PRIME
MINISTER
Louis
St.Laurent
John
Diefenbaker
PARTY
ELECTORAL
RESULTS
FOREIGN POLICY
LIBERAL
1948 - 1957
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refused to outlaw communism
CONS.
1957 - 1963
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cancelled Avro Arrow project
during Cuban Missile Crisis delayed in putting NORAD forces on alert,
refused to allow US planes to land on Canadian bases
did not want nuclear weapons to be stored on Canadian soil
accused of being anti-American – people feared this would damage
trade and investment
believed Canada should accept nuclear weapons under certain
conditions
critical of Vietnam War – resulted in poor relations with US president
(Lyndon Johnson)
wanted a foreign policy less dependent on US approval, but recognized
the need to consider them to an extent – “sleeping beside an
elephant”
recognized the communist government of the People’s Republic of
China; went against US pressure
weaker national defence policy: removed nuclear missiles from NATO
forces, dismantled domestic missile sites, cut national defence budget,
reduced NATO contingent
maintained Canada’s place in NATO and NORAD
strong foreign aid policy – first world countries should be building links
with third world countries - “trade and aid” – in order to bridge the
North-South gap
developed CIDA to further this cause – boost foreign aid to less
industrialized countries
formed FIRA to limit the amount of foreign investment in Canada
made peace initiatives to improve relations between US and Soviet
Union


Lester
Pearson
LIBERAL
1963 - 1968


Pierre
Trudeau
LIBERAL
1968-1979,
1980-1984
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Brian
Mulroney
CONSERVA
TIVE
1984 - 1993
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John
Chretien
LIBERAL
1993 - 2003

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worked to forge closer ties with the US
very close to Ronald Reagan
under public pressure did not support “Star Wars”, but private
Canadian companies could bid on contracts
dismantled FIRA and replaced it with Investment Canada, which
encouraged foreign investment
involved in negotiations which led to Free Trade Agreement with the
US – very controversial – eventually expanded to NAFTA
supported Canadian participation in the 1991 Gulf War
took part in the NATO air strikes aimed at stopping Serbian President
Milosovic from persecuting Albanians in Kosovo
disbanded Airborne Regiment after Somalia
supported Canadian peacekeeping actions in Rwanda
promoted Canadian trade missions with countries in Asia and Latin
America
did not support US led invasion of Iraq in 2003