The ethics of John Baird’s Saudi intervention
Where to begin with former minister John Baird’s stunning appearance on Saudi state TV?
The idea that a former foreign affairs minister could openly attack Canada’s human rights efforts in Saudi Arabia was shocking enough. The fact he further called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to fly immediately to Riyadh to apologize to Saudi leadership seemed even worse.
But it was his appearance on the regime’s state network that made him seem like a willing propagandist. It was offensive to people from across the Canadian political spectrum.
Can you imagine any former foreign affairs minister — Joe Clark, Lloyd Axworthy, Flora MacDonald — acting in such a manner? But then, none of these former national representatives were paid advisers to Barrick Gold Corp., a mining giant with an ongoing venture in Saudi Arabia. In terms of ethical lapses, the Baird incident sets a new low.
No comments:
Post a Comment