Canadas Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy Apparatus the

Canada’s Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy Apparatus

“the world needs more Canada. ” – Bono, Liberal Party Convention 2003

hmmmm… n n n Could Bono possibly be wrong? What is Canada’s role in the world? By 2005, Bono was ‘crushed’ that Paul Martin was not fulfilling his promises on increased foreign aid.

An independent foreign policy? n n Canada has struggled to develop and maintain a degree of independence (first of Britain and then of the US) in its foreign policy. Since the 1940 s, Canada has generally followed the American lead, but as we’ve previously discussed, there have been a few notable exceptions.

Key Terms n n n Middle Power: a moderately powerful nation, like Canada or Australia, that can act as a negotiator between more powerful nations and have some influence internationally Foreign Policy: Foreign policy is a plan of action developed by governments in order to deal with questions concerning international issues and relations Multilateral Approach: An approach pertaining to an agreement, treaty, or organization in which three or more parties participate (Canada takes this approach to establishing its international influence)

Middle power? n n During the Cold War, as the US emerged as one of two global superpowers, Canada developed the self-image of itself as a ‘middle power. ’ Obviously not a superpower, Canada thought of itself an influential international player particularly within multilateral institutions, like the UN.

Is Canada ‘a satellite of the US’ or a ‘principal power’ n n The dependency school within Canadian political economy suggests Canada is ‘a satellite of the US. ’ The notion of Canada as a ‘principal power’ suggests that Canada acts in its own interests in shaping its foreign policy.

Canada: ‘an imperialist power’ n n In one interpretation of Canada as a ‘principal power’, Canada is considered an imperialist power that acts in a negative and exploitive relationship with the developing world. Klassen (2006) argues that Canadian Foreign Policy “gives qualified support to theory of Canadian imperialism. ” “Canada is a secondary power among the top tier of states. ” Canada participates in the process of “collective imperialism. ”

Implementing Canada’s Foreign Policy n Canada’s foreign policy is influenced by internationally accepted codes of conduct • Through participation, Canada is able to influence and support developing countries and moderate the activities of larger and more powerful allies • Uses “soft” diplomatic measures such as trade, human rights discussions, and humanitarian aid, to “hard” diplomacy such as peacemaking (involving military action), economic sanctions, support for UN resolutions condemning the conduct of states

Official Principles of Canadian Foreign Policy n n n Internationalism Multiculturalism Mediation Compromise Peaceful change • Do they all reflect domestic principles?

What Affects Foreign Policy? n n Location Economic structure Alliance Power

Location n Location is important because it determines Canada’s: Natural Resources. More to the point, location determines what natural resources we need from the rest of the world, and what the world needs from us. Our security interests based on our proximity to other nations (friendly and/or not so friendly). A nation with few boarders will obviously have a different foreign policy than a nation that’s surrounded by many potential enemies.

n n n Location also refers to where a nation ranks amongst other nations in the world. A nation like Canada ranks somewhere in the middle and therefore does not have the foreign policy burden of the United States or China. Location can also refer to a nation’s location vis-à-vis other world powers and its relationship with that power (e. g. Canada’s low defence spending affected by its proximity to the United States

Economic Structure • The structure of a nation’s economy (i. e. if it is a diversified economy with primary, secondary and tertiary industries) will affect how it conducts its foreign policy. • For instance, the foreign policy of Canada (which has a developed diversified economy) will have a much greater scope and depth than the foreign policy of a nation whose economy is under-developed and undiversified (e. g. a nation that has a single crop economy). More to the point, a nation that is developed will be less dependent on its neighbours and thus will have more independence in the formulation of its foreign policy.

Alliances n n If you have alliances than your foreign policy will carry more weight in international affairs (e. g. Canada’s membership in NATO, la Francophonie, The Commonwealth, etc. ) You will have greater sense of security which could impact how you communicate with other nations and how they communicate with you.

Alliances n n n However, alliances also bring with them an obligation to be a “team player”. As a result, alliances can have both a positive and negative impact on a nation’s foreign policy (e. g. Canada’s NATO defence budget and obligations in Afghanistan). Alliances can restrict a nation’s freedom in the sense that they are hard to break (e. g. Canada leaving NATO, or the Commonwealth) Finally alliances determine a nation’s friends and enemies whether they consent or not. For instance, the enemy of the United States is Iran, so Iran by extension becomes Canada’s enemy and vice-versa. Alliances have a massive impact on Canada’s foreign Policy

Power n n Power is the ability of a person, group, or nation to get what it wants. In the case of governments, they can use soft power (e. g. persuasion), or hard power (e. g. military force)

Power n n Essentially, power is the ability of a state to do what it wants given the tools that it has at its disposal (e. g. economic, political, social, military, etc). When a nation such as Canada conducts its foreign policy it needs to decide how to “play its cards”; that is, when to play them and how. Should Canada impose sanctions on Korea for its nuclear weapons programme? Should Canada impose sanctions against Iran? Does Canada have the power to translate foreign policy into meaningful change around the world? When? Why? Examples

Questions n n n Should Canada impose sanctions on Korea for its nuclear weapons programme? Should Canada impose sanctions against Iran for its nuclear aspirations? Does Canada have the power to translate foreign policy into meaningful change around the world? When? Why? Examples? What is Canada’s global reputation? Is our reputation threatened? What tools are at Canada’s disposal to further its interests around the world?

Implementing Canada’s Foreign Policy n Canada’s foreign policy is influenced by internationally accepted codes of conduct and its position as a middle power • Canada is sometimes able to influence and support developing countries and moderate the activities of larger and more powerful allies • Uses “soft” diplomatic measures such as trade, human rights discussions, and humanitarian aid, to “hard” diplomacy such as peacemaking (involving military action), economic sanctions, support for UN resolutions condemning the conduct of states

Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada n n n Canada’s MOST powerful federal department (ministry) Formally created in 1909 as the Dept. of External Affairs. This was the first time that Canada began to take control of its own foreign policy agenda (took full control in 1931) Administratively separated into two departments until 2006: the Dept. of Foreign Affairs and the Dept. of International Trade

Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada DFATD is a large, complex apparatus made up of a few different organizations that have been merged progressively since 2006. There used to be: n Dept. of Foreign Affairs n Dept. of International Trade n Canadian International Development Agency n

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade merger DFAIT -- Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade is the result of a (April 1, 2006) reintegration of the departments of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, which is intended to bring greater coherence in serving Canadian foreign policy and trade interests. As such, DFAIT will participate in the activities and address the Objectives of the two departments, as follows: – – Foreign Affairs Canada represents Canada around the world through a network of embassies and trade and diplomatic offices, and by participating in multilateral institutions and international treaties and arrangements Dept. of International Trade, responsible for positioning Canada as a world business leader for the 21 st Century, and working to promote prosperity by helping large and small Canadian companies expand succeed internationally, by promoting Canada as a dynamic place to do business, and by negotiating and administering trade agreements.

Understanding The Difference n Foreign Affairs Canada • Manages Canada’s day-to-day international relations in order to promote stability, prosperity, and Canadian values in other countries • It works to achieve goals with international organizations through direct relations with other countries • It coordinates Canada’s responses to international security, including protecting Canadians and Canadian government facilities abroad, handling international terrorist acts involving Canadians through diplomacy

Understanding The Difference n n n International Trade Role is to promote the country as a business leader and to negotiate trade agreements that will help Canadian business and compete in the international marketplace Also responsible for regulating Canada’s imports and exports

International Development (Foreign Aid) n n As the name suggests, this part of the department is responsible for directing our aid money around the world, sometimes directly, and sometimes through IGOs, to those who need it. There was lots of skepticism when CIDA (the Canadian International Development Agency) was merged with DFAIT. Why?

DFATD’s leadership The Honourable John Baird (Bell Alumni – GO BRUINS!) n Minister of Foreign Affairs n John Baird was first elected to the House of Commons in 2006 and re-elected in 2008 and 2011. The Honourable Ed Fast n Minister of International Trade n The Honourable Ed Fast was first elected to the House of Commons in 2006 and re-elected in 2008 and 2011. The Honourable Christian Paradis n Minister of International Development and La Francophonie n Christian Paradis was first elected to the House of Commons in 2006 and reelected in 2008 and 2011. The Honourable Lynne Yelich n Minister of State (Foreign Affairs and Consular) n Lynne Yelich was first elected to the House of Commons in 2000 and re-elected in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2011. The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq n Minister of the Environment, Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council n Leona Aglukkaq was first elected to the House of Commons in 2008 and reelected in 2011. http: //www. international. gc. ca/ministers-ministres/index. aspx? view=d

Lastly…the Department of Defense and the Military The Dept. of National Defense is NOT part of DFATD Three major objectives n Protect Canada n Contribute to world peace and international security n Protect Canadian interests abroad

The Military and the Government n n The activities of the Canadian Forces and the Department of National Defence, like those of every other federal government organization, are carried out within a framework of legislation that is approved and overseen by Parliament. In most respects, the Department of National Defence is an organization like other departments of government.

Dept. of Defence n n n Under the law, the Canadian Forces are an entity separate and distinct from the Department itself, but are still accountable to the Minister As stated in the National Defence Act , the Department is headed by a Deputy Minister of National Defence, the Department’s senior civil servant, while the Canadian Forces are headed by the Chief of the Defence Staff, Canada’s senior serving officer. Both are responsible to the Minister, who is ultimately responsible to the Prime Minister and the public

Politics and the Military In a democracy, the military is effectively controlled by political leaders. What does this mean? n Spending controversies abound, and the military’s budget is one of the other roles that the government plays n n http: //www. guardian. co. uk/news/datablog/interactive/2012/apr/17/armsspending-map-world

Current Debate – the F 35 s n n n In July, 2010, the Canadian government committed to the purchase of a new fleet of 65 F-35 fighter jets, at a cost of $9 billion, to replace our aging fleet of CF-18 s We’ve backed off on this, but we’re still “looking into it, and other options” for our Air Force http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=ZBt-a. Q 1 v. Ob. M http: //fullcomment. nationalpost. com/2012/04/30/kellymcparland-good-news-the-americans-hate-the-f-35 -too/ http: //www. cbc. ca/news/politics/story/2012/05/14/pol-f 35 auditor-general-at-committee. html http: //www. cbc. ca/news/politics/story/2011/10/03/politics-f 35 -milewski. html n n The first “controversy” arose regarding the sole-source purchase process with Lockheed -Martin Should we go with the Americans on this or shop around a bit?

F 35 Controversy Explained n n The original cost estimate did not include maintenance, which over the lifetime of the airplanes, takes the cost to $46 billion The opposition parties have accused the Conservative government of secrecy, lying and spinning the truth A $16 -billion contract to build fighter jets would be one of the largest military projects in Canadian history, something the opposition says is noteworthy considering recent cuts to the Public Service and Federal government programs, such as those provided the Dept. of Veterans’ Affairs http: //www. theglobeandmail. com/news/politics/veterans-affairs-faces-more-than 226 -million-in-cuts/article 558982/

Informal Debate n n n Do you think the government could put money to better use? OR Do you think military spending must be increased to ensure that members of the Canadian Forces can safely fulfill their roles as peacekeepers and defenders of Canada? What might happen on the world stage to change your opinion?