March 24, 2003
In these days of war, some, including editorial writers at Canada’s National Post, ponder the motives of the "mostly mute" Paul Martin.
"As bad as our current Prime Minister has been on the Iraq file, our PM-in-waiting could be worse," said a Saturday Post editorial. "Jean Chretien has at least shared his opinions on the subject. Paul Martin, on the other hand, has expressed almost none at all.
"For better or worse, Canadians know exactly where each of our opposition leaders, most of our premiers, and a good number of backbenchers stand on war. But the man who has spent the past decade plotting to take over from Mr. Chretien has adopted the same duck-and-cover approach he has on virtually every other controversial issue: Mr. Martin blandly declares he supports the government’s position--and even then, only when cornered."
According to the Toronto-based daily, "Given the strong possibility of continued international unrest when Mr. Martin takes over later this year or early next, the former finance minister must clearly spell out where he stands on the war. Canadians deserve to know whether the man who will lead us is an acolyte of Tony Blair…or Jacques Chirac."
Neither one, say the editors of CanadaFreePress.com. Martin is acolyte of none other than Maurice Strong, senior adviser to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, shadowy architect of the Kyoto protocol, author of the Earth Charter, and the man who, more than anyone else on earth, "Mr. UN."
CFP was told by a journalistic colleague that a condominium is being purchased in Ottawa for Strong, who will return from abroad to be by the side of his protégé, ensuring the Chretien-to-Martin-transition goes down without a hitch.
Strong is not merely Martin’s mentor; he’s his creator in the business world.
In addition to being Mr. UN, Strong is a powerful businessman, who has served as president of such massive energy companies as Petro Canada and Ontario Hydro. At age 29, Strong became president of Power Corporation of Canada, fusing his destiny to Canada’s wealthiest and most influential families--including Paul Martin Sr. and Jr.
Strong’s own words leave no guesswork to the ties between himself and Canada’s sure to be next Prime Minister.
After university, Martin was hired as Strong’s personal assistant. "I brought him into the company," said Strong, describing how he steered Martin through "a few bumpy episodes" and into "a star performer."
Martin climbed the corporate ladder at Strong’s company, and eventually acquired control of the now controversial Canada Steamship Lines, the source of Martin’s great wealth to this day.
"This set the stage for his inevitable entry into political life," Strong wrote in his book, Where on Earth Are We Going. Strong was instrumental in guiding Martin towards unimaginable personal wealth--and even predicted Martin’s path to becoming Prime Minister.
Average Canadians know Strong mostly because he used their tax dollars to buy a Costa Rican rain forest when he was Ontario Hydro chairman.
But Strong’s intriguing activities in the international arena, before his predicted return to the side of his protégé, are worthy of note.
This winter, Strong turned up in China where he said he intended to work on making that country a superpower more powerful than the U.S.
As a special envoy to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Strong has twice been to North Korea in recent months.
North Korea is preparing for possible war with the United States, and is concerned about Washington’s intentions after its attack on Iraq, said Strong on his return last Saturday.
"North Korean officials say missile tests and other recent steps that have unsettled its neigbours were meant as preparation for such a conflict," Strong told Joe McDonald of Associated Press.
"The United States says it wants a peaceful settlement to the dispute. But the U.S. war in Iraq is getting intense study from North Korean officials," Strong told reporters.
"They are watching it very carefully and with deep concern, and questioning what this means in terms of the United States' ultimate intentions toward them," he said.
"Strong did not specify how he knew about the military preparations, and gave no details.
"Strong said he met with ‘very senior people’, but wouldn’t give their names or other details. He said he was conveying ‘guidance and information’ between the two sides, but couldn’t discuss it before he reports to Annan."
This is how Paul Martin’s mentor/ creator feels about the U.S. in Iraq. Perhaps it also sheds light on how the "mostly-mute", "duck-and-cover" Canadian PM-in-waiting is thinking.
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
Pursuant to Title 17 U.S.C. 107, other copyrighted work is provided for educational purposes, research, critical comment, or debate without profit or payment. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for your own purposes beyond the 'fair use' exception, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Views are those of authors and not necessarily those of Canada Free Press. Content is Copyright 1997-2018 the individual authors. Site Copyright 1997-2018 Canada Free Press.Com Privacy Statement