Prime Minister Mark Carney has drawn sharp criticism for his recent diplomatic engagements with leaders of repressive regimes, including Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, China's President Xi Jinping, and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Critics argue that these meetings contradict Canada's longstanding commitment to human rights.
Carney's Meeting with Erdogan at NATO Summit
During the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in Ankara, Carney met with Erdogan, whom critics describe as a dictator who has crushed free press, undermined the judiciary, and violated human rights. Erdogan has also referred to Judaism as a "genocidal, occupying, expansionist" ideology. As a parting gift, Erdogan presented Carney with an engraved .357 magnum Colt Python revolver, a restricted weapon in Canada, raising questions about proper licensing.
Visit to China Raises Human Rights Concerns
Carney's subsequent visit to China included a meeting with President Xi Jinping. According to Carney's own Privy Council Office, the prime minister did not "proactively" raise human rights concerns or foreign interference issues with Xi. The PCO initially admitted this but later recanted. China has been accused of forced labor, mass detentions of Uyghurs, religious persecution, and election interference in Canada. Carney described the visit as "historic and productive."
Saudi Arabia Visit Marks First in Nearly 30 Years
Carney's trip to Saudi Arabia was the first by a Canadian leader in nearly three decades. He met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who U.S. intelligence alleges ordered the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Saudi Arabia faces international condemnation for executing hundreds annually, including minors, discriminating against women, and using the kafala system, likened to slavery. The country also has ties to the 9/11 attacks, as 11 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals.
Criticism from Former Liberal Foreign Minister
Lloyd Axworthy, a former Liberal Foreign Affairs Minister, expressed dismay at Carney's approach. "[Carney] keeps wanting to say he's erasing the Trudeau legacy. Well, it's not just Justin Trudeau's legacy — he's erasing a legacy that goes back a lot of years for a lot of Liberals," Axworthy said. "I was a Liberal since I was 17, and I'm finding what he's doing to be quite disturbing."
Moral and Policy Implications
Critics argue that Carney's engagements with these leaders repudiate decades of Canadian human rights policy. The article quotes Martin Luther King Jr.: "He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it." Observers warn that Carney's coziness with authoritarian regimes could make Canada complicit in future abuses.
