Abstract
Drawing on issues and insights emerging from individual chapters, this concluding chapter addresses some of the broader themes about the state of democracy worldwide and in Canada as they are being shaped by recent events. These include the growing signs of polarization in established democracies, the shrinking of civic space and alleged foreign interference in Canada’s electoral system and politics and the global crisis caused by the war in the Ukraine.
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Notes
- 1.
In March 2023 expert testimony before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, David Morrison, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, underlined that intelligence reports are ‘not truth’ and ‘rarely paint a full or concrete or actionable picture.’ In obliquely disparaging media reliance on unnamed and uncorroborated sources as little more than rumour, Morrison’s testimony also cast a very poor light on the quality and veracity of intelligence available to high-level Canadian national security officials.
- 2.
Allegations, which can lead to infringements of democratic rights and personal safety, have been made against members of the Canadian Chinese community, including a respected Chinese Canadian senator (from Singapore) and a newly elected mayor accused of being agents of the Chinese government. Unfounded accusations tarnished the reputations of Maher Arar, John Holmes, Paul Lin and Herbert Norman. See “Open Letter: Discussions of foreign interference and national security can quickly become toxic.” Canadian Dimension. March 25, 2023.
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Cameron, M.A., Gillies, D., Carment, D. (2023). Conclusion. In: A. Cameron, M., Gillies, D., Carment, D. (eds) Democracy and Foreign Policy in an Era of Uncertainty. Canada and International Affairs. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35490-8_13
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