Inadequate Canadian military equals no diplomatic clout

Liberal Senator Colin Kenny speaks the simple truth (full text only for subscribers).

The senator said the idea of Canada as an "honest broker" mediating international conflicts is a mirage, simply because no country or world body is ever asking the country to take on that role.

Mr. Kenny, chairman of the Senate's national security and defence committee, also said Canada needs military assets if it wants a voice in global conflicts. Decades of government neglect of the Canadian Forces meant Canada's forays into foreign affairs have rarely had any teeth, he said.

"For years, Canada has tried to have a foreign policy without having a defence policy, and (past governments) wondered why no one gives a damn about what we think," he said.

Good luck to foreign affairs minister Peter MacKay in Rome.