John Baird and Vic Toews represent what seems to be the New Canada. Is it in Canada's best interests when senior ministers make statements based on fear over facts? Even more alarming is admissions that they do not know what the facts are surrounding their ministerial responsibilities. It is even more alarming if they are misleading Canadians about the facts. Former President George Bush and George Bush junior both took the US on an invasion mission into Iraq based on the unproven claim of "weapons of mass destruction." The cost of this mission in lives and money now questions that decision.
Then there was Canada's 10-year stint in Afghanistan now essentially taken over by the US. According to regular news reports coming out of Afghanistan. We have to question what we gained and at what cost.
Back to Baird and Toews. It seems Baird is using fear over facts abroad and Toews is using fear over facts at home. We are a big country with an economy based on our natural resources that we must market on the world stage. As we have found with pipelines for oil as in the Keystone Pipeline and now a proposed pipeline to the west coast, there is conflict both at home and abroad. Ottawa we have a problem!
Balancing our conflicts and our trade with countries around the world is no small feat. I am not saying it is easy, but some reason and facts need to be the basis for the governments approach. The Baird/Toews approach is fraught with danger, but it may well be the face of The New Canada. Read more...
