OTTAWA - Opposition parties are slowly roasting Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier over his diplomatic blunder on Afghanistan.
Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae called for Bernier to be fired Thursday, describing him as incompetent and irresponsible.
And the NDP put a motion before a Commons committee demanding the minister appear to explain why he publicly called for the removal of the governor of Kandahar.
Bernier ended his visit to Afghanistan on Monday by effectively calling for the removal of Asadullah Khalid, linking him to the rampant corruption that plagues the impoverished region.
He was quickly forced to issue a "clarification'' after the Afghan government expressed concern about foreign interference in its internal affairs.
But the opposition parties aren't about to let the matter fade quickly.
"The minister still doesn't understand that he put the government of Afghanistan in an impossible situation,'' Rae told a news conference Thursday.
"If they remove the governor, the Afghan government is seen as acting on behalf of a NATO power. If they leave him, their ability to govern -- including their ability to combat corruption -- has been called into question.''
Up until Monday, Canada was quietly trying to urge Afghan President Hamid Karzai to appoint someone new to the governor's post in Kandahar.
Khalid, a close associate of Karzai, was given the job in 2005 but he has lately become a lightning rod for Kandahar residents and Canadian authorities.
Known for being stridently anti-Taliban, Khalid was initially praised by Canadian officials for his gung-ho attitude. But he has since been implicated in the continuing prisoner-abuse scandal -- a charge the governor vehemently denied.
It's the second time this week the Liberals have called for Bernier's head. Liberal Leader Stephane Dion demanded Bernier be fired shortly after the controversy erupted.
Rae said it's just the latest in a series of embarrassing gaffes by Bernier and many countries have begun to question where Canada is going on issues of peace and security.
He also accused Bernier of mishandling cases of Canadians in trouble in foreign countries, most notably the case of Brenda Martin, who has been jailed in Mexico for two years.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said he supports Bernier and has no plans to replace him.
But Bernier was noticeably left off the list of ministers who will travel with Harper next week to a summit involving U.S. President George W. Bush and Mexican President Felipe Calderon. Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day and Industry Minister Jim Prentice will accompany the prime minister.
NDP MP Paul Dewar tabled a motion Thursday before the Commons foreign affairs committee to summon Bernier. It will be next week before the all-party committee debates the matter.
"It's time for him to present himself to the committee and explain his actions, and for the committee to decide whether they, and ordinary Canadians, have confidence in the minister's ability to be our country's top diplomat,'' Dewar said in a statement.
The motion sets a deadline of June 2 for Bernier to appear.
A Canadian commander, who worked closely with Khalid for a year, described him as a leader of "evolving strengths.''
Lt.-Col. Bob Chamberlain was in charge of the provincial reconstruction base and told the weekly Foreign Affairs Department briefing on the mission that when the governor took over security was job one.
He says the situation has improved to the point where Khalid is chairing meetings, consulting and giving instructions much like any other leader.
Chamberlain didn't address the accusations of corruption that have swirled around Khalid, who fought the Taliban for years as a commander in the Northern Alliance.
