Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10TORONTO7
2010-02-02 21:07:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Consulate Toronto
Cable title:  

Ignatieff's COS Donolo on Elections, U.S., IPR

Tags:  PGOV PREL CA 
pdf how-to read a cable
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E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/02
TAGS: PGOV PREL CA
SUBJECT: Ignatieff's COS Donolo on Elections, U.S., IPR

CLASSIFIED BY: Kevin Johnson, Consul General, State, Toronto Exec;
REASON: 1.4(B),(D)

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STATE FOR EEB/TPP/IPE (URBAN)
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PASS TO AMCONSUL QUEBEC
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PASS TO APP WINNIPEG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/02
TAGS: PGOV PREL CA
SUBJECT: Ignatieff's COS Donolo on Elections, U.S., IPR

CLASSIFIED BY: Kevin Johnson, Consul General, State, Toronto Exec;
REASON: 1.4(B),(D)


1. (C/NF) Summary: Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff's
Chief of Staff Peter Donolo told CG January 22 that PM Harper would
likely push for Fall elections now that his "heavy-handed" prorogue
of Parliament had backfired with the public and made Spring
elections less attractive. He said time was on the Liberals' side
and said the March "thinkers summit" would reinvigorate his party
as similar gatherings had in the past. He stressed that differing
with the U.S. was a "defining element" of being Canadian. Asked
about IPR, he said it was not a partisan issue, but that Ignatieff
was asked about copyright issues at every campus stop by those
wanting content "free forever"; Ignatieff always answered that, as
a former author, he insists that creators be protected, and that
Liberals would have no objection to thoughtful and fair IPR reform.
End summary.



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PM Wanted Spring elections, but Miscalculated

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2. (SBU) On January 22 Liberal party leader Ignatieff's new Chief
of Staff Peter Donolo was optimistic and animated on many topics in
his first meeting with CG. Calling recent Conservative Party (PC)
declines in polls the direct result of Prime Minister Stephen
Harper's proroguing of Parliament, Donolo said Harper badly
overplayed his hand and would now likely abandon his hopes for a
Spring election. Acknowledging that the Liberals "needed the
time," he said a Fall election was now more likely. He said the
Liberals' March "thinkers conference" would reinvigorate a party
not accustomed to being in opposition, but that it would not
produce a specific party agenda, something which would come later
and be held closely until the election campaign. He called PM
Harper clever, but a right-wing ideologue out of touch with
Canadian values. He said Harper ended any semblance of Canadian
leadership in international affairs, although he acknowledged that
Harper's response to the Haiti earthquake was robust.



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Differing with the U.S. Defines Us

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3. (C/NF) Donolo went on at length about how important it is to
Canadians to be seen as different from Americans. He said this
difference "defines us" along with French-English tension and
accommodation and East-West competition. He noted PM Mulroney had
been a U.S. "lap dog" in a way even Harper was wary of. He
recalled once calling White House press secretary Michael McCurry
after President Clinton had been "over the top" in praising PM
Chretien, asking that the President be "less generous lest he hurt
the PM politically." McCurry laughingly said that was the first
time a foreign leader had ever asked for "LESS" love from the
President rather than more. Things are easier with a Democrat in
the White House, he added, but we should always remember this "need
for difference." He speculated that Canada staying out of the Iraq
war might have saved free trade by convincing Canadians that they
need not fear political integration with the U.S., so economic
integration was less threatening.



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IPR Reform OK with Liberals in Principle

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4. (U) Asked about support for IPR reform, Donolo said Ignatieff
was asked at every campus visit about supporting a system that

would keep internet content "free forever." While supporting
democratic access to information and sympathetic to protests
against monopolies, Ignatieff always reminded the audience that, as
an author, he supported rules to protect content. Donolo said
Liberals had no objection to fair and thoughtful IPR reform,
acknowledging that Canada should comply with international
standards. He was aware that the EU was also pushing this issue.




5. (C/NF) Comment: While not surprising in substance, the
vehemence and length of Donolo's exposition on differing with the
U.S. stood out. Working for a candidate criticized for having used
"we" when talking about Americans, Donolo may find this an
especially important talking point in general. He may also have
been signaling to a U.S. official that we should expect and
understand some aggressive use of "not the U.S." in Liberal
campaigns.
JOHNSON