Baird defends Canadian foreign policy
‘Ridiculous’ to say focus is only on jobs, minister says about economic diplomacy
OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is rejecting suggestions the federal government, in directing Canadian diplomats last month to be constantly on the prowl for commercial opportunities, is selling out for the almighty dollar.
And he accuses those who suggest otherwise of “extremist fear mongering.”
“I think critics of the government somehow think we’re going to be closing down our human rights division, we’re going to be closing down our nuclear disarmament division, and it’s all going to be about jobs,” Baird told Postmedia News in a year-end interview last week. “That’s ridiculous.”
Billed as a historic shift in this country’s approach to the world, the government’s move to entrench “economic diplomacy” as the driving force in Canada’s approach to the world has received both applause and criticism.
Business groups say the move is long overdue, particularly as many other countries such as the United States, Britain and France have already ordered their own diplomats to adopt such a commercial mindset.
Former diplomats and human rights groups have been among those worried the directive could undermine Canada’s defence of human rights and other principles, as Canadian diplomats essentially become mercenaries to the country’s private sector.
Those concerns appeared to receive a boost last week when the Canadian Press reported that Canadian arms exports to Bahrain, Algeria, Egypt and other countries recently gripped by political upheaval and human rights concerns had increased over the past year.
This is on top of Canadian armoured vehicles having been exported to Colombia and Saudi Arabia in recent years, all of which aligns with the government’s desire to help make Canada a global arms exporter.
But Baird dismissed the CP report, as well as concerns raised by some experts that Canada is fuelling political upheaval, human rights violations and instability in developing countries with its weapons.
“I checked and the arms exports to Bahrain last year were $247,000. The year before (in 2011) was $0,” he said, adding: “I’m not sure there’s a lot of Canadians that are concerned about it.”
In defending the push on economic diplomacy, Baird pointed out that sanctions against Iran and Syria, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s decision to skip a Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka, did not do Canadian businesses in those countries any favours.
“We need to push Canadian values and Canadian interests,” he said.
“But nuclear non-proliferation, that’s in Canada’s interests. Combating terrorism. That’s in Canada’s interests.”