Mark Carney recently made a statement in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, calling for an end to Canada's habit of lecturing other countries from afar.
Carney's comments came in response to a question about doing business with countries that have different views on human rights, such as Saudi Arabia. He stated, "Lecturing countries from afar is an ineffective strategy. It's satisfying, but it's ineffective," highlighting the potential drawbacks of Canada's approach to foreign policy.
Interestingly, Carney made these comments in Saudi Arabia, a country with which Canada has had strained relations in the past. In 2018, the Trudeau government publicly called for the release of Samar Badawi, the sister of imprisoned dissident Raif Badawi, leading to a rupture in relations between the two countries.
The Canadian government's involvement in the Badawi case was seen as an overreach, as neither Samar nor Raif were Canadian citizens. However, the Trudeau government's public lectures on human rights ultimately led to trade restrictions and diplomatic fallout.
Carney's pragmatism is a welcome change in Canadian foreign policy. However, his views on the United States seem to stop at the border. He has repaired relations with India and Saudi Arabia, but remains overly critical of Donald Trump and the United States.
Carney's inability to separate his personal views from his diplomatic efforts is clear in his interactions with Trump. He praises the US president when in his presence, but criticizes him when he's not. This contradictory approach is not only ineffective but also damaging to Canada's relationships with its closest ally.
Carney's recent lobbying efforts in Europe, detailed in a recent report, further highlight his opposition to Trump's policies. He has been texting European leaders, pushing for a middle-power vision and criticizing the US president. This approach is a bad place for Canada to be, given its reliance on the US for trade and defense.
Carney's message of pragmatism is clear: Canada needs to take the world for what it is and do business with other countries without lecturing them. However, his inability to apply this same approach to the US will likely continue to cause problems in Canada's relationships with its largest trading partner.
