Foreign Policy Under a Conservative Government

The Woodrow Wilson Center's Canada Institute joined with the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute to co-sponsor CDFAI's 2006 Annual Conference on October 30, 2006. The conference, "Foreign Policy Under a Conservative Government: An Interim Report Card," was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ottawa and looked at the Harper government's record on foreign policy, defense, and development. The Canada Institute sponsored the panel on Canada-U.S. relations.

Other conference partners included the Centre for Security and Defence Studies at Carleton University's Norman Patterson School of International Affairs, the Institut québécois des hautes études internationales at Université Laval, Queen's University's Centre for International Relations, the Chaire de recherche du Canada en politiques étrangère et de defense canadiennes at the Université du Québec à Montréal, the Groupe d'étude et de recherche sur la sécurité internationale/Research Group in International Security, the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), and the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP).

In conjunction with the conference, CDFAI commissioned Innovative Research Group Inc. to conduct an online national survey of the views of Canadians on the performance of the Conservative government so far and on some of the major challenges before the government, such as Canada's role in Afghanistan, Canada-U.S. relations, and the Israel-Hezbollah conflict of the summer of 2006. The poll results can be accessed here: Poll Results

Opening Remarks and Moderator:
William Hogg, Research Group in International Security and Bishop's University

Poll Results:
Greg Lyle, Innovative Research Group Inc.

Keynote Address:
Hon. John Manley, McCarthy Tétrault

Panel 1: Parliament and Minority Government
Chair - David Pratt, Advisor to the Secretary General and Special Ambassador for the Canadian Red Cross
Jean-Jacques Blais, former chair, Pearson Peacekeeping Centre (click here for conference notes)
Kim Richard Nossal, Queen's University
Denis Stairs, Dalhousie University

Panel 2: U.S.-Canadian Relations
Chair - David Biette, Canada Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Paul Cellucci, McCarter & English (Boston)
Paul Frazer, The Livingston Group (Washington, D.C.)
Ben Stancati, Colorado Technical University

Luncheon Keynote Address:
Hon. Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
To view text of speech click here.

Panel 3: Prospects for Multilateralism
Chair - Charles Pentland, Queen's University
Adam Chapnick,Canadian Forces College (Toronto)
Bruce Jones, New York University
Gordon Smith, University of Victoria

Panel 4: The Provinces and Foreign Policy: A New Federalism?
Chair - Gérard Hérvouet, Université Laval
Louise Beaudoin, Université du Québec à Montréal
Jean-Christophe Boucher, Université Laval, and Stéphane Roussel, Université du Québec à Montréal
David Dyment, University of Ottawa (click here for conference notes)
Commentary - Nelson Michaud, École Nationale d'Administration Publique

Debate:
Chair - Peter Harder, Foreign Affairs Canada
David Bercuson, University of Calgary
Stéphane Roussel, Université du Québec à Montréal
Paul Heinbecker, Wilfrid Laurier University and Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI)

Closing Remarks:
William Hogg