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Canada’s fiercely anti-Russian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland says her Ukrainian grandfather struggled “to return freedom and democracy to Ukraine,” but she leaves out that he was a Nazi propagandist justifying the slaughter of Jews. On Jan. 10, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau replaced Foreign Minister Stephane Dion with Chrystia Freeland, a former journalist proud of her Ukrainian roots and well-known for her hostility toward Russia. At the time, a big question in Ottawa was why. Some analysts believed that Trudeau’s decision may have started when it still seemed likely that Hillary Clinton would become the new U.S. president and a...

The Canadian government, headed by Prime Minister and Liberal party head Justin Trudeau is working to renew ties with Iran, claiming there are political benefits to a Canada-Iran relationship for Israel as well. Canadian Foreign Minister Stéphane Maurice Dion spoke at the Council on Foreign Relations in Montreal on October 17, saying the federal government is determined to play an active role in UN organizations, to strengthen the UN position and to take part in UN peacekeeping efforts across the globe. …

OTTAWA - Canada's new Liberal government said on Monday it was delivering a "tough message" to Israel as a good friend after expressing concern about Israeli-Palestinian violence, Israeli settlements and unilateral Palestinian moves. The statement came a day after Foreign Minister Stephane Dion was criticized for saying Palestinian initiatives toward statehood in international forums and continued Israeli settlements were unhelpful. "We're steadfast allies and good friends, and good friends can occasionally deliver tough messages, but it's by no means to suggest that we're somehow retreating from any kind of support of Israel," said Joe Pickerill, Dion's spokesman. Dion on Sunday...

TORONTO: In a political coup, Canada's three opposition parties have joined hands to oust the just elected minority government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. In a deal signed by the Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party (NDP) and backed by the separatist Bloc Quebecois in Ottawa on Monday, the first two parties will form a new government, with the third supporting them from outside. Under the deal, Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion will become the new prime minister till May when his party chooses a new leader to replace him. Dion has sent a letter to Governor-General Michaelle Jean...

Remember when Liberal leader Stephane Dion unveiled his carbon tax plan earlier this year? The green lobby was thrilled. It had finally found a mainstream politician ready to fight an election on a promise to implement a tax on heating fuels, diesel and other traditional sources of energy that households consume. Environmentalists were convinced voters would rally around the plan, particularly since the carbon tax and ensuing higher energy prices would be offset with tax cuts targeted to low-and modest-income earners. Canada was set to become a world leader in the climate change debate. Dreams of a carbon tax are...

The man couldn’t win for losing. He was completely baffled at our failure to grasp his concept of acceptable higher taxes, and his Green Shift environmental carbon tax. With the sun about to set on his tenure as leader of the federal Liberal party, here’s a list of the best jobs for Stephane Dion, post-Liberals.....

Talk about a rare situation for the average political observer. First, the American campaign takes us through the Obama/Clinton soap opera and pro-Bama media propaganda machine, and then continues its exciting storyline with the addition of Sarah Palin to balance the scales of popularity and make it a very close race. Now, Canadians get to enjoy a twofer.

Even in Quebec the public is split about 50-50 on the Green Shift plan, and if you can't fool Quebecers with an environmental plan that screws Alberta, who can you fool?.....

MONTREAL -In a way, Stephane Dion's leadership problems began on Day One, in December, 2006, when 82% of the delegates to the Liberal convention voted for someone else on the first ballot. When Dion stormed from third place to overtake Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae, there were at least two other guys who thought they should have won. Actually three, counting Gerard Kennedy, who would have been third rather than fourth if a handful of his delegates hadn't parked with Martha Hall Findlay on the first ballot to reward her for an outstanding speech. In that sense, Dion wasn't even...

Stéphane Dion, who came from fourth-place standing to win the leadership of Canada's Liberal Party early this month, declared immediate war on the minority Conservative government last week, and made it clear he is determined to force a late-winter election. Implicitly, he made something else clear. He will attack the government on two principal issues, both of them integral to Canadian-American relations. One is the Kyoto Treaty, the other the Canadian role in Afghanistan. If he wins the election, therefore, America's northern neighbor will once again become vaguely hostile territory, as it was under the last Liberal government. On Kyoto,...

Sadly, the Liberals know not what they do John Robson, The Ottawa Citizen Published: Friday, December 08, 2006 Based on the record, Stephane Dion's victory at the Liberal convention is not surprising. But it is troubling. And yes, I predicted it on the radio beforehand; any fool can be wise after the fact. First, the federal Liberals have not won an electoral majority with an anglophone leader since 1945: before steel-belted radials, TVs in homes, or the birth of any of the eight convention leadership contenders. Liberals' blithe self-image as the Natural Governing Party may obscure their vision of...

Dark horse candidate Stéphane Dion surged from fourth to first to claim the federal Liberal leadership, defeating Michael Ignatieff on Saturday in the final ballot. Dion garnered 2,521 votes in the fourth-round tally, or about 54 per cent of the delegates, ahead of Ignatieff, who received 2,084 votes, or about 46 per cent. "The most exciting race in the history of our party is over," Dion told a jubilant crowd of some 5,000 delegates Saturday evening at the party's convention in Montreal. "Let's get ready for the election." The new leader, who initially was given little chance to win, hailed...

OTTAWA (CP) - Paul Martin supporters are targeting some Liberal MPs in a bid to purge the party of any pockets of dissent against his leadership, insiders say. Martin denied the charge Thursday. Party sources and MPs said numerous Liberals are being targeted in their home ridings by challengers vying for local nominations at pre-election meetings expected early next year. The movement took stride after Martin's very first day as Liberal leader last month when he announced he would halt the current practice of protecting sitting MPs. He said it is an attempt to make the process more democratic. Critics...