Monday, November 29: In the wake of WikiLeak’s release of confidential diplomatic cables, CPAC Prime Time Peter Van Dusen welcomes Colin Robertson, former Canadian envoy to Washington and Michel Juneau-Katsuya, security intelligence specialist discuss the implications on U.S. foreign relations.
Excerpted from CTV.ca News Staff Mon. Nov. 29 2010 9:19 PM ET
Former Canadian diplomat Colin Robertson agrees that the diplomatic tradition should emerge from these revelations intact, if slightly red-faced.
“It’s not going to shake our relationship…. they represent a picture in time of a perspective of the relationship,” Robertson said in an interview from Ottawa on Monday.
Robertson expects the documents to cover a broad range of subjects including border issues, the Alberta oilsands and the U.S. president’s recent visit to Canada.
Even if unflattering portrayals of Prime Minister Stephen Harper emerge, Robertson says they are unlikely to impact his ongoing working relationship with U.S. President Barack Obama.
“They have a personal relationship,” Robertson said, noting that their two governments are echoing the reaction from leaders worldwide: that such communications are par for the course.
“These things are not intended to be made public … you do so with candour and trust thinking that what you write for your leadership is never going to be revealed to the other leadership. That’s how diplomatic relations have been conducted for centuries.”