On one-sided relations

As a prime example of just how ineffective the Cons have been in dealing with the U.S., Ambassador David Wilkins has confirmed that Maher Arar remains on the U.S.' border lookout system despite Arar's complete exoneration. And not only has the Cons' supposedly closer relationship given them absolutely no influence over U.S. decision-making, it didn't even earn them the ability to find the facts out for themselves:

Despite being exonerated by a federal inquiry, Maher Arar remains on a U.S. government watch list, says the U.S. ambassador to Canada.

In an interview with CBC Radio's The House, Ambassador David Wilkins confirmed Arar remains on the American border lookout system...

Late last week, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said he didn't know whether Arar was still on the American watch list, telling a Commons committee he had recently posed the question to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

"Their response was — I'm not saying I was totally satisfied with it — that because it was a matter of privacy that if Mr. Arar or perhaps his lawyers would contact the State Department, they can find that out," said Day.

Now, it's at least a plus that the CBC is able to find out the facts which neither Day nor anyone else associated with the government was apparently able to learn. (Though that capacity too seems unlikely to last through much more Con government.)

But there should be no doubt that the Cons' strategy for dealing with the U.S. has been an utter failure for Canada. And with the Cons neither friendly enough with the U.S. to win their trust, nor willing to push for either answers or results, it's plain that it'll take a new party in charge to properly defend Canada's interests.

Update: Layton takes the lead on the Arar situation:

Layton says Canadians have been outraged by the injustices inflicted on Arar, and he says the fact he remains on the terror watch list is evidence those injustices persist.

"This is simply not right," Layton told a news conference.

"There is no evidence that Mr. Arar's name should be on such a list. We held a whole inquiry here in Canada on this question.

"The prime minister must do everything he possibly can to correct this situation because otherwise it sends out the message that the Canadian government does not stand behind its own citizens."