All levels of government struggle to catch Canadians attention

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Governments of all levels in Canada – Ottawa, Queen’s Park and municipally like Quinte West – struggle to catch Canadians attention as they issue public statements.

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This is not easy as the average Canuck must put down his Molson Canadian, burp, pass gas and then focus on some blurry news releases and statements.

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Example: A joint statement from Canada and Korea issued by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office on his website Oct. 30. My interpretation is in brackets. Don’t be alarmed, just slog through and pretend that you care. This first one is hard slogging.

“Reaffirming the enduring strength and vitality of the Canada-Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (let’s do it again) in a rapidly shifting global landscape (change), and building on the inaugural Foreign and Defence (2+2) Ministerial Meeting in November 2024 (2+2=4), the leaders welcomed the establishment of the Canada-Korea Security and Defence Cooperation Partnership, the first of its kind for Canada in the Indo-Pacific (something new but now old, Laddies). This landmark partnership provides a clear, action-oriented framework for accelerating defence cooperation, enhancing interoperability (no idea what this means) and readiness. It will support efforts to advance a free, open, and rules-based (huh?) Indo-Pacific region (Asian countries), support innovation (new stuff) and resilience in defence industries…. (we are buying the damned submarines and they are not from Subway.)

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“In addition, the leaders announced the conclusion of substantive negotiations on an Agreement on the Protection of Military and Defence Classified Information (we are not going to publish our secrets, we are going to wait for a whistleblower to do it).

Upon entry into force (brass knuckles), the Agreement will provide the legal foundation for enhanced collaboration in defence procurement, defence industrial security, research, and operational coordination (a get-together that sounds somehow ominous but just means the two leaders are going to dance together.)

This news release from the prime minister can be summed up in words: Canada is cutting deals with South Korea.

Reporters for the Canadian news media often do not filed stories based on news statements like the one above Carney’s office.

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First, it is time consuming to translate the news releases into plain English (and/or French). Second the releases don’t really provide anything much that touch the lives of that average Canadians want to read and third, if you must translate news releases like this, after a few many reporters contract Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD.

Just one more example of political speak, so hang in there.

Recently, Carney met with the prime minister of Australia and New Zealand and Singapore.

In order not to bore you any further, the leaders of these countries met and decided to trade more items.

Australia will send Koalas and kangaroos to the other three nations, New Zealand will hand over lambs, Singapore dispatches drugs (the benign kind) and Canada gives them maple syrup and a moose or two.

Sorry, I must stop now as I am experiencing a headache.

On another subject but in the same vein are those submarine purchases. In Korea, Carney toured the subs the country hopes to sell to Canada. Billions.

Carney interpretation:

“One potato, two potato, three potatoes, four

I might buy the potatoes at the corner store.”

barry.ellsworth@sympatico.ca

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