Canadian Foreign Policy & Affairs II

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

When you look at all the G7 countries and NATO partners that field expeditionary capabilities like flat tops, the common theme is that they gave territories that require them to field an expeditionary force and have diplomats and intelligence agencies that are capable of creating space for their national interests around those territories. Canada, kind of pretends we have a similarly relevant sphere in the Arctic. But our allocation of resources towards that view shows that we aren't anywhere as serious as we claim.

And it's not the military, where is our investment in a cast guard for the Arctic? Or serious diplomatic efforts at the Arctic Council? Where is our effort to build infrastructure to really connect Arctic communities to reinforce our presence?

Also, forget discussing climate change and Arctic security. Both parties delink them. One doesn't think climate change should drive major security investments. The other doesn't think climate change should inform national security policy. How do you succeed at policy when you can't be honest about the threat and won't match the resources and tasks to the threat?

This is a good observation but the Arctic is clearly not as important to our prosperity or identity as the territories others that have invested in. Clearly we are not willing to spend the money to really knit the Arctic into the rest of Canada nor the nuclear subs or other methods to truly monitor what others are doing up there.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

This is a good observation but the Arctic is clearly not as important to our prosperity or identity as the territories others that have invested in. Clearly we are not willing to spend the money to really knit the Arctic into the rest of Canada nor the nuclear subs or other methods to truly monitor what others are doing up there.

The fairly far north, strong and free. Doesn't really grab me.

[kwoldtimer]

Former journalist Joyce Napier as been named Canada's Ambassador to the Holy See. Not sure why, but's a very nice gig and at least she speaks Italian.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Rex Murphy has passed away.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

Rex Murphy has passed away.

Sad to hear. Icon.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Former journalist Joyce Napier as been named Canada's Ambassador to the Holy See. Not sure why, but's a very nice gig and at least she speaks Italian.

Odd time for political appointees. If the Tories win next year they will recall them all right away.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Odd time for political appointees. If the Tories win next year they will recall them all right away.

Is that a thing in Canada? Wouldn't they normally finish their term? I suppose all previous precedents are off the table with PP but Trudeau didn't kick Cannon out of Paris for example. A clear partisan political appointee. I don't know if she is a Liberal but she was a journalist so must have at least pretended to be non partisan.

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Odd time for political appointees. If the Tories win next year they will recall them all right away.

Next year?

Oh god, I was under the impression the election was this year.

That's depressing, still a year and a half of Trudeau?

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Next year?

Oh god, I was under the impression the election was this year.

That's depressing, still a year and a half of Trudeau?

Maybe Trudeau could do like Danielle Smith and just tack on another 6 mths to his term due to the effects of Climate Change (but without actually acknowledging Climate Change).

https://calgary.citynews.ca/2024/05/...ency-response/

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

Is that a thing in Canada? Wouldn't they normally finish their term? I suppose all previous precedents are off the table with PP but Trudeau didn't kick Cannon out of Paris for example. A clear partisan political appointee. I don't know if she is a Liberal but she was a journalist so must have at least pretended to be non partisan.

Cannon was identified as the exception in the shuffle.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/libe...ffle-1.2992711

[casper]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Next year?

Oh god, I was under the impression the election was this year.

That's depressing, still a year and a half of Trudeau?

It is going to be a critical year. The economy is fragile. We need an experienced team in Ottawa.

In a year and half I guess we can do the conservative slash and burn cycle.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Odd time for political appointees. If the Tories win next year they will recall them all right away.

I too found the timing a bit surprising, although the Holy See is a pretty low profile appointment (Joyce Napier is a fairly big name though). In the past, successor governments have not rushed to replace political appointee heads of mission, I don't think. Although as OinC appointees, they serve at pleasure and can, in theory, be replaced at any time.

[whatnext]

It will be very interesting to hear what state actor was behind this:

State actor blamed for cyberattack on B.C. government systems
'Sophisticated' attack was announced Wednesday; 3 attempts made to breach government systems
Akshay Kulkarni · CBC News · Posted: May 10, 2024

The head of B.C.'s public service has announced that there is a high degree of confidence a state or state-sponsored actor attempted to breach government systems in a cyberattack.

Shannon Salter, head of the public service, announced that three separate attempts were made to breach government systems over the last month.

Salter said that investigations remain ongoing, and did not share which state could have been involved in the cyberattack or which systems they attempted to access.

Premier David Eby announced the cyberattack on Wednesday, saying the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS) and other agencies involved in the investigation.

Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth told reporters Friday there is no evidence that sensitive information, such as health data, has been compromised in the attack.

Farnworth added there was no evidence the cyberattack succeeded in accessing the information and there had been no ransom demand....

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...ctor-1.7200735

[RHINO]

Being we have an NDP government Im sure they will go with Russia. They wont dare say China even though it makes far more sense.

[casper]

Youtube (that use to be out of Vancouver), spent some time as a guest on a costal patrol ship as a guest. This is one of his videos, where the ship picks up a Canadian Rangers group in Prince Rupert and delivers the team to a remote community as part of an exercise to simulate a natural disaster.

This leads to an interesting question. Would it make sense to dramatically expand the Rangers into Urban Canada and have them take over the natural disaster response role that the regular forces keep getting pulled into. Similar to the nation guard in the US.

• Video Link

The video above was part 2. Part one is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMMKCUQX8Ws

[VANRIDERFAN]

Surprise surprise, the LPC Government will not let head of Foreign Interference Inquiry look at cabinet documents.

(behind Paywall)
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/poli...=true#comments

This has more to do with embarrassing the current government vs actually addressing foreign interference in Canada.

[Dartguard]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

Surprise surprise, the LPC Government will not let head of Foreign Interference Inquiry look at cabinet documents.

(behind Paywall)
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/poli...=true#comments

This has more to do with embarrassing the current government vs actually addressing foreign interference in Canada.

Those transcripts would truly notify Canadians as to how out of touch and "no they wouldn't dare do that here,we are Canadians".