TONY BURMAN
Eight burning foreign affairs issues that Canada’s next PM must fix,
UN, refugees, Obama, Mexico need Canada’s attention
Public opinion polls suggest that nearly 70 per cent of Canadians hope that Monday’s federal election will get rid of Stephen Harper as this country’s prime minister.
If they get their wish — and this is a democracy, isn’t it? — here are excerpts from eight phone calls that Canada’s new prime minister should make within his first 48 hours in office: 1. To Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees: “The plight of Syrian refugees is the most horrific humanitarian crisis of our generation. Canada will do much more to help. We will accept more than 100,000 refugees as soon as possible and will send our most senior officials to make this happen quickly. We will also work aggressively with others to seek a resolution of the conflict.” 2. To Ban Ki-moon, UN secretary general: “The United Nations is in crisis, and so is the world. There are many reasons for this, but the most important one is that too many member states have forgotten the promise of the UN when it was founded. In recent years, Canada has been one of those countries, but that approach — as of now — has ended. In every sense, Canada now seeks to be an engaged, constructive member of the global community.” 3. To Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister: “Canadians truly love Israel, but Canada, as a country, has no view about which government Israelis may choose. Canada will return to its role as an honest broker between the parties — not as a partisan backer of only one side. We understand the tortuous history of the Jewish people that led to the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. But we have also supported creation of a separate Palestinian state. Their history, too, has been tortuous. Once again, creating two peaceful and secure states, living side-by-side, will be a priority for the Canadian government.” 4. To Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian president: “Canadians have long empathized with the Palestinian people. Your region is a story of two peoples, not simply one, and Canada has long supported the creation of two states, not simply one. But in recent years, Canada’s government has been aggressively pro-Israel. That will change, but this should not be misunderstood. We will still support the security of Israel but will be honest with its government about the crucial challenges ahead. And you will get the same honesty — and support — from Canada.” 5. To Barack Obama, U.S. president: “Canada and the U.S. need to deal with each other with greater honesty and realism. Canada will no longer pretend it is a ‘warrior nation.’ Instead, we will work more closely with the U.S. on priority issues such as climate change, peacekeeping and conflict-resolution. We applaud your recent landmark nuclear agreement with Iran. Canada will soon resume diplomatic relations with Iran and work toward making that agreement a stepping-stone to wider peace in the world.” 6. To Xi Jinping, China’s president: “Canada’s new government views its relationship with China with urgency and resolve. Within a week, we will send a senior team to Beijing to strengthen our relations. We want to work with China as a deeply respectful partner. We feel that Canada — as one of the world’s most important ‘middle powers’ — can help China navigate the many potential challenges that lie ahead.” 7. To Enrique Pena Nieto, Mexico’s president: “Canada is a proud part of the Americas, and our new government intends to resume our historic place in the hemisphere. An immediate move will be to remove visa requirements for Mexicans imposed by the Harper government in 2009. And Canada will work with Mexico to create a new partnership between Canada and Latin America.” 8. To Zunera Ishaq, mother of four, Mississauga, Ont.: “As Canada’s new prime minister, I welcome you as a new Canadian citizen. Your wish, as a devout Muslim woman, to cover your face during your public citizenship ceremony was entirely your right. I regret the way this issue was distorted for political purposes. You will understand why women wearing a niqab make many of us in Canada uncomfortable. But that is not your issue. In the weeks ahead, I will seek your help with a major initiative in making Canadian Muslims, particularly Muslim women, feel more cherished as part of our Canadian family.”