive action when news surfaces of Chinese diplomats’ meddling.
But the best of a badly under-cooked speech was left for last.
Joly tackled the theme of Canada’s approach to pragmatic diplomacy. Actually, she turned the concept on its head and talked about an idealistic policy in which Canada would perform as an independent honest broker in global affairs, avoiding any tendency to see the world as divided into two camps (heaven forbid not democracies versus autocracies, nor like-minded economies versus unfriendlies). For guidance she turned to the work of Pierre Elliot Trudeau, suggesting that his legacy was to keep allies close but to ensure Canada stayed open to different global perspectives. That might sound good as a distant lesson from the Cold War (if true—I leave that to Trudeau pere scholars), but it is far from a pragmatic response to the current divides in international relations and far from an embrace of the reality that the international system has reached, as she said (quoting from her boss, quoting from Joe Biden), an “inflection point” in terms of the threats facing it.
Perhaps the most quotable quote from the speech was Joly’s insistence that “I am a door opener, not a door closer.” Wow, is that what Canada has become? A flunkey in the service of an outmoded idea about Canada’s role in the world?
"I am a door opener." and "Is this what Canadian foreign policy has become?"
Yes, that is what our foreign policy has become. After all, Mme. Joly has previously asserted that one of Canada's strengths is "convening." So whatever could be wrong with being a "door opener?"
Please excuse my sarcasm.
A note on Joly's (and the government's) cry for a "pause" or a "cease fire."
Hamas and Israel have never been at peace but they have (kinda) been at cease fire (ignoring - and it is a real BIG thing to ignore - the continual Hamas bombings, missile attacks, etc. for years). Then, on October 7 Hamas broke that cease fire. Massively; barbarically. So, Canada, Mme. Joly, I ask you, "If Israel accepts a true cease fire, would Hamas similarly accept a cease fire?" History is your answer, no? And there you have a reason that Joly's, Canada's plea will remain unanswered. Stupid people.
Mr. Wark, you discussed Mme. Joly's speech and you very kindly were neither snarky nor critical (although both were deserved for the - lack of - content of her speech).
Defence of Canadian sovereignty? Hmmmm .... with what for military, I ask? We will see (and, very likely be disappointed) if there is a defence policy update or, if it arrives, a) will it be substantive; and b) will the stated objectives be consistent with the incredibly shrinking budget of DND?
Work with the US on border security and immigration. Well, your query of "That's it?" was neither snarky nor critical, just asking if there was anymore. Indeed, that is all there was and that is so, so, so telling, isn't it?
Ah, Canada as a reliable NATO partner. No one knew that Mme. Joly was a standup comedian, did they? Not only does she do standup but she also has such a thin repertoire that no one will know when she starts or when she finishes; they keep waiting for something, more, you know, just something more.
Ah, a moment in time. And the government of Canada is entirely sanguine about the current plebiscite in Canada about "Khalistan." Just as is the government of India. Stupid Ottawa inhabitants.
China? Well, they are admired by our fearless / feckless leader so what further is there to say?
Above I said that you were neither snarky nor critical. I withdraw that observation as, just by reciting her comments you display for the world (well, she did that already, you are simply reporting) the incompetence of she and the government of which she is a part.