Immediately after Russian scientists planted their country's flag on the bottom of the Arctic Ocean under the North Pole to bolster their recent territorial claim, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay dismissed it as a "show by Russia."
However, his assertion that the area is actually Canadian property has raised questions about his understanding of the Arctic file as the flag was planted in international territory.
"Minister MacKay demonstrated a clear lack of understanding on the issue by referring to this as Canadian waters on the basis of a long-standing Canadian claim," said Michael Byers, holder of the Canada Research Chair on Global Politics and International Law at the University of British Columbia.
"He got his speaking notes for the Northwest Passage mixed up with his speaking notes for the Arctic Ocean, and I think that's pretty appalling given the importance of this particular issue for the long-term interests of Canada."
The guy can't tell Toronto from Halifax. How do you think he's going to distinguish one hunk of ice from another?
Incidentally, has anyone set odds on MacKay's getting the boot during next week's cabinet shuffle? His name hasn't come up in places like this, but his various screw-ups have left him unpopular on both sides of the political spectrum. Personally, I would not be surprised to see him shuffled.
