Prime Minister Justin Trudeau鈥檚 push for a Canadian seat on the UN Security Council got off to a rough start Wednesday, when reporters asked how Canada plans to campaign on a platform of peace and human rights while at the same time refusing to cancel a deal to sell armed vehicles to Saudi Arabia.
Trudeau told reporters in New York that Canada鈥檚 $15-billion deal to sell light-armoured vehicles must go ahead in order to preserve the principle that 鈥渁 change of government does not endanger everything that was previously signed.鈥�
"It would indeed be just about impossible for Canada to conduct business in the world ... if there was a perception that any contract that went beyond the duration of the life cycle of a given government might not be honoured,鈥� he said.
Trudeau made the announcement that Canada will vie for a two-year-term on the Security Council starting in 2021 while in New York for a bilateral meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
"We are determined to revitalize Canada's historic role as a key contributor to United Nations peacekeeping, in addition to helping advance current reform efforts," Trudeau said.
"And Canada will increase its engagement with peace operations, not just by making available our military, police, and specialized expertise, but also by supporting the civilian institutions that prevent conflict, bring stability to fragile states, and help societies recover in the aftermath of crisis,鈥� he added.
Amnesty International is including Canada, to stop arm sales to Saudi Arabia because of what they call 鈥渙verwhelming evidence that the Saudi-led military coalition is failing to protect civilians, and that some attacks may amount to war crimes,鈥� in their war in Yemen.
Pressure on western suppliers is increasing after Germany promised to review its arms sales to the kingdom, and the EU and Netherlands voted this month to ban them.
In January, the Liberal government officially condemned 47 executions and reiterated 鈥渙ur call to the Government of Saudi Arabia to protect human rights."
The Quebec wife of Raif Badawi, a blogger enduring lashings and imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for the alleged crime of insulting Islam, has long been critical of the deal.
So too has the NDP鈥檚 Foreign Affairs Critic Helene Laverdiere.
Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion suggested last month that the Liberals might not have approved of the Conservative-signed deal to sell the LAVs, but was concerned about financial penalties from cancelling.
"The government simply refused to cancel a contract that had been given the go-ahead by the previous government; a contract between a private company and Saudi Arabia," Dion told a Senate committee last month.
"This is an important distinction, because if we would cancel a contract that has been approved, there would probably be stiff penalties that Canadian taxpayers would have to pay."
Former Defence Minister Jason Kenney has criticized the Liberals for Jean Chretien鈥檚 decision to cancel a deal to replace aging military helicopters -- at a cost to taxpayers of nearly half-a-billion dollars.
Complicating matters further is the fact that the deal to export the LAVs, which are made by General Dynamics Land Systems, is expected to create 3,000 jobs in an area of southern Ontario hurting from manufacturing job losses.
Conservative MP Tony Clement told CTV鈥檚 Power Play last month that his government was satisfied with the deal after a review concluded the Saudis weren鈥檛 鈥渦sing the equipment against their own people.鈥�
Former UN Ambassador Paul Heinbecker disagreed, telling 麻豆影视 Wednesday he believes the LAVs 鈥渨ould likely be used inside Saudi Arabia with respect to the Saudi population.鈥�
Heinbecker, who was the last Canadian to represent Canada at the UN Security Council, said the government may face financial penalties from cancelling the deal, but that鈥檚 not clear because the contract has not been made public.
鈥淭he conundrum for the government,鈥� he said, is that 鈥渋t can give them a bad image either way.鈥�
鈥淭hese are the people that brought us Wahhabism, which is at the root of ISIS and al Qaeda,鈥� he said of the Saudi kingdom. 鈥淭hese are the people who are accused by international human rights organizations, and indeed the UN, of indiscriminate bombing in the war in Yemen, which essentially they started.鈥�
For the Liberals, it comes down to a question of 鈥渨hether you鈥檇 rather have a reputation for upholding a contract or not selling these kinds of weapons to a country with the human rights background Saudi Arabia has,鈥� he said.
Heinbecker suggested it was more acceptable to cancel arms deals than other contracts. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not talking about selling wheat, we鈥檙e not talking about selling forest products or banking services,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e talking about selling arms.鈥�
He noted that the U.S. cancelled a similar contract for planes that Pakistan had already paid for.
鈥淎 lot of jobs depend on it,鈥� he added, 鈥�(so) it鈥檚 understandable the government 鈥� is concerned about what will happen to those jobs and those Canadians.鈥�
鈥楴ot a slam dunk鈥�
Heinbecker told CTV鈥橲 Power Play earlier Wednesday that winning the seat 鈥渨ill not be a slam dunk.鈥�
He said Canada will be competing for one of two spots against Norway, which is a 鈥渧ery big spender on foreign aid,鈥� and Ireland, 鈥渨hich will have the backing of the EU, which is the biggest aid spender in the world.鈥�
However, Canada ought to have a better chance in 2020鈥檚 vote than if it had run for the next two-year term, Heinbecker said. That would have required going up against allies like Israel and Germany.
Heinbecker said Canada will need to 鈥渟tand for something鈥� in its campaign, explaining that Jean Chretien鈥檚 government promised to promote a landmines treaty, the International Criminal Court and protect civilians in armed conflicts.
Heinbecker said Canada lost to Germany and Portugal in 2010鈥檚 vote because the Conservative government 鈥渢reated the UN with a mixture of disdain and contempt.鈥�
The Ambassador also made the case that being one of the 10 non-permanent members security council is a worthy goal, even though the five permanent members have vetoes.
鈥淭he best analogy I can give is it鈥檚 the difference between being a backbencher and a cabinet minister,鈥� Heinbecker said. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e a backbencher, you鈥檙e trying to interfere with what鈥檚 going on at that table from the outside through other people. When you鈥檙e at the table yourself, you are able to make a difference.鈥�
With files from The Canadian Press and a report from CTV National News Correspondent Katie Simpson
