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."

In a lengthy foreign policy speech delivered in the House of Commons, Freeland praised the U.S. for the "outsized role" it has played in the world in past, and urged the country not to veer off that course.

"We seek and will continue to seek to persuade our friends that their continued international leadership is very much in their national interest — as well as that of the rest of the free world," she said.

Freeland praised the U.S. for being the "indispensable nation" for the last 70 years, paying the "lion's share" in blood, treasure, strategic vision and leadership in promoting peace and prosperity. But she said many of the voters in the presidential election cast ballots "animated in part by a desire to shrug off the burden of world leadership."

"To say this is not controversial. It is simply a fact," she said.

Freeland expressed "deep disappointment" with the U.S. position on fighting climate change, and also took at aim at American protectionist policies, saying rising trade barriers will curb growth, stifle innovation and kill employment.

Speaking to reporters later, Freeland said the only foreign minister she briefed ahead of the speech was U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, whom she spoke to Monday.

Freeland's speech comes the day before Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan is set to release a comprehensive roadmap for Canada's military. She said Canada can't get a free ride from the U.S. simply because of our geography, warning that Canada can't rely on its neighbour for military power and protection.

"To rely solely on the U.S. security umbrella would make us a client state. And although we have an incredibly good relationship with our American friends and neighbours, such a dependence would not be in Canada's interest," she said.

Hinting that tomorrow's defence plan will make significant investments and make Canadians "justly proud," Freeland stressed the need for a robust, well-funded professional military that is ready, trained and equipped to go to battle when needed.

"To put it plainly: Canadian diplomacy and development sometimes require the backing of hard power," she said. "Force is, of course, always a last resort. But the principled use of force, together with our allies and governed by international law, is part of our history and must be part of our future. To have that capacity requires a substantial investment, which this government is committed to making."

Conservative Foreign Affairs critic Peter Kent said the only meaningful part of the minister's speech was her reference to a need for "hard power." He said he hoped it will be followed up with significant promises from Sajjan tomorrow.

He accused the Liberals of dragging Canada back on the world stage since taking office, and criticized Freeland's speech in light of what he called "erratic" foreign policy.

"It's really been a public relations device, a rather clumsy one, to provide a Trojan horse motion that would give the minister a pulpit on which to review — through what I would have to say is a myopic Liberal lens — any number of historic truisms and future wishful thinking," he said.

NDP Foreign Affairs critic Hélène Laverdière said the government must take a stronger stand against Trump's policies, including immigration and human rights, in all international forums.

"The message we have to give to the Trump administration is not only through the House of Commons, but through our decisions and actions on the international scene day after day," she said.

Freeland framed her speech on the changing global order and the shifting balance of power, and the role Canada can play in the future.

Seeing Africa, Asia, Latin America and Caribbean countries on the rise with increased living standards is not a trend to be feared, but to be embraced, she said.

"Let us recognize that the peace and prosperity we in the West have enjoyed these past 70 years are desired by all, and increasingly within reach of all. And, as Canadians, let us be agents of that change," she said.

Freeland also said Canadians embody a way of life that works, embracing multiculturalism and diversity.

"We can say this in all humility, but also without any false self-effacement: Canadians know about living side by side with people of diverse origins and beliefs, whose ancestors hail from the far corners of the globe, in harmony and peace," she said.

Freeland said while it is not Canada's role to play the world's policeman, it must take an active role in providing asylum to the persecuted, and set a standard for treatment of women, gays and lesbians, transgender people, and racial, ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious minorities.

She also said the government is preparing to present its first international feminist assistance policy that will boost women's rights by improving access to abortion and empowering women.

"We will put Canada at the forefront of this global effort," she said.

twenty times bitten, twenty one times shy...but I suppose tomorrow will tell the truth.

Seeing Africa, Asia, Latin America and Caribbean countries on the rise with increased living standards is not a trend to be feared, but to be embraced, she said.

"Let us recognize that the peace and prosperity we in the West have enjoyed these past 70 years are desired by all, and increasingly within reach of all. And, as Canadians, let us be agents of that change," she said.

Got that right! I'm expecting any change will just be incremental, rather than transformative.

Yeah, me third. I have lingering disappointment about the state of our international relations and dibilitated armed forces left behind by the Tories. They talked the talk but ...

Freeland's speech comes the day before Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan is set to release a comprehensive roadmap for Canada's military. She said Canada can't get a free ride from the U.S. simply because of our geography, warning that Canada can't rely on its neighbour for military power and protection.

Translation: Don't expect anything to change.

Highlights include:

$343 million for a health and wellness strategy to improve services to personnel and support family resource centres.

Exempting troops on international operations from paying federal income tax.

Creation of a new transition group to assist personnel in making the move to post-military life.

New capabilities for special operations forces, with 605 extra personnel, airborne surveillance platforms, new capabilities to eavesdrop on electronic signals, and improved cyber capabilities, all costing $1.5 billion.

Commitment that women will make up 25 per cent of the armed forces by 2026.

Hike in annual defence funding from $18.9 billion now to $32.7 billion by 2026-27, providing an extra $62.3 billion for the military over the next two decades.

Boosting the ranks of the regular force by 3,500 to 71,500 and the reserve force by 1,500 members to 30,000 members.

120 new military intelligence positions and up to 180 civilian intelligence positions.

A commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2030.

Streamlined procurement process to cut approval times within National Defence by 50 per cent.

New remotely piloted systems, including armed drones capable of conducting surveillance and precision strikes.

The plan reaffirms the traditional roles for the armed forces: defend the country, the continent, and make “concrete contributions” on the world stage.

To do it, it sets out a strategy to refurbish existing capabilities — warships and fighter jets — but also step up investments to deal with emerging threats. This includes creating a new trade in the armed forces — cyber operator — to attract “best and brightest” to cyber warfare and a vow to conduct “active” operations against potential adversaries.

It calls for a bigger military, boosting the ranks of the regular force by 3,500 to 71,500, and the reserve force by 1,500 members to 30,000 members.

The plan provides greater clarity — and pricetags — for several problem-plagued purchases. The government says it will build 15 warships, replacing the existing frigates and destroyers, at a cost of up to $60 billion.

The plan also reaffirms the navy’s intent to retain submarines, with a plan to refurbish the at-times troubled Victoria-class fleet of submarines to keep them operating past 2040.

The air force will get 88 new fighters, up from the 65 the previous Conservative government had planned, at a projected cost of between $15 billion and $19 billion. The plan includes the government’s intention to buy an interim fleet of jets as a stop-gap replacement for the aging CF-18s, but provides no pricetag.

As well, the government will replace aging CP-140 Aurora surveillance aircraft and the CC-150 Polaris jets that serve as transports and refuellers.

Looks like a 70% increase in defence budget over the next decade.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberal ... -1.4149473

One can hope!

Well, we'll see. Call me 'cautiously optimistic'.