Foreign Minister John Baird.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Canada's foreign policy is getting noticed in the United States – and earning rave reviews from a popular voice of the Republican right.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird received accolades following an appearance on one of the most popular shows on U.S. conservative talk radio.
He was asked about Canada's position on the current Gaza conflict during an appearance on the Mark Levin show, whose audience size has been reported at somewhere between just under seven million and just over eight million people.
Baird summarized the Canadian government's views – saying Israel has a right to defend itself, Hamas is a terrorist organization, and there can be no moral equivalency in the face of terrorism.
Baird said there's a significant left-wing media bias, even in Canada, that's more critical of Israel – but he said the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper doesn't care.
After his appearance, the host spent a few minutes comparing Baird favourably to U.S. President Barack Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry, and even moderate Republicans.
Levin said he wished there was someone like him serving in the White House Oval Office – not some "lightweight cheap-shot artist," he said, referring unflatteringly to Obama.