Martin Announces His Support of Peace and Democracy

"It is impossible to be prime minister and not feel tremendous pride when travelling across the world and seeing the extent to which Canada is respected and envied by every country in the world," Paul Martin said at Concordia University today. "Whether it's in Haiti, Afghanistan or Darfur, Canada is there to promote peace and democracy."

As a Canadian living outside the country, I have to gag. Canada’s international reputation has been in freefall over the last few years. Canada is no longer a significant presence in the UN’s peacekeeping operations. Starving the military for funding has its effects. Canada is no longer a significant ally of the US, its traditional role as the world’s honest broker with the US taken over by the UK and Australia. Canada no longer counts. Canada is there no longer.

And respect for Canada seems very much in decline: Koreans and Irishmen have asked me why Canadians are so off the beam and bratty any more about the US. Americans, Koreans, and Irishmen have complained to me about Canadians being excessively chauvinistic and nationalistic, just as we accuse Americans of being. And the Liberal government is earning a fine international reputation for corruption, where the Canadian image used to be pure boy scout, pure Dudley Doright. Naïve, perhaps, but honest to the marrow.

As a Canadian living abroad, I can’t say what a relief the thought of a new government is. It will mean being able to be proud once again to admit I’m Canadian. I can’t say how happy I will be to have Stephen Harper as the face of Canada abroad, instead of Jean Chretien or Paul Martin.

He even looks like a Mountie.



The Globe & Mail has just endorsed the Conservatives.

Andrew Coyne theorizes that the Conservatives are winning this election largely because they have won over the media. And they have won over the media by feeding them good copy over the first few weeks of the campaign, with their policy-announcement-a-day approach.


Ipsos Reid shows the Conservatives leading now even in the Maritimes and NL. According to them, Liberals have dropped _16 points_ in less than a week in that region. The NDP is also surging there. I suspect a polling error; we’ll see if this is confirmed by others. Atlantic Canada does not tend to shift ground that fast. IR is the only poll still showing the Liberals leading the Tories in Quebec, as well.

SES now also shows a Conservative lead in Atlantic Canada, though slight.

One cynical thought: Atlantic Canada may want to elect members on the winning side, for the sake of keeping patronage flowing. Patronage, sadly, is big in Atlantic Canada.


Layton and the NDP, following their own strategy, are turning their guns on the Liberals. Their priority, no doubt, is to discourage followers from voting Liberal instead of NDP to block the Conservatives. And the strategy makes good sense. But, aside from helping the NDP, this will help the Conservatives.