On Thursday, Mark Carney stood in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and said something long overdue when it comes to Canadian foreign policy. The PM called for an end to Canada endlessly lecturing other countries.

Carney was responding to a question about doing business with countries where we have a different view when it comes to issues like human rights.

LILLEY: If Mark Carney can avoid lecturing Saudi Arabia, why not Donald Trump? Back to video

“Lecturing countries from afar is an ineffective strategy. It’s satisfying, but it’s ineffective,” Carney said.

It’s interesting that he made those comments in Saudi Arabia given that lecturing by the Trudeau Liberal government in 2018 caused a rupture, to use one of Carney’s favourite words, with the Gulf kingdom.

In response to Saudi Arabia arresting Samar Badawi, the sister of imprisoned dissident Raif Badawi, Global Affairs Canada and then-foreign minister Chrystia Freeland issued calls for her immediate release. Neither Samar nor Raif were Canadian citizens, so our official involvement at the government level should have been limited and any statements made quietly, not brashly posted to........

© Edmonton Sun