Canadian business to be shut out of Iran's rebuilding bonanza thanks to John Baird

Executives from companies across Europe, from Asia, and from the US are preparing for a business bonanza as sanctions on Iran are lifted.


But thanks to the buffoonish reign of error of former Foreign Minister Baird, it's unlikely Canadian companies are going to be getting a significant piece of the action. Baird never missed an opportunity to slander and antagonize the Tehran government, culminating in the abrupt shuttering of the Canadian embassy three years ago.


Look at the areas in which Iran plans to invest billions: oil and gas infrastructure, rebuilding the country's airlines, mining and steel-making infrastructure - all sectors in which Canadian companies have considerable expertise. And with the Canadian economy in the tank, Iran could have been a lifeline for companies from Bombardier to SNC Lavalin to dozens of mining and energy contractors.


Billions of dollars worth of contracts will instead go to countries that maintained a civilized dialogue with the Iranians and kept their embassies open in spite of their differences.


That's called "diplomacy," and it is something most countries expect of their Foreign Ministers.