A Canadian goose among the leaders

The G20 Summit has been impressive, for the speed in which a consensus was achieved and an apparent lack of egos. So much so that Canada’s Stephen Harper would gone totally unnoticed if he had not gone missing during the obligatory photo shoot. So Canada provided the equally obligatory humorous moment.

What capped that sad episode of was the country’s main conservative newspaper, the National Post, leading the G20 story with a picture of Australia’s Kevin Rudd. Fair enough, I guess; Rudd had played a major behind the scenes role in the lead up to this historic talkfest.

While I do support Rudd it is not without reservations. Even so there is something especial satisfying when your national leader, punching well above his weight, is distinguished be such a fine performance. Michael Ignatieff is Canada’s PM in waiting and the sooner his Liberals gain government the better.

Harper waves his economic credential, no doubt well earned, but fails miserably to give them any credence in his role as steward of the country’s economy. He has been slow to acknowledge te depth of Canada’s exposure and slower to address the problems. It seems he was only a vague passenger at the G20.

I am inclined to thing the Liberal Ignatieff would find much in common with the Labor Rudd, Democrat Obama and New Labor Brown. The time for the conservative bully economics is past and Harper is among its last surviving relics. The current breed of leaders are distinguished by their flexibility in recognising real situations and responding without reference to ideology.

I hope we can welcome Ignatieff to the world community of leaders, for the world’s sake as well as Canada’s. The more considered and reasoning voices, as we recraft the world’s economies the better. It is time now for the Canadian goose to move on to other pastures.