愛污传媒

Politics

    • Liberals downgrade Africa strategy to framework, but insist continent is a priority

    The Trudeau government has downgraded its long-delayed plan for Africa from a strategy to a framework, saying this better reflects the original intent of the policy despite criticism the Liberals are not taking the region seriously. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand) The Trudeau government has downgraded its long-delayed plan for Africa from a strategy to a framework, saying this better reflects the original intent of the policy despite criticism the Liberals are not taking the region seriously. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand)
    Share
    OTTAWA -

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government has downgraded its long-delayed plan for relations with Africa from a strategy to a framework, saying this better reflects the original intent of the policy -- despite criticism the Liberals are not taking the region seriously.

    For at least a year, the Liberals have promised an Africa strategy that would outline Canada's relationship with dozens of countries and seize on opportunities to engage with a new intercontinental trade bloc.

    Rob Oliphant, the parliamentary secretary to Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, said in interviews last summer and fall that he was working on an "emerging Africa strategy" and "a strategy document for our engagement diplomatically."

    Yet in an interview with The Canadian Press earlier this month, Joly said the plan is not a full-blown strategy.

    "Regarding the Africa strategy, well, this is a term that was used by my colleague, Rob Oliphant. I would say it's an Africa framework," Joly said in a phone interview from Nairobi, Kenya.

    "The goal is to make sure that we answer the call that many of the African countries are making, to have access to more of Canada."

    In an interview, Oliphant said that Joly had asked him in a mandate letter sometime after fall 2021 "to develop a strategy for Africa, and particularly for our foreign policy when it comes to Africa."

    The idea was to assess Canada's diplomatic presence across the continent, what groups it should participate in and what goals it should present to African leaders. This would fill a gap, since Canada's trade and aid policies were clearer than its foreign-policy aims.

    "That to me has been our weakest area of our Africa engagement," Oliphant said.

    Last November, the Liberals released their Indo-Pacific strategy, a five-year $2.3 billion plan that touches on agencies ranging from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

    "At that point, it was my suggestion that we rename this a framework, rather than a strategy," Oliphant said of his Africa policy work.

    He said he is working on a framework "that promotes investment by ensuring that we de-risk," such as by supporting aid projects that make countries more stable.

    Oliphant said he expects to present the policy to cabinet by this fall, and that it will be publicly released this calendar year.

    He added that he's focused on making sure African governments are engaged, instead of getting hung up on the terminology -- despite others saying the wording makes a real difference.

    Lori Turnbull, director of Dalhousie University's school of public administration, said a strategy indicates a road map with deliberate outcomes. But a framework is looser by definition.

    "The specificity is the important part. A strategy is, 'This is what we're doing. This is what we're going do to achieve our goals,"' she said, whereas a framework "is more of a sort of overall picture, and an overall set of parameters."

    Turnbull said Joly's comments might give civil servants the impression that Africa ranks lower than other regions that attract more attention from voters.

    "It would indicate that she is trying to make a distinction between the two -- and there is a distinction," Turnbull said. "There could be a kind of message sent to the department, subtly."

    The shift in language has been noticed by senators on the foreign-affairs committee, who warned Trade Minister Mary Ng last December that Canada seemed to be falling behind the United States and other peers in establishing deeper trade ties with Africa.

    Sen. Amina Gerba said in a French-language interview that the shift bodes ill for Canada taking advantage of a new trade bloc that spans most of the continent.

    The African Continental Free Trade Area is an ongoing project to eliminate most tariffs and harmonize some regulations across roughly 45 countries.

    "Of course, the term 'strategy' is much more comprehensive. It is a more dynamic term, more engaging for Canada, and it gives the impression that it is definitive," said Gerba, who was born in Cameroon.

    "A frame has limits. It means that we have constrained the limits of this framework, which limits the action."

    The Quebec senator said the government had not clarified to her why it made the change.

    At a meeting of the House of Commons foreign-affairs committee earlier this month, NDP MP Heather McPherson asked International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan to confirm whether the Africa strategy had been downgraded to an African framework.

    Sajjan responded: "I'm sorry. What do you mean by Africa strategy?"

    The minister said Africa "is an area of focus that we've had for a very long time" and "an area where we have actually increased and integrated our work."

    But he did not clarify the shift in terminology.

    Gerba argued Africa needs the same amount of attention and resources as the Indo-Pacific strategy, since the continent is experiencing its own drastic political shifts and an economic boom driven by its young population. She said various diasporas in Canada are eager to help.

    "Honestly, everything has to do with this continent," she said. "We are talking about 2.4 billion inhabitants by the middle of the century. It's the countries of the continent that will be key players in international politics."

    Chris W.J. Roberts, a University of Calgary political science instructor specializing in African politics, argued that the "disconcerting" shift in language follows a decade-long pattern of Ottawa not thinking seriously enough about the continent.

    "We were hoping that this would signal that this was a comprehensive, whole-of-government, long-term vision that would shape all Canadian engagement -- development, defence, diplomacy, trade," he said.

    "'Framework' seems to me that it would be one level down."

    Roberts argued the lack of a plan leaves Ottawa failing to reap the rewards of Canada having a generally good reputation in Africa, by virtue of being a Commonwealth and Francophonie member with less colonial baggage than its peers.

    He said Canadian diplomats often see Africa as a stepping stone in their career of deployments abroad, instead of an area that merits specialization, because it's never been a priority area for Ottawa.

    The end result of that approach, he argued, is evident in Canada's scramble to respond last month when Sudan devolved into armed conflict -- or in Cameroon's accusation in January that Ottawa was falsely claiming it would play a leading role in peace talks.

    "We focus too much on how our engagement with Africa makes us feel and look, as opposed to how much our engagement in Africa actually makes life better for African partners," he said.

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 17, 2023.

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Israel launches strikes on military targets in Iran, escalating Mideast wars

    Israel pounded Iran with a series of airstrikes early Saturday, saying it was targeting military targets in retaliation for the barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired upon Israel earlier this month. Explosions could be heard in the Iranian capital, Tehran, though there was no immediate information on damage or casualties.

    Canada Post driver Rick Harper recounts how he and others helped save a woman from a Tesla that caught fire after crashing into a guardrail on Lake Shore Boulevard.

    Canada

    • The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (PANB) has uploaded dozens of dashboard camera videos from the 1970s to their YouTube channel.

    • Canada Post driver Rick Harper recounts how he and others helped save a woman from a Tesla that caught fire after crashing into a guardrail on Lake Shore Boulevard.

    • A Canadian navy missile test was aborted mid-flight this week after controllers lost communication with the projectile off the coast of southern California.

    • A former Alberta teacher has been sentenced to four years for sexually abusing a student.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

    Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.

    He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

    A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

    Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

    A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

    A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

    Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

    • The final count of ballots in the 2024 B.C. election begins Saturday, with more than 66,000 mail-in and absentee votes potentially yet to be counted across the province's 93 electoral districts.

    • There were tense moments at a ferry terminal outside Victoria, B.C., on Friday after the lion鈥檚 share of standby spots on an early sailing were claimed by 鈥渁ssured loading鈥 passengers 鈥 leaving regular customers who had been waiting for hours out of luck.

    • The countdown to the arrival of Taylor Swift鈥檚 Eras Tour is on, with three dates planned in Vancouver this December - and some condo owners are looking to cash in on the fan frenzy.

    • Canada Post driver Rick Harper recounts how he and others helped save a woman from a Tesla that caught fire after crashing into a guardrail on Lake Shore Boulevard.

    • One person has been rushed to the hospital following a shooting in North York.

    • A CAMH staff member has been seriously injured after being stabbed by a co-worker Friday night.

    • The Alberta legislature is set to reconvene on Monday and the Danielle Smith government will be providing more details about its plans for the session.

    • A person is dead in the aftermath of a traffic incident in Calgary's northeast on Friday evening.

    • An investigation into the death of a man in Calgary police custody earlier this month has concluded that officers did not contribute to his death and that he was cared for properly.

    • Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say a 14-year-old boy from Bridgewater, N.S. is facing several charges in connection with threats made against a Catholic high school in eastern Ontario.

    • A Montreal man is charged with first-degree murder in connection to the stabbing death of a woman at a park in Ottawa鈥檚 south end on Thursday.

    • Ontario Provincial Police are investigating after a body was found in Perth, Ont. Friday afternoon.

    • Quebec's social services minister says he's outraged by reports that educators at a detention centre for youth in Montreal had sexual relations with minor detainees 鈥 and that one of the employees allegedly had a baby with a teenage resident.

    • Two minors were in court Friday to face charges after four teenagers were stabbed outside a Montreal high school.

    • Infectious disease specialists are concerned about a rise in the number of 'walking pneumonia' cases and that the disease is appearing in younger children.

    • A former Alberta teacher has been sentenced to four years for sexually abusing a student.

    • A second person has been charged in connection with the death of a man in the Kingsway area earlier this year.

    • The Alberta legislature is set to reconvene on Monday and the Danielle Smith government will be providing more details about its plans for the session.

    • The GoFundMe page for the family of an employee found dead at a Halifax Walmart last weekend has paused donations after almost $200,000 was raised in roughly 24 hours.

    • Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say a 14-year-old boy from Bridgewater, N.S. is facing several charges in connection with threats made against a Catholic high school in eastern Ontario.

    • Eviction day is one week away and the number of tents in the median of University Avenue in Halifax is steadily decreasing ahead of the city-imposed deadline.

    • Winnipeg police are looking for a suspect after a woman's dorm room was broken into at the U of M and she was assaulted.

    • Repairs to the historic 110-year-old rail bridge at The Forks could come with a multi-million dollar price tag.

    • Manitoba RCMP are providing an update to a crash on Highway 1 that killed one person on Wednesday.

    • Saturday will mark the end of the CFL regular season, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders will have their eyes on Winnipeg鈥檚 matchup versus Montreal to know if they have a chance of clinching the West Division.

    • With an attempt to address the shortage of housing available in the community, the City of Yorkton has started a housing incentive program where new builders will receive a 50 per cent rebate on residential lots, and a full tax exemption for five years.

    • As the final day of voting for the Saskatchewan election inches closer, voters may be wondering when official winners will be declared.

    • Geovanny Villalba-Aleman, the man who stabbed three people in a gender studies class at the University of Waterloo, says he 鈥榓cted dumb鈥.

    • All the evidence has now been called at the trial of Erick Buhr, who has pleaded not guilty to second degree murder in the death of his grandmother, Viola Erb.

    • Residents spotted smoke coming from a waste management site in Waterloo on Friday afternoon.

    • A Saskatchewan woman is worried her child might die before receiving life-saving surgery and tests as he sits on the province's surgical waitlist.

    • The Saskatchewan RCMP is releasing the names of two suspects arrested on Thursday for a violent vehicle theft that triggered a widespread police search.

    • Police have still not confirmed the identity of a body discovered in Prince Albert last week.

    • The Town of Cochrane plans to roll out its $10-lot program in a month or two.

    • Two people 鈥 one from Timmins, the other from Kapuskasing -- have been fined more than $7,000 for camping violations, including empty septic tanks directly onto the ground.

    • The federal government is spending a significant amount of money to improve Indigenous student learning across Ontario.

    • A new staff report calls for homeless encampments to be allowed even closer to residential neighbourhoods, reducing the buffer zone from 100 metres to 25 metres.

    • London police have issued a warning to the public following an increased number of overdoses in the area of Queens Avenue and Adelaide Street North.

    • The London Knights picked up an overtime win at Canada Life Place Friday night.

    • Provincial police say there is an active investigation going on in the Town of Huntsville.

    • Several students have been banned from being spectators at school sporting events, and others suspended from school, after verbal and physical exchanges at a high school soccer game.

    • A 15-year veteran officer with the South Simcoe Police Service has been charged with discreditable conduct following an allegation of sexual assault.

    • The Windsor Police Service is investigating a suspicious death in south-central Windsor.

    • A Harrow school is memorializing two students and their mother, who were tragically killed in June.

    • The Gordie Howe International Bridge will serve as a new crossing for vehicles, but many walkers and cyclists are also excited about the opportunity to access the U.S. in a different way.

    • The final count of ballots in the 2024 B.C. election begins Saturday, with more than 66,000 mail-in and absentee votes potentially yet to be counted across the province's 93 electoral districts.

    • There were tense moments at a ferry terminal outside Victoria, B.C., on Friday after the lion鈥檚 share of standby spots on an early sailing were claimed by 鈥渁ssured loading鈥 passengers 鈥 leaving regular customers who had been waiting for hours out of luck.

    • Hulitan Early Years Centre is a brand new, 48-seat childhood learning centre in Colwood. It was built to support Indigenous children throughout the capital region.

    • More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • About 15,000 students are enrolled at Lethbridge鈥檚 post-secondary schools, and now the city is working with those schools to try to find ways to get them s to stick around a while.

    • With Halloween less than a week away, organizations in Lethbridge are preparing to get in on the trick-or-treating fun.

    • The City of Lethbridge is bringing forward a water conservation policy, the first of its kind for the city.

    • The union that represents hospital workers across the province is used a symbol from Greek mythology Friday in Espanola to drive home its campaign about the perils of privatization in health care.

    • CTV's Coats for Kids is nearing the end of its donation window, with the need as strong as it鈥檚 ever been.

    • The Anishinabek Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police are investigating the circumstances around a death in Fort William First Nation.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 愛污传媒