It’s understandable, given the extraordinary events on Parliament Hill last week, that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would not attend the Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa.
With a coup brewing on his backbenches, Trudeau needed to be here. All the same, this was an important meeting and as a senior member of the Commonwealth, Canada should have sent a political representative.
According to Global Affairs Canada, this country is “actively” participating in the meeting, “at the senior officials level. Our Head of Delegation is High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ralph Goodale.”
A former Saskatchewan MP, Goodale is a solid, sensible person to represent this country, but the government also should have sent a high-profile political representative. Trudeau’s deputy, Chrystia Freeland, would have been an appropriate replacement for the prime minister.
This is the first CHOGM King Charles III has attended as monarch. There are those who argue that the days of the Commonwealth are numbered. They’ll say it’s a remnant of Britain’s colonial past that’s outlived its usefulness. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The modern Commonwealth comprises 56 independent nations that are voluntary members of an organization that’s home to 2.5 billion people worldwide.
Queen Elizabeth II considered the Commonwealth her greatest achievement. Far from being “racist”, as critics claim it to be, it’s an organization that supports and promotes opportunities for the diverse populations it represents. Canada has always been a major player in the Commonwealth and has helped formulate important policies. The late Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and the late Queen used the 1986 Commonwealth conference in Vancouver to galvanize the world into bringing in economic sanctions against the racist apartheid regime of South Africa.
China and Russia are increasingly flexing their global muscles. Many emerging democracies are becoming indebted to China for infrastructure. Two Commonwealth countries, India and South Africa, have joined BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China & South Africa – and recently sent representatives to a BRICS summit in Russia.
Canada can’t exist as an island unto itself. We rely too heavily on our neighbours to the south for social and economic ties. In a world that’s ever more divided, Canada needs to seek partnerships with like-minded countries that share our values. We should strengthen our Commonwealth ties and not let them wither.