Altered States - Of Prime Concern

We discuss Africa a lot in these pages. In fact, some of the strongest responses received to this blog deal with that continent and what appears to be its deteriorating relationship with Canada. Two meetings in the last few weeks have driven this home once again.My family just returned from spending some time with Paul Martin on his farm in Quebec, as he was recovering from knee replacement surgery. Shortly before that I had the good fortune of hosting a lengthy chat with another former Prime Minister - Joe Clark - in my West Block office. It's humbling in its own way to personally witness the vast expanse of knowledge residing in the minds of these two former leaders. However, both individuals had one key thing on their minds. As Paul Martin put it: "Glen, what the hell is going on with our relationship with Africa?"Both of these men - one Conservative, the other Liberal - agree on many fronts, but perhaps no more keenly so than on the priority successive Canadian governments placed on Africa. It was the CIDA cuts to 8 African nations and the subsequent visit of a large group of African ambassadors to the Foreign Affairs Committee that forced the Conservative government's abandonment of large portions of development aid out into the open. Yet both Clark and Martin had been aware of the trend for some time previous.Joe Clark admits to a fascination with the huge continent and its ability to appeal to even the most average Canadian. He wonders aloud how his own party could so carelessly cut back on a place where so many Canadians continue to donate, visit, invest, or even take on significant roles of leadership. By the time he adds up the number of individuals, churches, groups like Rotary Clubs, Canadian non-governmental organizations, along with university and college students and departments invested in Africa, he is amazed that Stephen Harper can ignore such a groundswell of goodwill.Martin's view reaches the same conclusion but from a much loftier perch. Half of his time is spent helping to claim back the second largest rainforest in the world in the Congo, as well as assisting the African Development Bank in its efforts to bring the various African nations together in an economic union. He is passionate, articulate and, in his words, "damn angry" at how this country has fumbled the ball. He wanders around the house, one hand on his cane, the other slicing through the air for emphasis, denouncing what he believes is the disappearance of what was once a great Conservative and Liberal commitment.Two former leaders speaking from different perspectives but with a united voice. Joe Clark carefully outlined CIDA's past and what appeared to be, at the time, an unending commitment to Africa. Paul Martin spent hours crunching the numbers with me, showing that despite the government's claim to have doubled its aid to the continent, the results are anything but. Both discussions concluded with sadness that just as Africa had rounded a corner and showed impressive signs of growth and accountability, Canada decided to take a pass. These two brave and courageous men are standing in the breach, calling us to take a stand.  It's impressive but slightly tragic.