Trudeau, the “Democracy Model” and the “NO to Canada” Petition
Written by: Arnold August
On May 19, one of Canada’s main corporate newspapers, the Toronto Star, published an opinion piece titled “The Big Debate: Does Canada deserve a UN Security Council Seat?” It consisted of two opposing views. The No opinion was printed in the form of a petition. It is signed by over hundred mainly Canadian personalities but also includes Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) and Noam Chomsky. The Toronto Star opinion was written by Canadian author and activist Bianca Mugyenyi.
On June 12, the National Post, one of the principal Canadian corporate media, headlines that “Canada rebuts UN Security Council critics as Champagne to NYC for final push”
It goes on to write that: “Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne is bound for New York City to join the final push for Canada’s campaign for a seat on the United Nations Security Council.”
The same day of the Toronto Star publication, a reporter asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the petition during his daily pandemic conference.
Christian Noël, Radio-Canada [in French]: “There is an international petition that says Canada is not worthy to sit at the United Nations Security Council and a number of Canadians have even signed it. How do you respond to people who say that Canada isn’t worthy of sitting there, particularly for its position on Palestine, Venezuela, and Indigenous peoples? How can Canada continue to run its campaign? In what way is the fact that we are divided on this issue reducing our chances?”
Instead of discussing Canadian foreign policy, he arrogantly dismissed the questions:
“I think there is no division on this issue whatsoever. Canadians all want Canada to speak with a loud and reasonable voice on the international scene and that’s what we are always seeking to do.”
That comment and authoritarian stance did not age well. Three weeks later, one June 10, the important international French-language television network TV5 Monde carried a story on the petition. Writing that:
“On two pages, the text details a list of Canadian actions and "bad behavior" that would make it ‘unworthy’ to sit at the UN. This is according to the authors of the petition, including famous Canadians like the environmentalist David Suzuki, doctor and ex-politician Amir Khadir, representatives of indigenous communities such as ex-MP Roméo Saganash and activist Ellen Gabriel, as well as Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters.
We denounce, for example, the Canadian government's investments in oil pipelines, the fact that the country exports arms, Canada's policy towards Venezuela and against its president Nicolás Maduro, and Canada's lack of support for the Palestinian cause, especially during vote on resolutions at the UN.”
It seems that the Trudeau government had to eat its words. TV 5 continues:
”No one is perfect and Canada is not perfect, but while not perfect, Canada is making a difference, but we must continue to improve, we can always do better,’ said the Minister. François-Philippe Champagne to this”
Moreover, there has recently been other desperate attempts at push back. For example, “the Palestinian solidarity movement is unsettling Canada’s diplomatic apparatus. In the final week of their multi-year campaign for a seat on the United Nations Security Council they’ve been forced to respond to a strong, well-documented, campaign in defence of Palestinian rights.”
If the number of phone calls this past week that Canadian Foreign Minister François-Philippe Champagne has been making all over the planet is any indication, is it safe to say the Trudeau government is in panic mode?
More Articles