CBC News first reported on a secret document outlining the new policy a year ago. In a fiercely competitive global economy, Canada cannot be complacent, Fast said. We must be more aggressive and effective than the intense competition we face as we advance Canadas commercial interests in key global markets. In short, this new plan will play to our strengths and ensure that all the government of Canadas diplomatic assets are harnessed to support the pursuit of commercial success by Canadian companies and investors. Fast said the change would entrench the concept of commercial success for Canadian firms and investors as one of the core objectives for the foreign service. The policy has clear objectives: within five years, Fast said, he wants to come close to doubling the 11,000 or so small and medium-sized Canadian firms that currently operate in emerging markets such as China, India and Brazil. If the strategy is successful, it would create upwards of 40,000 new export-oriented jobs, he added.
Posted on: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 19:16:18 +0000