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[Mr.Mike]

Good manners backed by muscle mark Canada's approach to the world, Chrystia Freeland

Freeland rejects Trump's nationalist policies, says Canada will step up to lead on world stage

Canada will step up to play a leadership role on the world stage as the U.S. turns inward to focus on its own national interests, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a major policy speech today.

While never mentioning Donald Trump by name, Freeland rejected many of the U.S. president's policies, including the withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, imposing protectionist trade policies, and closing the nation's doors to refugees.

"The fact that our friend and ally has come to question the very worth of its mantle of global leadership, puts into sharper focus the need for the rest of us to set our own clear and sovereign course," she said.

"For Canada, that course must be the renewal, indeed the strengthening, of the postwar multilateral order. We will follow this path, with open hands and open hearts extended to our American friends, seeking to make common cause as we have so often in the past."

Freeland questions U.S. leadership, says Canada must set own course

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland says Ottawa will forge its own path on the world stage because Canada can no longer rely on Washington for global leadership.

In a major speech setting the stage for Wednesday’s release of a new multibillion-dollar blueprint for the Canadian Armed Forces, Ms. Freeland rejected Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy and its dismissal of free trade, global warming and the value of Western alliances in countering Russian adventurism and the Islamic State.

While she did not mention the U.S. President by name, Ms. Freeland expressed deep concern about the desire of many American voters to “shrug off the burden of world leadership.”

Freeland says Canada needs hard power to support global order

Canadians need to spend billions on "hard power" military capability because they can't rely on the U.S. or others for protection, says Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland.

In a major foreign policy speech in the House of Commons today, she didn't mention Donald Trump by name, but made an unabashed pitch for the international rules-based order that the U.S. president's America First policy is attacking.

The speech is meant to foreshadow the release of Wednesday's defence policy review, which is expected to make the case for billions in new military spending.

Address by Minister Freeland on Canada’s foreign policy priorities

This is a major shift in foreign policy in response to a major shift in the global order, and I think deserves it's own thread. It'll be interesting to see where Minister Sajjan goes with it on Wednesday.

 

[Crimsonlink]

What an era we live in now. Hard to believe that the sheer destruction fear has brought upon society as a whole since the recession and one could argue before it with the turn to the 21st century.

 

[Xando]

"The fact that our friend and ally has come to question the very worth of its mantle of global leadership, puts into sharper focus the need for the rest of us to set our own clear and sovereign course," she said.

The next ally moving away from the US.

 

[Derwind]

The US can't be counted on like it used to... countries are starting to ask these tough questions, "What does a world without US global leadership look like?"...

 

[ShutEye]

This should have happened last June after the Russia Trump stuff started and his convention. It was obvious the Republican party cannot be trusted to do the right thing.

Anyway Freeland is a smart cookie. Hopefully my country buys in and the liberals are serious about defence.

 

[gutter_trash]

Freeland is on Putin's shit list and barred from entering Russia LOL

Trudeau government knows what they are doing and what side they are on.

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

The US can't be counted on like it used to... countries are starting to ask these tough questions, "What does a world without US global leadership look like?"...

Truth is that has been slowly happening anyway. Trump just put it into ludicrous speed.

 

[Cynar]

The US can't be counted on like it used to... countries are starting to ask these tough questions, "What does a world without US global leadership look like?"...

It's sad but this is what the Americans wanted and that's what they get. Other countries will fill the void while the USA wilfully rots from within.

 

[Moppeh]

Freeland is on Putin's shit list and barred from entering Russia LOL

Trudeau government knows what they are doing and what side they are on.

Yeah, Freeland is a great minister for a post-Trump Canada.

 

[Mr.Mike]

Ottawa lays out $62-billion in new military spending over 20 years

Ottawa has announced plans for a beefed-up and modernized military that includes tens of billions of dollars in new spending, although the biggest budget increases are years down the road.

The new money in the 20-year plan will be used to add 5,000 regular and reserve personnel, buy a bigger-than-expected fleet of 88 fighter jets, and pay for the ballooning cost of 15 military vessels called surface combatants, among other details announced by National Defence.

Canada’s new defence policy includes $62.3-billion in additional spending over the next 20 years, including a total of just $6.6-billion over the next five years.

The plan would bring Canada’s defence budget to $32.7-billion a year in a decade, up from the current annual budget of $18.9-billion. This represents a boost in Canada’s annual military budget of more than 70 per cent by 2026-2027.

The government has not given a full 20-year breakdown of the existing budget and the ‎new funding under this policy, but has promised to make it public as soon as possible.

Federal officials said the influx of funding will bring defence spending to 1.4 per cent of GDP, still shy of the goal of 2 per cent among NATO allies. As it stands, NATO, a defence alliance of Western countries, estimates that Canada spends 1 per cent of GDP on defence, while Canada estimates it is actually spending 1.2 per cent using a different formula.

The new funding was unveiled with the release of a defence policy entitled “Strong, Secure, Engaged” that builds on the government’s plans announced earlier this week for a more robust and independent foreign policy.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan refused to state exactly where the money will be coming from, or what will be the consequences if the federal government fails to live up to its promise.

 

[Luschient]

I really hope everyone understands how fucking embarrassed a large number of us are by all of this. We've pissed off and turned away allies (Canada for God's sake!) and are quickly retreating from the world stage. All this within ~6 months of Trump taking office.

Fuck me.

 

[Divvy]

Is it just me or is Trump that space squid from the end of Watchmen?

With everyone else stepping up and working together

 

[excelsiorlef]

The US can't be counted on like it used to... countries are starting to ask these tough questions, "What does a world without US global leadership look like?"...

Yep and thank heavens we are.

 

[Akuun]

The rest of the world is coming to the conclusion that the US simply can't be trusted anymore.

I guess it's nice that other countries are stepping up to become more independent, but it's also quite sad and alarming that they're treating the US almost like a rogue state. Which it pretty much is, with Trump running the country. I mean no one knows what the fuck that guy is going to say and do next - not even anyone in the White House. Not even Trump himself, because of his idiocy and attention span.

 

[Dynomutt]

I like Canada. Barry likes Canada. This is what progress looks like. Like a boss. Ain't even in office and still making moves.

 

[Lexxism]

Good. This is long overdue. I'm quite happy on this plan.