Canada will become one of the most powerful nations: Tony Blair

[Mandeville]

Canada will become one of the most powerful nations: Tony Blair

Canada is poised to become an economic and political powerhouse in the world, former British prime minister Tony Blair said Friday.

In a speech to an oil and gas industry crowd in Calgary, Blair forecast that Canada's energy reserves and, what he called its "modern spirit," make for a bright future.

"I often say to people, Canada will become one of the most powerful nations in the world."

Blair's speech to more than 2,000 people was his first in Canada since stepping down as Great Britain's prime minister earlier this year.

Blair also cautioned that Canada's growing power will require greater obligations.

"As power grows … so does more responsibility," he said. "What you need to do is carry with it your optimistic spirit."

Canada is poised to become an economic and political powerhouse in the world, former British prime minister Tony Blair said Friday.

In a speech to an oil and gas industry crowd in Calgary, Blair forecast that Canada's energy reserves and, what he called its "modern spirit," make for a bright future. "I often say to people, Canada will become one of the most powerful nations in the world."

Blair's speech to more than 2,000 people was his first in Canada since stepping down as Great Britain's prime minister earlier this year.

Blair also cautioned that Canada's growing power will require greater obligations.

"As power grows … so does more responsibility," he said. "What you need to do is carry with it your optimistic spirit."

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In a question-and-answer session, led by former U.S. Ambassador and New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna, Blair urged Canada to continue its controversial military mission in southern Afghanistan.

He told members of the audience, who paid nearly $400 each to attend the event, that being tough-minded with Afghanistan's insurgency will "send a message to [the] terrorist" in the war-torn country.

The long-time Labour prime minister also paid tribute to Canadian forces in Afghanistan, saying they are doing a "marvellous job."

"It's important the forces of extremism are defeated," he said.

Working to find peace
Blair also cautioned that the fight against what he called extremists can't just be a military fight.

"It's a battle of ideas," he stressed. "If we want to win, we can't just be for democracy and freedom. We have to be for justice and fairness."

He said fighting poverty in Africa and moderating the negative effects of globalization will go a long way to defeating radical Islamic forces bent on creating unrest in the Middle East.

The former prime minister also appealed to the crowd to support his efforts as a Middle East envoy working to find peace in the volatile region.

Blair said there is a struggle going on within Islam between moderate forces and extremists and that Western nations need to empower moderates to side with Western nations.

Blair, however, did not wade into Alberta's raging oil and gas royalty debate.

"I'm just glad it's not my decision," he said to chuckles.

Earlier, Blair quipped that a local newspaper headline declaring "Premier Under Fire" had alarmed him, bringing back memories of being in power.

"What did I do now," asked the former prime minister to laughter.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/10/26/blair-canada.html

Tony is giving away our secret and thats not a good way to treat your friend! Soon Canada will invade the U.K. Mwhahahaaha.

 

[Damnyankee]

No, an economic power yes, anything else? No, its population is around 33 million.

 

[Mandeville]

No, an economic power yes, anything else? No, its population is around 33 million.

33 million people who think of nothing but how they will resist the coming American invasion.

 

[Damnyankee]

33 million people who think of nothing but how they will resist the coming American invasion.

Better sharpen those hockey sticks!!!

 

[warpus]

Tony Blair is an idiot, apparently.

 

[Taliesin]

This is Canada's century!

Thanks, Tony, but if you want us to build you a navy we're not interested.

 

[Mandeville]

We have something else up our sleeves...

 

[Fifty]

If there were any country I'd like to see rise as a giant superpower over the US or those big asian babyfactory countries, it would absolutely be Canada. I love Canada!

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

I have a feeling Blair was just flattering the crowd.

I mean, Canada will become relatively more powerful, especially compared to the other industrialized nations, but you would need a pretty broad range of "most powerful countries" to include Canada in it.

 

[Taliesin]

Maybe if we discovered a cold fusion process that runs on asbestos and maple syrup, or something.

 

[Evie]

...what is Tony smoking, again?

Then again...it IS true that Canada has enormous resources - particularly critical resources (oil-rich and water-rich nation). And global warming seems to generally favor Canada in terms of weather.

But we're still a far cry short on the population.

 

[druidravi]

Blair needs to play CIV

 

[Italian Celtic]

with love from Europe

Spoiler :

 

[LesCanadiens]

If we can increase immigration far above its current level, becoming a major military power in fifty years shouldn't be too much of an issue so long as we're willing to spend disproportionately vast amounts of money on the military, which we aren't.

 

[Tee Kay]

Canada got everthing: stable economy, (more or less) prosperous and happy population, abundant natural resources, large area, close overseas allies, established democratic tradition, political stability (forget Quebec for a moment), etc.

If the United States, China, India, Japan, France and Russia disappears tomorrows, Canada would be left the most powerful nation on the planet.

 

[Damnyankee]

Canada got everthing: stable economy, (more or less) prosperous and happy population, abundant natural resources, large area, close overseas allies, established democratic tradition, political stability (forget Quebec for a moment), etc.

If the United States, China, India, Japan, France and Russia disappears tomorrows, Canada would be left the most powerful nation on the planet.

Except, you know, Britain, which has double the population and military projection worldwide.

 

[Disenfrancised]

?

Well its all about perspective - in 50 years after the US, the EU, the BRIC, and Japan, Canada could be the 8th most powerful polity in the world! and 8th out of 100s is pretty damn close to 'most' statisitically speaking .

But seriously Canada has huge amounts going for it in the coming century (including a population growth rate slightly higher than the US - if these trends continue Canada will surpass the US!...in 4450 AD ), but superpower? Probably not.

 

[sysyphus]

I always knew that Tony Blair was not completely functional.

We dominate hockey and hockey only, and that's all we really want.

 

[lovett]

If the United States, China, India, Japan, France and Russia disappears tomorrows, Canada would be left the most powerful nation on the planet.

Except for Italy, the UK, Germany....

 

[TheBladeRoden]

In twenty years we'll all be ending our alphabets in zed!