Finger-pointing begins as Canada fails in UN bid

Stephen Harper is blaming Canada’s failure to win a seat on the Security Council on the opposition, but experts say it’s his foreign policy.

Canada suffered an embarrassing rebuke yesterday when UN member countries passed it over and awarded a temporary seat on the Security Council to Portugal, a country in economic distress and with no track record as a major international player. Harper had campaigned hard for the seat and recently tried to bolster the country’s international image by hosting the G8 and G20 summits, improving relations with China, and announcing increased aid to some countries. Experts say that Canada’s decreased aid to Africa, support of Israel, and less-than-robust stance on climate change are unpopular in the international community. Harper said comments that Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff made before the vote made Canada appear disunited and ruined the country’s chances.