Tim Powers: Trudeau right to avoid Rock 'em Sock 'em approach to foreign diplomacy cdnpoli powerstim (subs)
OTTAWA—Let me start with my statements of fact. No doubt they will be startling to you. I am neither an expert in international affairs, nor do I possess state-of-the-art body language analysis skills.
But I do have one tool kit honed on George Street in my hometown of St. John’s, N.L.: I have advanced experience as night club bouncer. Notably, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also earned his stripes as a doorman.Enjoy unlimited website access and the digital newspaper.
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Justin Trudeau slammed for response after allegations of Chinese interference in 2019 electionThe federal government came under attack by opposition MPs in the House of Commons after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denied over the weekend he had been briefed about allegations of interference by China in Canada’s 2019 federal election campaign.
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George Thorogood and the Destroyers coming to Prince GeorgeThey will take the stage at the CN Centre on Sunday April 30
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Trudeau's international travel seems to be beset with problemsOTTAWA—Foreign travel is usually an opportunity for political leaders to escape the daily partisan political attacks that dog them. On the international scene, hobnobbing with other leaders to entertain issues of global importance usually lifts a leader’s spirits and poll numbers. A lengthy international tour can also be the sign of a long goodbye. If a leader knows they won’t be running again, the automatic post-travel criticism of budget items and hotel room costs doesn’t really matter. In the case of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, he has already told his caucus that he has no intention of leaving. So recent international travel should have been an opportunity to improve his domestic standing in the polls. Instead, it seems the more he travels, the more negative media is generated. Just examine the latest political kerfuffle involving a staged, public prime ministerial rebuke by Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Canadian diplomats and foreign policy experts were quick to parse the dressing-down in the margins of the G-20 Bali meeting. They saw it as a sign of China’s disregard for Canada’s role on the world scene. It was testing ground for the Chinese leader. He has already managed to assume complete control in his own country. There is no doubt he possesses a certain authoritarian streak. Will that streak be extended to Chinese international relations? A hit on Canada is a quick place to start. Former Canadian diplomat Charles Burton told the CBC that the Chinese leader would never have spoken to American president Joe Biden in that way. He characterized the Chinese comments as “dismissive and threatening.” Burton may think that the Chinese president would never treat Biden like that. But look at the recent public embarrassment reserved for his immediate predecessor former Chinese president Hu Jintao at the closing ceremony of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China last month. Chinese news reports said the former president was helped from his sea
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Trudeau might actually be having a successful tour abroad, for oncePrime Minister Justin Trudeau has a bad habit of sticking his foot in his mouth when travelling abroad. There was the infamous India trip, the thought of which likely still makes many PMO staffers cringe. More recently, Trudeau took heat for belting out Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody in a hotel lobby while visiting London for the Queen’s funeral. There are almost always domestic media reports about the cost of every trip he makes, which, in a time of economic duress, hit a little harder. (What he spends on a few nights in some hotel rooms amounts to more than some people’s rent.) Most people understand that international travel is a necessary part of the government’s job, but from a political perspective, it is difficult to get it to play well in the domestic arena. Plus, it’s much easier for the opposition to score on an empty net. However, Trudeau’s confrontation with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bali last week offered up, on a platter, a chance for Trudeau to score some domestic points. When Xi tried to tell Trudeau off for the topics of their prior meeting having been “leaked” to the press, Trudeau cut him off, stepped towards him, and rebutted: “We believe in free and open and frank dialogue, and that is what we will continue to have. We will continue to look to work constructively together, but there will be things we will disagree on, and we will have to…” It was Xi’s turn to interrupt, and he said, curtly via translator, “Let’s create the conditions first.” The two leaders shook hands before Trudeau abruptly walked away. The moment probably won’t make a huge difference in terms of swaying any voters. But in an international arena that is apparently full of potential blunders for the prime minister, this can be considered a rare win. He appeared to stand up for Canadian values (“we believe”) against a state known for its propaganda, its control of information, and as we now know, its interference in Canadian elections. Trudeau is always better when captured in
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John Ivison: CSIS director's elastic interpretation of Emergencies Act puts Trudeau on firmer groundCSIS director seems to have accepted a rather elastic interpretation of the legislation. It remains to be seen whether the inquiry agrees.
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