Canada's Next Foreign Minister

Who will be Canada's next minister of foreign affairs?

That is one of the many questions that are running through the minds of Canadian political enthusiasts in the anticipation of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's cabinet decisions. For those, like me, that closely follow foreign policy, this question is of great intrigue.

I believe David Emerson would have done an excellent job had he decided to run again but that is now moot. So who should Mr. Harper choose to guide Canada's foreign policies both home and abroad?

In this week's edition of the Embassy Magazine, there is a brief evaluation of those who might be considered for this position. It grades the candidates based on their credentials as well as lists the pros and cons of each person. I found this to be a great read and opened my eyes not only to the larger number of candidates than I had envisaged but also some names that I had not thought about.

Following the Maxime Bernier "scandal" this spring, I voiced my opinion on this blog that Secretary of State Jason Kenney was well deserving of a promotion to this important cabinet office. My opinion has not changed. He has shown himself to be a reliable junior minister who has also done well at gaining the support of Canada's ethnic minority populations. He was the Secretary of State for multiculturalism and Canadian Identity in the last parliament and I, for one, think that these things have been lacking in Canada's recent foreign policies. This criticism has been echoed by many of the Conservative Party's critics. Mr. Kenney could bring his experience from this post to the Ministy of Foreign Affairs and re-unite many Canadians who have been dis-enfranchised by our recent foreign minsters and policies. Canada could return to the well-respected middle power leader that it has been in the past, and re-connect Canada to its heritage in international affairs.

In terms of the criticisms of Mr. Kenney, the overwhelming "black mark" has been his critical viewpoint of Chinese policies, specifically on human rights. China has been repeatedly targeted as a necessary focal point of Canada's future foreign policies. Canadian-Chinese relations may be strained by the promotion of a strong critic of China to such an important role, but then again, why should Canada essentially "put all its eggs in one basket?"

Also in this week's Embassy is an article that says that focusing on China would be detrimental to Canada's international successs. It argues the world community is evolving into a multipolar balance of power. China isn't the only power growing in the world. India, Brazil and, South Africa are just a few of the other power centres growing along with China. Furthermore, we are seeing the return of an old power, Russia, who has been actively trying to re-assert its pre-eminent place in world affairs. Canada would do well to incorporate a foreign policy that accounts for these multiple centres of power and not just China. China is an important state for Canada to deal with, but it is not the only game in town. This fact helps to offset the criticism of Jason Kenney and his remarks about China.

Wrapping up, there are a number of potential foreign ministers that could be shuffled from other A-list cabinet positions, but by promoting Mr. Kenney, PM Harper would be able to add a well-deserving and capable minister to this important role. He is well-suited for this post and, possibly more important, rather than merely shuffle his present ministers which would only maintain the cabinet's strength, Prime Minister Harper could add a strong, young minister to an important portfolio.

- blenCOWe