Posts Tagged 'John Baird'

Ding Dong, the Witch is Dead!

Ding Dong, the Witch is Dead!

Ding dong, the merry-oh!

Too mean-spirited? Ask Zunera Ishaq, the former English literature teacher and mother of four whose name (but not her face) was dragged through the courts and the media in the Harper government’s mean-spirited attempt to score anti-Muslim points as it limped into the home stretch earlier this month.

Ask Canada’s Aboriginal people, struggling with the issue of murdered and missing women, poor housing and water, bad health care and inadequate education.

Ask demoralized civil servants and Canadian diplomats who ...

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Gay Rights in Africa: Regroup, Recommit, Act, Learn

Gay Rights in Africa: Regroup, Recommit, Act, Learn

March 10, 2014

Well, that didn’t work.

With the recent signing of harsh anti-gay laws by the otherwise pro-Western presidents of Uganda and Nigeria, it’s time for the West to reassess how it can help advance LGBT rights in Africa.

And then take bold action.

Why Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni or Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan calculated they had to support the further criminalization of homosexuals is a good question.

Perhaps they needed to lock in the votes and money of conservative political and ...

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The Harper Government’s Foreign Policy Record

October 22, 2013

There has been a lot of noise about a new realism in Canadian foreign policy—principled, not going along just to get along—and it seems a great deal of rushing around the globe by the energetic Minister of Foreign Affairs, John Baird. But what do we have to show for all of this? There has been a flurry of comment in the last few weeks about Mr Harper not addressing the United Nations General Assembly fall session, unlike many ...

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Ready, Fire, Aim: Baird Bites Bullet

August 27, 2012

“Uh oh, we goofed,” is an admission you are very unlikely to hear from the Harper government, especially when it comes to its behaviour internationally. Recent events in the Harper Government’s approach to Syria are no exception. The conclusion from the now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t support for Canadian Relief for Syria is that Foreign Minister John Baird, International Cooperation Minister Julian Fantino, and the Prime Minister himself, aren’t very interested in effective humanitarian aid, respect for international agreements and conventions, ...

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Canada: What Happened? John Baird Excoriates the United Nations

July 10, 2012

Not long after Stephen Harper snubbed the UN and instead went to New York to collect a “Statesman of the Year” award from the Appeal of Conscience Foundation—handed over tellingly by Henry Kissinger—John Baird mounted the podium at the UN General Assembly. Finally getting a slot late in the queue amidst other second stringers like Oman, Djibouti, The Holy See and Palau, he told the nations of the world that in their collectivity, they are simply no good.

His ...

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On Libya, Environmental Protection and Canadian Prisons Twelve O’Clock High

August 2, 2011

So, another Canadian foreign minister has visited China, presumably to sell more Canadian raw materials – as if that were a problem. The media seems satisfied that John Baird mentioned human rights – though what he said is left to conjecture. And who might care is another matter entirely. There was also the ritual nod to Canadian values, whatever those might be these days.

In a hawkish July 5 Maclean’s interview, Stephen Harper did talk a bit about Canadian ...

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