TORONTO — Despite assurances from the new U.S. administration that Canada would be consulted on key international decisions, John Manley says there have been “a few surprises” since George W. Bush took over as president.
The foreign affairs minister said Thursday that a Canadian delegation, including Prime Minister Jean Chretien, was told during a February meeting with Bush that Canada would be kept in the loop on U.S. policy.
“What we were told in the meeting in February … was `no surprises,” said Manley, who took over his own high-profile portfolio last fall.
“I have to say that there have been a few surprises which maybe were predictable but which we were not given a heads-up on,” he said.
For instance, Canadians were blindsided in late March by the “very disappointing” U.S. announcement that the Americans will not implement the Kyoto protocol on global warming, Manley said.
And comments made by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld about European security “differed from those of Secretary (Colin) Powell when he met with NATO foreign ministers,” he said.
