Filibuster Cartoons
 |
|
 |
Prime Minister Harper was in Vietnam this week, attending an APEC economic summit with the leaders of Asia and the Pacific.
Controversy soon arose, however, when Harper openly declared that he planned to discuss human rights abuses with the Chinese president. This is something Canadian prime ministers rarely do, since Chinese trade is so important to Canada. Liberals in particular continue to hope that Chinese trade will eventually make Canada less trade dependent on the United States, so for years, the Liberal Party carefully cultivated a fawning relationship with the Chinese regime. When it comes to human rights, we don’t ask and don’t tell.
Harper’s decision to change course has resulted in a lot of criticism from establishment voices in Canada, such as the Liberals, business leaders, and newspaper editorial pages. They’re all blasting him for rocking the boat and “not understanding diplomacy.”
