My weekend observations on Canadian politics

The Canadian news media lamented that foreign or international affairs did not surface as election campaign issues during the 2006 General Elections. So, it is all the more illustrative of the new government of Prime Minister Harper when foreign issues are raised. The Prime Minister is saying all the right things. In his first press conference late January, he wished Chinese Canadians a happy Chinese new year and recognized grievances brought by Chinese Canadians against decades-old Government of Canada policies and apologized. In addition, he emphasized in the press conference Canada's sovereignty in the Arctic islands by saying Canadians would defend Canadian borders and waters and would not need American help. Since then, Prime Minister Harper hinted he wanted to visit Afghanistan where the most Canadian troops were currently stationed overseas as part of Canada's participation in NATO efforts to stabilize the south Asian country. The prime minister also spoke to Canadian election monitors in Haiti and congratulated the winning candidate in the Haitian presidential election; Canada has a substantial number of Haitian-Canadians and Haitian nationals. Finally, Prime Minister Harper appointed David Emerson as Canada's international trade minister and Michael Wilson as Canada's ambassador to the United States. In both appointments, the prime minister reiterated the importance of bringing a resolution to the Canada-US dispute on Canadian exports in lumber and processed wood. The contrast between Prime Minister Harper and the last government is that this new prime minister talked very little in public and so was able to project his priorities when he did speak or act whereas the last prime minister was characterized by the British weekly newspaper The Economist as "Mr. Dithers."