The prime minister, as the functional head of our constitutional monarchy, has numerous spheres wherein he (or she) is the lead spokesperson. One of these is the management of the country’s standing and image in the international community. Both in terms of the image projected and the internationally relevant decisions, the larger picture needs to be kept in mind. Canada has had great success in this area under different prime ministers. Regardless of the readers' reflections on Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s policies and the mountain of debt he left, having the 'leader' of the world’s most famous band, John Lennon, praise you and Canada is marketing gold.PM Steven Harper was tireless in making international trade agreements, meeting military obligations, an earlier supporter of the Ukraine against Russia, improved relations with India, the leader in the Muskoka initiative improving the health of mothers worldwide and much more.Early images of PM Justin Trudeau walking about at an international meeting like a lost little boy, or his “yoga pilgrimage” trip to India, was however a forewarning that the man was out of his element. On March 8, 2024, Jordan Peterson, perhaps the most famous Canadian intellectual, testified under oath to the US Congress on freedom of speech and personal freedom. The picture he painted from multiple examples lifted from recent Canadian pages, was used as a warning to what could happen in the US. Peterson is not alone. Joe Rogan the most viewed podcaster with two million followers for some of his podcasts, has repeatedly denigrated the current PM — and Canada. One could dismiss these by saying (inaccurately) that both Peterson and Rogan are of The Right. Yet, Bill Maher, certainly on the Left, said after learning about the PM’s views on unvaccinated citizens, that Justin sounds like Hitler. Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson... the list continues and Canada’s image is damaged on demand via YouTube.Would you want to visit a country where your freedoms may be infringed upon, or where you had better watch what you say? Do you want to open a business or make an agreement where the corrupt leader of the country is seen as a joke and his policies are unconstitutional? Canada is an extraordinary place with friendly and open people. We deserve better. The next PM will have her or his hands full restoring Canada’s international standing to the height it attained under Pierre Trudeau or Steven Harper. Dr. A.W. Barber is the former Director of Asian Studies at the University of Calgary. He is internationally active and has wide-ranging interests.
The prime minister, as the functional head of our constitutional monarchy, has numerous spheres wherein he (or she) is the lead spokesperson. One of these is the management of the country’s standing and image in the international community. Both in terms of the image projected and the internationally relevant decisions, the larger picture needs to be kept in mind. Canada has had great success in this area under different prime ministers. Regardless of the readers' reflections on Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s policies and the mountain of debt he left, having the 'leader' of the world’s most famous band, John Lennon, praise you and Canada is marketing gold.PM Steven Harper was tireless in making international trade agreements, meeting military obligations, an earlier supporter of the Ukraine against Russia, improved relations with India, the leader in the Muskoka initiative improving the health of mothers worldwide and much more.Early images of PM Justin Trudeau walking about at an international meeting like a lost little boy, or his “yoga pilgrimage” trip to India, was however a forewarning that the man was out of his element. On March 8, 2024, Jordan Peterson, perhaps the most famous Canadian intellectual, testified under oath to the US Congress on freedom of speech and personal freedom. The picture he painted from multiple examples lifted from recent Canadian pages, was used as a warning to what could happen in the US. Peterson is not alone. Joe Rogan the most viewed podcaster with two million followers for some of his podcasts, has repeatedly denigrated the current PM — and Canada. One could dismiss these by saying (inaccurately) that both Peterson and Rogan are of The Right. Yet, Bill Maher, certainly on the Left, said after learning about the PM’s views on unvaccinated citizens, that Justin sounds like Hitler. Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson... the list continues and Canada’s image is damaged on demand via YouTube.Would you want to visit a country where your freedoms may be infringed upon, or where you had better watch what you say? Do you want to open a business or make an agreement where the corrupt leader of the country is seen as a joke and his policies are unconstitutional? Canada is an extraordinary place with friendly and open people. We deserve better. The next PM will have her or his hands full restoring Canada’s international standing to the height it attained under Pierre Trudeau or Steven Harper. Dr. A.W. Barber is the former Director of Asian Studies at the University of Calgary. He is internationally active and has wide-ranging interests.
