Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin warned on Wednesday he would not "be dictated to," one day after the US ambassador told Canadian lawmakers not to drag the US' good name through the mud.
Martin, fighting for his political life ahead of a Jan. 23 election, said on the campaign trail: "I am not going to be dictated to as to the subjects I should raise."
"This dispute with the US demands leadership at the national level in Canada, even if that leadership happens to rankle some in the US," Martin said.
PHOTO: AP
The Canadian leader spoke after US Ambassador David Wilkins urged Canadian politicians on Tuesday to watch what they said about his country.
"Canada never has to tear the United States down to build itself up," Wilkins said, adding, "it may be smart election-year politics to thump your chest and criticize your friend and your No. 1 trading partner constantly.
"But it is a slippery slope, and all of us should hope that it doesn't have a long-term impact on the relationship," he said.
Seeking votes in western Canada, Martin said he would continue to speak his mind, especially where Canadian interests are concerned.
"The American ambassador is a man for whom I have a great deal of respect, but that does not change a vital point. When it comes to defending Canadian values, when it comes to standing up for Canadian interests, I'm going to call it like I see it," Martin said on Wednesday.
Wilkins, meanwhile, stressed that he had not been seeking to interfere in Canada's election.
"What I said yesterday was not in any way intended to affect an election. That's obviously Canada's business and Canadians will make that decision in January," he said.
Relations between the two neighbors chilled after Canada declined to support the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. A poll in Canada last month found 38 percent of respondents thought US President George W. Bush was the world's most dangerous figure.
However, other issues have tarnished US-Canadian relations, including a spat over Canadian softwood lumber exports and differences over environmental policies.
Martin is campaigning for re-election after his scandal-tainted Liberal Party minority government was ousted in a no-confidence vote.
Australians were downloading virtual private networks (VPNs) in droves, while one of the world’s largest porn distributors said it was blocking users from its platforms as the country yesterday rolled out sweeping online age restriction. Australia in December became the first country to impose a nationwide ban on teenagers using social media. A separate law now requires artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot services to keep certain content — including pornography, extreme violence and self-harm and eating disorder material — from minors or face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$34.6 million). The country also joined Britain, France and dozens of US states requiring
Hungarian authorities temporarily detained seven Ukrainian citizens and seized two armored cars carrying tens of millions of euros in cash across Hungary on suspicion of money laundering, officials said on Friday. The Ukrainians were released on Friday, following their detention on Thursday, but Hungarian officials held onto the cash, prompting Ukraine to accuse Hungary’s Russia-friendly government of illegally seizing the money. “We will not tolerate this state banditism,” Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha said. The seven detained Ukrainians were employees of the Ukrainian state-owned Oschadbank, who were traveling in the two armored cars that were carrying the money between Austria and
Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani on Friday after dissolving the Kosovar parliament said a snap election should be held as soon as possible to avoid another prolonged political crisis in the Balkan country at a time of global turmoil. Osmani said it is important for Kosovo to wrap up the upcoming election process and form functional institutions for political stability as the war rages in the Middle East. “Precisely because the geopolitical situation is that complex, it is important to finish this electoral process which is coming up,” she said. “It is very hard now to imagine what will happen next.” Kosovo, which declared
MORE BANS: Australia last year required sites to remove accounts held by under-16s, with a few countries pushing for similar action at an EU level and India considering its own ban Indonesia on Friday said it would ban social media access for children under 16, citing threats from online pornography, cyberbullying, online fraud and Internet addiction. “Accounts belonging to children under 16 on high-risk platforms will start to be deactivated, beginning with YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox,” Indonesian Minister of Communications and Digital Meutya Hafid said. “The government is stepping in so that parents no longer have to fight alone against the giants of the algorithm. Implementation will begin on March 28, 2026,” she said. The social media ban would be introduced in stages “until all platforms fulfill their
RSS