Canada’s UN ambassador Bob Rae has yet to explain his controversial remarks on the Secularism of the State Act, despite being asked to appear before a parliamentary committee for the reason for nearly six months, recalls the Bloc Québécois.
“As early as January, I asked that we summon the Canadian ambassador to the United Nations, and we agreed to summon him as soon as possible. Now, it’s July and we still haven’t heard from the ambassador,” Bloc member Stéphane Bergeron complained to his colleagues last Friday.
The elected official took part in the emergency meeting of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. Its members were trying to formulate an invitation to appear, in particular to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, about Canada’s decision to allow the export of turbines requested by the Russian company Gazprom.
Mr. Bergeron objected to the use of the expression “as soon as possible”, judging that the committee had not yet fulfilled its promise to have Ambassador Rae appear following his public stance against the Quebec State Secularism Act, nicknamed “Bill 21”.
“There is a deeply discriminatory meaning to this law. This is clearly contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” wrote Bob Rae on Twitteron December 12, 2021.
The leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet, had quickly qualified the ambassador as “unworthy of the position he occupies” and had asked the federal government to recall him to the country.
On the recommendation of its subcommittee on procedure, the federal parliamentary committee responsible for foreign affairs issues had invited Mr. Rae to appear before its members; a motion in this regard was passed on January 31.
Still no explanation
According to the agreement between the parties, Mr. Rae was to answer questions for two hours “concerning his mandate and his experience”. The Bloc Québécois intended to seize the opportunity to cook him on his position on his social networks.
The ambassador did make a brief appearance before the elected members of the parliamentary committee on international affairs on February 28, but only to talk about the war in Ukraine. This had just been launched and monopolized the most urgent work of parliamentarians.
Mr. Rae is still invited to attend to answer questions from elected officials, including those concerning Quebec politics. “The invitation remains with Global Affairs Canada [le ministère responsable de la diplomatie canadienne]. At this time, they have not provided a date when Mr. Rae may be available,” committee clerk Erica Pereira confirmed.
Hearing Mr. Rae on the issue “remains relevant”, believes MP Stéphane Bergeron. “We have seen the intention of the government [fédéral] to lend a hand to those who want to challenge “Law 21” in court [en Cour suprême]. Was this already discussed? he asks himself.
He says the government’s choice to send Mr. Rae to represent Canada at the UN illustrates the practice “which is becoming commonplace among the Liberals” of appointing former politicians as ambassadors rather than career diplomats. having risen through the ranks of the civil service.
Bob Rae has served as premier of Ontario, federal Liberal MP and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, among others. He has held various diplomatic positions since 2017 and was appointed Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations in 2020.
Controversy over his use of Twitter to criticize the state’s Secularism Act has not deterred Mr. Rae from using his official account for writingon July 7, “#BoJoMoJoNoMo”, in all likelihood a joke at the expense of the resigning Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson.
Global Affairs Canada had still not responded to questions from the To have to at the time these lines were written. Ambassador Rae could not be reached.