Angry in the Great White North

Both the Liberals and the NDP initially criticized the decision taken by Stephen Harper's government to denounce the upcoming UN-sponsored Durban II conference on racism and withdraw from any participation.  NDP MP Bill Siksay had this to say on Mike Duffy Live:

Bill Siksay: Mike, I think its very important that Canada be there even if we bring a different perspective and can say something differently than other people in the world.  We do have a strong tradition of participating in that, something that a former Conservative government, the Mulroney government, actually had played a key role in bringing down apartheid in Africa, in doing key work in racism.  It's too bad that the Harper government is abandoning that.  We should be there to put forward our experience on working on this, and not abandoning the multilateral process.

The Liberal position was that by not participating, Canada is acting like the United States under George W Bush, disrespecting the United Nations:

Dominic Leblanc: Well, Mike, we've said all along that the government has an obligation to speak out against racism worldwide, and those kind of anti-Semitic comments that Jason correctly attributes to the government of Iran are clearly unacceptable, but this is a government, Mike, that really has no interest in United Nations institutions.  We saw it with AIDS, we see it with climate change, we're seeing it with the Declaration of Rights of Indigenous People, so it's a pattern of disrespect they have for the multilateral process.  Very much, in fact, like the Bush administration.

The NDP argument is far more sophisticated.  Siskay made no mention of the UN, just that Canadian participation could add value and mitigate the extremism that will almost certainly be a major part of the conference.

When Jason Kenney announced that Canada would not participate in Durban II, he said that Canada's position would be that Canada would like to join in other conferences:

"The fact that Canada has tried its best to change the mood and tenor of Durban II and to see to it that the poisonous atmosphere of 2001 is not repeated, speaks volumes about this Government's commitment to Canadian values of freedom and liberty," added Adler.

Minister Kenney also indicated that Canada would be willing and prepared to work with NGOs dedicated to fostering democracy and are seeking alternative forums.

"FSWC would be pleased to participate and help in any way possible," said Avi Benlolo, Friends' President and CEO.

Well, a day has passed, and the NDP has come to agree with the government on every point:

The NDP is deeply committed to fighting racism and intolerance in Canada and around the world, said NDP Foreign Affairs Critic Paul Dewar (Ottawa Centre) and NDP International Human Rights Critic Wayne Marston (Hamilton-East Stoney Creek).

“We are deeply concerned that the integrity of the UN Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance has been compromised as a result of poor structure and a lack of real anti-racism leadership on the planning committee,” said Dewar.

According to the New Democrat MPs, the first UN anti-racism conference, held in Durban in 2001, became little more than a forum for spreading hatred and was a missed opportunity to work multilaterally to fight racism, discrimination and intolerance.

“New Democrats believe that the issue of anti-racism must be led by international voices that are respected throughout the world community,” said Marston. “This conference was clearly failing to achieve that.”

The NDP MPs also called on the Harper Conservatives to show real leadership on the issue. “Canada should not only cancel its participation in Durban II, but it should also take a role in proposing an alternative,” said Dewar. “Canada should take the initiative and host an international forum on the issues of racism, discrimination, xenophobia, and intolerance. Our country can serve as a platform for a world-wide discussion committed to uprooting racism.”

“The cancellation of our participation doesn’t mean that the Harper government can continue to sit on its hands and ignore the serious problems of racism that still exist in Canada,” said Marston. “Mr. Kenney should, without delay, assure the Government of Canada’s continued funding for the Anti-Racism Council of Canada.”

What a difference a day makes:

• Durban I was a miserable failure (Conservatives and NDP agree)
• All indications are that Durban II will be more of the same (Conservatives and NDP agree)
• Canada should not participate in Durban II (Conservatives and NDP agree [this is a shift in the NDP position])
• Canada ought to participate in alternative forums (Conservatives and NDP agree)

And the Liberals?

• Stephen Harper is acting like George W Bush by not going to this conference
• Participation in Durban II is necessary to break a patter of disrespect Canada has shown to the United Nations

Have the NDP flipped on this?  Of course, but it is rather diminutive flip, since Siskay's original comments only demanded that Canada speak out against racism, and not that Canada must participate in Durban II.  The initial position was that Canada's participation could be helpful.

The Liberals, on the other hand, were explicit about the need to participate in UN functions in general, and in Durban II conference in particular.

[After the portion of Siksay's comments I transcribed, Siksay went off topic into a rant about handing Afghanistan over to the United Nations, but by then he was no longer talking about Durban II.  In any case, he made no mention of the UN with regards to Durban II the way Liberal Dominic Leblanc did.]

All this combines to isolate the Liberals.  Liberal MP Dominic Leblanc was clear when he delivered the Liberal position on that episode of Mike Duffy Live.  Canada was being disrespectful of the UN.  Stephen Harper was acting like George W Bush.  If Canada was to show it's respect of, or even deference to, the United Nations, participating in the Durban II conference would be a welcome change in direction.

For the Liberals, it is all about being a good little UN member state.

Unlike the NDP, the Liberal Party has not yet issued any follow-ups to clarify that position.  The NDP has massaged its criticism in a way that now acknowledges that the decision taken by the government is the right one (with the pro forma complaints that the government hasn't gone far enough). 

With what the Bill Siksay said on Mike Duffy Live, it wasn't too far an adjustment for the NDP to make.  Credit that to an initial position that was nuanced enough to tolerate a significant shift without looking like a major flip-flop.

I don't know that the Liberals can pull off the same change.  The Liberals would have to concede that this conference is not like the UN functions the Liberals named, and that would be a change from the initial Liberal position.  The Liberals would also have to either say that not participating in Durban II did not constitute a rejection of multiculturalism, or that it did, but was justified in this case.

Again, that would be a significant change from the initial Liberal criticism.

It'll be interesting to see if the Liberal position evolves as much as the NDP position has.  If not, the Liberals will find themselves alone in demanding that the Canadian government send an official delegation to help Nazis and anti-Semites hold a successful racism conference.

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