EDITORIAL: Canada’s back, eh? Not so you’d notice

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The ham-fisted attempts at diplomacy by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have left this county isolated from our friends and mocked by our enemies.

The latest embarrassing manifestation of his botched attempt at international affairs is the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which Trudeau attended.

Countries including Japan, South Korea and Australia announced cooperation on anti-corruption measures and green energy last week. Canada has asked to join the group but has so far not been invited.

This is worrying for business leaders in this country, says Goldy Hyder, president of the Business Council of Canada, in a quote on his organization’s website.

“The world has changed. You need to read the room. Otherwise, I think we’re going to be left at the table and we may even be left outside the room. And that’s never a good day for Canada when that happens.”

This is just the most recent global embarrassment.

In 2021, Canada was left out of the tripartite defence and security pact between the U.K., the U.S. and Australia, known as AUKUS. In an analysis by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, Vincent Rigby, a former national security and intelligence adviser to Trudeau, said our allies are leaving us out because we’re lagging behind on global security issues.

“The glacial pace at which Canada appears to be adapting to the realities of modern, great power competition has left it far behind the curve, with consequences for both Ottawa’s reputation among its allies and its ability to protect Canadian territory, sovereignty and contribute to global peace and stability,” said the report.

Why was Canada left out of AUKUS?

“The simple answer is that Ottawa was apparently not invited,” said the report.

In 2020, despite an expensive campaign, Canada lost out to Norway and Ireland in a bid for a seat on the UN Security Council.

And yet Trudeau blithely bungles on. Our prime ministers were once statesmen. Brian Mulroney helped bring about sanctions against apartheid in South Africa and Lester Pearson was respected around the world.

“Canada’s back,” was the Liberal brag when Trudeau came to power in 2015. Truth was, we were doing just fine with our global connections.

Now we’re at the kids’ table and nobody respects our views.