Majority Politics in Canada: Foreign Investment with the Asia-Pacific

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The Canadian government of Stephen Harper recently confirmed that is has ratified a foreign investment treaty with China. In the works for more than two years, the Canada-China Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) will come into force this Wednesday October 1, effectively ushering in a new era in Canadian economics. Shrouded in mystery since being first announced in 2012, the deal and its unexpected ratification have been met with immediate and strong opposition. While some consider the agreement a bold and potentially lucrative economic move, reaction in Ottawa, the media and the public seems overwhelmingly critical. One of the most potent arguments has charged the Harper government with putting Canada’s long-term economic sovereignty at risk. Is this criticism warranted, and should Canadians be concerned of the potential pitfalls of a foreign investment deal with China? In today’s post we delve into this issue by exploring in brief Canada’s economic history with the Asia-Pacific.

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Conservative Diplomacy and Canada's 'Place' in the World

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Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Hamas, and potential Iranian nuclear activity – on each of these three leading international issues today, Canada has been outspoken and steadfast. The views of Harper’s Conservative government are not shared unequivocally across the Canadian populace, but nonetheless as Canada’s representative voice internationally these are the views and opinions that shape Canadian interaction on the global stage. Both Harper and John Baird, Canada’s current Minister of Foreign Affairs, have come under sharp criticism lately for adopting a loud voice on international matters which has at times resonated with tones of arrogance. The Conservatives’ foreign diplomacy has certainly sparked heated debate in media and public circles. Some applaud their decidedly different form of Canadian politics, while others question their purpose and resolve. Whichever side of the debate you may fall, it’s important to situate current Conservative diplomacy in its proper context by reflecting on Canada’s international contributions of the past.

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Contesting Arctic Sovereignty: A Brief History of “Canadian” Interest in the North

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The Arctic continues to be a topic of heated discussion in Canada. Political, cultural, and environmental concerns have sparked research and scholarship into regions and peoples that have long escaped the public eye. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has made Arctic sovereignty a top priority during his current eight-year tenure. He is amongst those who have suggested that real threats toward Canada’s circumpolar autonomy exist, and he seems determined to protect Canadian interests in a northern world that is undergoing significant and rapid change. Yet Harper’s Arctic diplomacy is highly questionable, both from historical and contemporary perspectives. To insinuate that the Arctic is Canadian territory, which Harper has done on a number of occasions, assumes that the massive northern region is holistically the property of a governmental body that has historically been at odds with much of that regions native population. Since Euro-Canadians are not indigenous to the Arctic territories which Harper has proclaimed their own, can his Conservative government actually claim some measure of ownership and stewardship over contested northern territory?

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“Canada Supports Israel Because It Is Right To Do So” Harper’s Knesset Address

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Last week Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Canadian delegation began their inaugural visit to Israel. The visit, which included laying a cornerstone at the Hula Lake Nature and Bird Park in the north, galvanizes an immense shift in Canada’s position on Israel and the Middle East. We have discussed the Conservative shift on the Middle East several times before, but this week we want to concentrate on Harper’s historic address to the Knesset in particular.

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Stephen Harper's Strange Obsession with Israel

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The Canadian government's position on Israel has once again entered the spotlight this week, as Liberal fundraiser Stephen Bronfman pointed out that Justin Trudeau had actually been to Israel, while Israel's close friend Prime Minister Stephen Harper has not. A day later, reports emerged that the Prime Minister would be visiting Israel shortly – perhaps to visit the Bird Sanctuary that is being named in his honour. Again, the strange connection the Conservatives have forged with Israel seems stronger than ever but no less explicable.

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The Trouble with Canada's Great War Centenary

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Our last two posts have touched on two very distinct ideas: the ways in which Harper's Conservatives have politicized Canadian history and the recent developments involving Quebec sovereignty and Bill 99. In this post, we've decided to try and blend these two ideas together to look at the problems Harper's Government faces in commemorating the centenary of the Great War.

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