Friday, July 6, 2007

A Tale of Two Leaders

Last week, Russia’s president, Vlad Putin, declared that Russia owned the Arctic Ocean – at least up to the north pole. This means Russian ambitions now rub up worryingly against Canadian territory. Your friendly Moscovite oligarch has seen Canada prove out the immense potential wealth in the region (think Nanesivik or Polaris mines) and now thinks nothing of swatting pesky Canada aside to claim those riches for themselves.

Canada’s reaction? Thankfully, muscular, assertive and unambiguous. The government sees the potential, understands the stakes and puts money where our interests lie.

The opposition? Our friends, the Liberals, take a pass on all this complicated national interest stuff, preferring instead to protect Margaret Atwood’s pocket book.