Minister defends bold approach to foreign affairs
In an interview with the Globe and Mail, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said that the economy, and particularly diversifying trade away from the U.S., was a top foreign policy priority for the Harper government. He also defended the Conservative majority’s bold approach to international affairs, bent on asserting Canadian interests and values, even if that means occasionally upsetting other countries. The minister seemed to hint that Canada can easily get away with stepping on a few toes, when he shrugged off mentions of public outrage at Canada’s withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol, noting that few foreign governments raised the issue of climate change with him.