No proof Harper's trade lobbying helps: Paul Dewar.
OTTAWA, November 20, 21012, (SGNews) — A leak to the CBC today detailed a new Canadian foreign policy agenda from Harper's Conservatives, in which pursuing corporate trade deals trumps human rights and democratic concerns — despite lack of any evidence this approach actually boosts Canadian jobs.
NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair described the proposed policy as a "clear reflection of Conservative priorities. In the past Canada made democracy a priority, we made peace a priority, we made human rights a priority. Now we are making commercial deals a priority, even when people are suffering in some of the countries we're working with.
“If you are going to have robust trade you need to have robust diplomacy,” Dewar said.
"We [the NDP] think that's an abandonment of Canadian principles and values. We would like to see Canada be getting back to being a respected even handed player on the word stage."
NDP foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar said Harper's plan makes other countries question what exactly Canada brings to the table. "If you are going to have robust trade you need to have robust diplomacy," Dewar said. "There seems to be mixed message coming out of the government right now. We're going to just do trade deals Forget about human rights. Forget about peace building, about Africa. The rest of the world has noticed that."
Tom Mulcair and Paul Dewar on foreign policy based on trade without human rights considerations
Dewar suggests Harper's plan doesn't work — as exemplified in his inability to sign deals with the emerging markets of Brazil, China, India. "Diplomacy matters, it seems to be failure of leadership, vision and at the end of the day it is a failure of comprehension."
© Copyright 2012 SGNews Staff, All rights Reserved. Written For: StraightGoods.ca
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