Britain's foreign ministry has decided the G-20 maybe should be reduced to the G-13 and other hangers-on like Canada. After Stephen Harper has worked so hard to put Canada front and centre on the world stage, the Brits think we would be better placed toward the curtains on side stage. From the Sydney Morning Herald:
Ahead of a G20 summit in London next month, Britain's foreign ministry has divided the grouping of leading economies into two distinct tiers, one of which has been targeted as "high-priority" for lobbying, the Financial Times said Friday.
The report will likely embarrass the British government just days ahead of a meeting of G20 finance ministers near London on Saturday, before the April 2 summit.
According to the document, which was a tender for public relations services issued in December by the government, the 11 countries are the United States, China, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and South Africa.
The remaining seven -- the G20 includes the European Union's rotating presidency -- are Russia, Australia, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Indonesia and Turkey.
A spokesman for the ministry told the newspaper that the two-tier list was "absolutely not a firm hierarchy of the most important states for our political relations."
He said the 11 countries had been targeted for various reasons, such as having strong non-governmental organisations, media, academia, trade unions and civil society and "non-traditional actors like sovereign wealth funds".
We may not have a sovereign wealth fund but since when has Canada been a slacker on "strong, non-governmental organizations, media, academia, trade unions and civil society?" Christ, to get that from a Brit!
3 comments:
I get your drift.....but ever has Canada sat well in the eyes of the Brits......and I was born there. Cheers, A. Morris
Yeah, like Britain is in any position to be calling the shots. I for one don't give a rat's arse what the British gov't has to say about Canada and its position in the world. Tired old backward nation clinging to past glories, it is sad really. I say this as a child of a Brit and a Canadian who says what the hell have they done for us the past 60 odd years. Yeah, dick all.
Anon: 6:45....I'm sorry I don't understand your "dick all" comment. There has not ever been a more jolting comment made which is the backbone of what is the truth said by President Kennedy ....."Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country". I know the attitude of working class Brits....they believe they are entitled to "handouts" and I don't think this is what the article is about. A. Morris
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