A rchive Date
[ 25-11-2021 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ Canada ]
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[https://nationalpost.com/opinion/rupa-subramanya-trudeau-has-turned-canada-into-an-insular-country-with-little-power-to-affect-foreign-affairs
Trudeau has turned Canada into an insular country with little power to affect foreign affairs
The prime minister has the charisma and name recognition to turn Canada into a big player on the world stage, but has failed to do so
Author: Rupa Subramanya
Publishing date: Oct 09, 2021 • October 12, 2021
OTTAWA - If the recent election proved anything, it’s that Canadians’ self-image as being cosmopolitan is just that - a self-image unrooted in reality.
With the notable exception of a fierce exchange on China in the French-language leaders debate, foreign policy and Canada’s place in the world were entirely absent from the election campaign. Canadians often snigger at the insularity of our neighbours south of the border, yet the paradox is that in a world that is more globalized than ever, Canadians seem to be increasingly insular in their attitudes and interests.
The irony is that given the popularity of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau internationally, Canada is talked about more around the world than it has been in a long time. Just as the world couldn’t get enough of Pierre Trudeau, they can’t seem to get enough of his charismatic and telegenic offspring.
In my years away from Canada on work assignments overseas, Canada was hardly ever in the news until Trudeau came to power. The paradox is that Canada is probably less consequential in the world than it has been at any time in recent decades.
For a country that was integral to the Allied efforts in two world wars, Canada’s standing has dropped so far that the government and everyone else was caught off guard when the United States struck a landmark submarine deal with the United Kingdom and Australia that has vast geopolitical implications.
It’s clear that a fundamental shift in the context of international relations has taken shape in the last few years, with China under its assertive leader Xi Jinping aggressively challenging U.S. hegemony at every turn. Likewise, to the surprise of those who might have seen U.S. President Joe Biden as a China dove, he’s basically continuing all the policies of former president Donald Trump, albeit couched in more multilateral rhetoric.
This geopolitical shift leaves Canada vulnerable and exposed. We don’t have the heft, either economic or militarily, to go it alone and are going to have to rely on a network of allies to pursue our foreign policy objectives, whether they involve the international rule of law, climate change or anything else under the sun.
The newly re-elected Trudeau government is going to have to find its foreign policy feet very quickly. The early signs aren’t terribly promising. Since squeaking back to power, the prime minister has made no serious remarks on Canada’s foreign policy, except in relation to the two Michaels, and has articulated no vision on how Canada will engage with its allies in Europe and Asia going forward, while maintaining our traditional friendship with the United States at a high level.
Part of the problem is simply a lack of resources, expertise and imagination. Privately, some Canadian foreign policy officials have decried this lack of direction coming from the top. Canada’s missions abroad seem to focus primarily on facilitating business visits and visas, with little if any footprint beyond these narrow areas.
Contributing to the problem is the absence of a larger and enabling ecosystem of universities, research centres and think tanks devoted to thinking about Canada’s place in the world.
It’s not that a vast amount of resources are required. Ottawa, for example, boasts scholars with considerable expertise on a range of different countries and regions, yet as far as I’m aware, very little of that knowledge pool is tapped into by government officials. Here in Ottawa, one would be hard pressed to realize this is the capital of a G7 country. It’s strikingly provincial and inward looking.
Some might say that a middle power like Canada can only do so much in the international arena, yet this neglects our own history as a serious international player and the fact that today, medium powers such as Sweden, Norway and Australia punch way above their weight.
Interestingly, none of these countries have leaders with the charisma, or even the name recognition, of Justin Trudeau, yet he has failed to capitalize on his own personal popularity to make Canada count on the global stage.
National Post
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