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Doer named new U.S. ambassador

Flight to Churchill in 2007 launched discussion

By: Mia Rabson and Bartley Kives

28/08/2009 1:53 AM | Comments: 33

Gary Doer is all smiles as he sits in the office of the Prime Minister on Parliament Hill.

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Gary Doer is all smiles as he sits in the office of the Prime Minister on Parliament Hill. (ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

OTTAWA –  Manitoba Premier Gary Doer has been named the next Canadian ambassador to the United States.

The NDP premier posed next to Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the Conservative prime minister's office this morning. Doer resigned Thursday as premier.

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"I’m delighted you’ve accepted our offer to become the next ambassador to the United States," Harper said to Doer. "You’ve been a tremendous first minister to work with and I know all the first ministers feel that way."

Doer thanked Harper for the "honour of representing Canada in Washington."

"I recognize we’re all part of the team," he said.

"I know as premiers we’ve been working as effectively as we can be with the governors of the United States. Mayors are working with mayors. It is very, very important to have strong relationships with the United States, but also to be able to reflect our mutual self-interest and Canada’s positions."

Doer’s ambassadorship to Washington began almost two years ago on a trip to Churchill with the Prime Minister.

Doer and Harper were heading to Manitoba’s north in October 2007 to announce funding for the port.

"We talked about kids, we talked about sports, we talked about premiers that don’t leave on time," said Doer.

He said he told Harper he believed 10 years was the mark at which he would step down.

"He was very aware of my timing," Doer said, in his first interview after his appointment was announced.

He wouldn’t say exactly when Harper first approached him about the ambassador’s job but many weeks, if not months, of background checks and diplomatic back and forth had to occur before this could be announced, he said.

Doer said he never specifically told Harper he’d be interested in a diplomatic position but he said he believes his years of work with various U.S. political groups, including governors’ associations, the North American SuperCorridor Coalition, and the Western Climate Initiative helped.

He said the fact Harper reached out across party lines was a good thing.

"I think Canadians want their prime minister to speak for all Canadians."

Doer said as ambassador it will be "the first time in my life I have to be diplomatic."

Manitoba Cabinet Minister Steven Fletcher said it is a great appointment.

"It’s good for Manitoba, too, to have someone who knows our issues," he said.

Fletcher, who has been critical of Doer in the past, said he believes Doer has proven he can work with anyone from any political party.

"An ambassador is nonpartisan and Doer certainly has a record of being able to reach out to people from all kinds of backgrounds," said Fletcher.

Doer announced his resignation as Manitoba premier Thursday. He said the timing of his official departure from the Manitoba legislature and his arrival in Washington is being coordinated.

He is hoping to stay on as premier until a new NDP leader can be chosen in a convention.

The Manitoba NDP's provincial executive will meet Monday evening to set a date and place for a convention to pick a leader to succeed party leader Gary Doer. Lorraine Sigurdson, the provincial party's president, said the executive tried to schedule a meeting for tomorrow, but found it was too difficult to assemble enough people on such short notice.

Before Doer can be sworn in U.S. President Barack Obama has to officially accept the appointment. A spokeswoman from the Prime Minister’s Office said that will likely happen in September.

Former Conservative finance minister Michael Wilson has been the Canadian ambassador in Washington since March 13, 2006, after stints as chairman of UBS Canada and with the RBC Financial Group.

University of Winnipeg president Lloyd Axworthy, who once served as Canada’s foreign affairs minister, called the Doer appointment a good move for Canada and especially for the western provinces.

"We’ve seen he’s made a special effort with a wide variety of American officials. He knows the country well and has a good understanding of the issues, everything from Devil’s Lake to the mid-continental (trade) corridor."

Axworthy said Canada’s diplomatic presence in the U.S. has not kept pace with Canadian activities in that country. He said Doer, as a centrist, will have "some simpatico" with the Democratic administration of U.S. President Barack Obama.

"No criticism of (current ambassador) Mike Wilson, but for three years he was having to gear to the peculiarities of the Bush admininistration and it’s tough to shift gears," said Axworthy. He praised the appointment by Tory prime minister Harper as a "nice, non-partisan move."

Doer also understands energy and water-resource issues, "which have been emerging as the crucial issues between the two countries," Axworthy said.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest said Thursday he liked the idea of his longtime ally and friend possibly ending up in Washington, D.C., as Canada's ambassador to the United States.

"If that were the case, then I would be the first to applaud that,'' Charest told the Free Press in an interview only hours after Doer announced he would step down Thursday.

It was inevitable Doer would wind up in the United States, said University of Manitoba political studies professor Jared Wesley. "It was just a question of where."

"Premier Doer has excellent contacts in the United States, particularly with western governors. He’s also been on numerous trade missions," Wesley said.

In his resignation speech on Thursday, Doer hinted at the possibility a Tory prime minister could appoint an NDP premier to a high-profile position.

"The old left-right jargon I believe is out of date and out of touch with the public," he said.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca

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33 Commentscomment icon

Can anyone really name a time when Manitoba fared well economically compared to the rest of the country?

To little tax payer to population ratio.
Which has nothing to do with Doer.

Some of you make me nutty!

Congrats to the new Dumbassador!

This guy makes even the Bombers look like a winning team!

Regardless of what you may have thought of this man's time in office, and what he did or did not do while there, he will do Canada proud. Congratulations Mr. Doer. When push comes to shove, he will come shining through, and I have my chest out just a little bit knowing he is there as opposed to someone from Ontario. This fellow under stands the west and this could be to our advantage in the next few years.

Doer knows how the game is played and he will play it very well no doubt about that.

As for what happens here in Manitoba, I really don't care, as it will be more of the same. Hugh doesn't do it for me, John would, but there are not enough seats, and as for the NDP, the new leader will try to follow Doer's process for a year or two before they find their own footing, as every leader likes to make their own prints. But, it will be interesting to see how the political slug fest turns out. If any thing the newspapers will be kept busy, and we can take our minds off of the Bombers for awhile.

To DYL:
Manitoba has the highest taxes west of Quebec,double the personal income taxes of Saskatchewan.We don't even have personal tax exemptions for children.
Our debt is double from what it was in 2004,even with the highest transfer payments from Ottawa for the last 6 years.
Get your facts straight!
Nice Glen Murray move by Doer,though.

Congrats Mr. Doer.

To all those naysayers out there regarding Manitoba's fate during the recession & the Doer government's role in it, how do you explain the 2000+ job increase in MB in the month of June, the largest percentage in the country? (see online front page of WFP this afternoon). Is that also because Manitoba is a have-not province and had less to lose? Your conservative talking points get boring after awhile. While I do not attribute all economic successes (or downturns) to this government or any government for that matter, one has to admit Doer & co. steered the helm of the ship very well during his tenure. The major problem die-hard conservatives have is they can't admit that Doer acted more of a fiscal conservative than they ever thought possible. Those conservatives who are more objective will admit that is so. Frankly that is one of the major reasons Doer was successful for so long. Manitoba IS a have-not province and has always been such. Doer managed that well and put in place building blocks for future development. It takes decades for that to change, well beyond the scope of any one premier's term.

I must admit I totally agree with Gord R ,this is going to be a scarry ride the next few years we will have our recession now
& the big buisiness fat cats will get fatter,& we will have more poverty especially child poverty we are already #1 for that ........not good

avatar

Doer is a wise choice for Ambassador to the United States. He will sit on the fence and blow with the prevailing winds. As the US is Canada’s largest trading partner good relations are essential. The Americans still remember how the Liberals criticized them at every opportunity and that needs mending. Doer won’t ruffle any feathers and cause further animosity, treading very lightly. I see this as good. He was Premier of Manitoba for ten years and gained popularity by catering to the status quo. Something Manitoba is well known for. He never really delivered on any of his election promises and essentially accomplished very little. Yet he was immensely popular. Personally, I’m glad to see the tail end of him but view him as perfect for his new assignment. Doer was, is and always be an opportunist. He continues on his way and will shine in his latest assignment.

I always said that if Doer was woken up out of a deep sleep and asked what his political affiliation was he would say "Conservative". :>D

Hey Dyl,
Manitoba fared well in the recession because it had the slowest economy in the West, therefore the least to lose.

I'm very happy to hear this news as Mr. Doer will do us much less harm in this position.

Good luck Mr Doer. Now to watch the 3 ring circus of a NDP leadership convention. Grab the popcorn to watch Left Wing Bill battle centrist ????

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