Lord Jim of Dilling - Diplomat Magazine

Questions asked|DIPLOMATICADM: Joe Clark recently spoke out about thelack of funding going to the foreign service.Do you have any thoughts on that?AM: Well, there’s a great deal that canbe done by the foreign service but thereare certain very immediate demands onmission time. I remember I had a missionmeeting in Canberra and the (Canadian)high commissioners from all the countries,from Japan through to India, werethere. Those in India, Pakistan, Thailandand Malaysia were complaining thattheir youngest, most junior officers spentmost of their time visiting Canadianswho’d been jailed for carrying narcotics.You have to look after all the consularstuff. Those are priorities and certainlybusinessmen are priorities too.On the exchange, of information onlegislation and on trying get at the rootsof problems, or giving aid in certaindirection, a lack of funding just limitswhat you can do. And, if you don’t haveenough money to get out and travelaround the country – say, in a hugecountry like Russia – you can’t do yourjob as well.I think right now the priority is obviouslyon the economic downturn insteadof foreign affairs. They will be trying toexpand and modernize the outreach ofour missions in the United States. I thinkit is an absolute necessity to strengthenthat. We ought to have a small office inmany more states than we do to help Canadiansget a share of the trade.The Perfect Gift forthat Special SomeoneA CELADONGIFT CERTIFICATE373 St. Laurent (at Hemlock)613 - 746-3500 www.celadonspa.caHAIR • SKIN • BODY • NAILSDM: Looking at the world today, whatworries you the most?AM: I think that in the process of tryingto control this economic downturn, theremay be a tendency to introduce regulatorysystems which will create more authoritariansystems of government.I think if China is dealing with itsproblems and a central government istrying to counter the drop in export sales,the Communist party will strengthenits position. The same applies in Russia.That’s what happens in an economicdownturn. One hopes the downturn willnot last too long so that we can see thelight at the end of the tunnel and returnto more private enterprise. A certainamount of regulation is required and Ithink we’ve been reasonably successfulin that.DM: Anything else you want to add?AM: Nothing except that I’m lookingforward to the launching of my book onApril 22, in the Pearson Building.diplomat and international canada 15