Harper motivated by fear of losing vote, not doing good at UN: Ex-diplomat

OTTAWA — Paul Heinbecker, Canada's former ambassador to the United Nations, has raised eyebrows with an assertion in his new book that Prime Minister Stephen Harper's campaign for a two-year rotation on the United Nations Security Council seems more motivated by "fear" of being the first Canadian government to lose the vote than by the good that could come of it.

Government officials will not comment on the book, Heinbecker's assertion, or the timing of its official release just a week before the Oct. 12th vote by the UN General Assembly. But there was a government response Wednesday stressing that Harper has campaigned for "accountability and transparency in the UN system" and that the government is proud of its track record in hosting the G8 and G20 summits; participating in UN missions in Afghanistan, Sudan and Haiti; and taking a tough line against Iran and North Korea.

"One way or the other, whatever happens, regardless of the result at the UN Security Council in October, we'll continue to show leadership in our foreign policy and our economic leadership toward helping those most in need in developing countries will continue to shine," said Catherine Loubier, spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon.

Aside from invoking UN endorsement of the mission in Afghanistan "for whatever political cover that affords," Heinbecker says in Getting Back in the Game, A Foreign Policy Playbook for Canada, that the Harper government has shown only intermittent interest in UN affairs.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Harper+motivated+fear+losing+vote+doing+good+diplomat/3599207/story.html

that has been and will always be his one priority; 'How is this going to make ME look?'