杜鲁多政府内阁改组后，中英文媒体均报道移民部长麦家廉转任加拿大驻华大使，是重视加中关系的重大举动。这真是天大的误会或者就是媒体误导。不错，一个担任多届联邦政府的部长，突然转任驻华大使，这在加中关系历史上确实没有出现过。事实上，从外交级别来看，中国驻加大使的行政级别也是正厅级，与中国驻美、驻日、驻欧洲主要国家、驻印度等副部级以上使馆来说，是有一段距离。
但是，麦家廉驻节北京，是杜鲁多政府真的重视加中关系才这么做的吗？显然不是。一句话，麦家廉是被贬到北京当大使的，这是杜鲁多用人的不合理之处。杜鲁多组阁有三个不成文的原则：一是符合政治正确（包括内阁男女比例）；二是尽量不要联邦自由党前政府总理克里田和马田的人马，免得他们“倚老卖老”，不把小杜放在眼里；三是可以忽悠族群选票。唯一不把“任人为贤”和“国家利益”放在首位，他或许认为，新人可以崇拜他、感激他，愿意老老实实听从总理办公室的“指导”。
在第一次组阁时，杜鲁多新人上路，不得不在内阁中选择三四位“老政客”，分别担任副总理兼国土安全部长、外交部长、移民部长等重要职位。但在这次改组中，却毫不留情地把外长迪安和移民部长麦家廉踢出内阁，并开出担任大国大使的“慰问价”。迪安非常不满，没有立刻选择驻法国或者欧盟大使的新职，麦家廉无可奈何，接受了驻华大使的位子。
如果杜鲁多是为了因应美国总统特朗普上台而更换口才及英语不佳的迪安，还可以说得过去，但撤换麦家廉则毫无理由。在部长“问责”层面，麦家廉执行总理的“铁命令”，在如此短的时间里接受两万五千名叙利亚难民入境，并没有产生大的问题，同时又好言安抚了对移民政策重点不满的华人社区等挑战，理应褒赏升级，而非踢出内阁。更何况，如果对付特朗普团队，麦家廉做外交部长更合适，他是经济学博士，与欧美和中国都有很深的人脉关系，同时他担任过国防部长、退伍军人事务部长和移民部长，资历完整，谈判技巧高，无论在哪个角度看，都比卸任和现任外交部长强。同样，如果杜鲁多真的重视加中关系或者经贸关系，把麦家廉放到国贸部长的位子亦可，但这不是杜鲁多的原意。
但杜鲁多着眼的是选票，是在内阁的“绝对权威”，把迪安和麦家廉踢出内阁，闲置到驻外使节的位子，不但让杜鲁多在内阁开会时少了几个“婆婆”，同时也可以让出他们议员的位子，从而安插自己的亲信参加补选，胜选后累积资历，迎战下次连任保卫战。
从加拿大的体制架构来看，麦家廉作为驻华大使对两国关系起不了重大作用，最多在沟通对话和安排领袖互访等事务上比往常的大使便利一些。麦家廉之所以接受这个被贬的大使职位，无非就是为了挽回一点点被杜鲁多羞辱的程度，同时也是为家人做一点考量而已。
杜鲁多如果真的重视加中关系以及华人社群，他也可以在改组内阁时，任命一位华裔部长，但很遗憾，内阁有了四五位印裔部长，有了很多的妇女部长，有了伊斯兰族群的部长，现在还有了阿富汗难民的移民部长，这些都很“政治正确”，但却没有华裔部长，显然华人连“政治正确”的范围都进不去，那还说什么呢？
译文：
Why was McCallum kicked out of the Liberal Cabinet?
After Trudeau shuffled his Liberal Cabinet, both English and Chinese media kept saying that the new appointment of former immigration minister John McCallum as ambassador to China was made with the importance of the Canada-China relationship in mind. However, that is a huge misunderstanding if not a misleading press stunt. Indeed, it is unprecedented in the history of Canada-China relationship to appoint a sitting Cabinet minister to an ambassador's job. As a matter of fact, judging from a diplomatic perspective, the administrative level of the Chinese ambassador to Canada is at leading roles of departments or equivalents, which is lower than that of Chinese ambassadors to the United States, Japan, major European countries or India, as their administrative level is at assisting roles of ministries or equivalents.
Yet, is the move to appoint McCallum as ambassador to China really because Trudeau values Canada-China relationship? Obviously not. To put it bluntly, the appointment is "an expulsion", which is an unreasonable move in employment done by Trudeau. There are three unwritten rules in Trudeau's Cabinet formation: first of all, the formation has to be politically correct, including gender ratio. Secondly, ideally the members of Cabinet are not veterans from former Liberal government under Paul Martin or Jean Chrétien, so that those members would not be able to take advantage of their seniority and defy Trudeau's authority. Lastly, the members should be able to attract votes from minority groups. Trudeau puts everything except "national interest" and "meritocracy" first. He perhaps thinks that newbies would admire him, be grateful to him, and be willing to obey the Prime Minister's Office "guidance" with all their heart.
When Trudeau first formed his Cabinet, he was inexperienced and had to appoint a few "old politicians" in there as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Homeland Security, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Immigration and other important positions. However, in this Cabinet shuffle, Trudeau mercilessly kicked out former Minister of Foreign Affairs Stéphane Dion and Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship John McCallum, and offered them ambassadors to major countries as a "sympathy prize". Stéphane Dion was not happy with the result and did not take up the role of ambassador to France or the EU immediately, while John McCallum had no choice but to accept the new appointment as ambassador to China.
If Trudeau replaced the rather inarticulate Dion, whose English skill is not up to standard, in response to the U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, it might be justified. But the removal of John McCallum had no reason whatsoever. In terms of "accountability", McCallum carried out Trudeau's order and resettled 25,000 refugees from Syria without rising any significant concerns. At the same time, he comforted the Chinese community who were dissatisfied with Canadian immigration policy's priorities. With a track record like this, McCallum should be promoted, not kicked out of the Cabinet. What's more, if Trudeau wants to deal with Trump, McCallum is a more competent candidate for the role of Minister of Foreign Affairs. He has a Doctorate in economics, and has wide and deep network within Europe, the U.S., and China. Moreover, he has served as the defense secretary, the secretary of veterans affairs, and the immigration minister. McCallum is perfectly qualified and has highly effective negotiation skills. No matter from which point of view, he would have been a better candidate than the former or current foreign minister. Also, if Trudeau really values Canada-China relationship or the economic and trade relations, he could have as well appointed McCallum as Minister of International Trade. Yet, that was not Trudeau's intention.
In fact, what Trudeau values most is getting votes and his "absolute authority" in the Cabinet. Kicking out Dion and McCallum and assign them to the post of ambassadors not only eliminates Trudeau's "in-laws" in Cabinet meetings, but also allows Trudeau to insert his own allies in the by-election. After the election, he and his allies can then accumulate experience, and prepare for the re-election battle.
From the perspective of Canadian institutional structure, McCallum as ambassador to China will probably have little impact on the relationship between the two countries. At most, McCallum will be able to facilitate the communication and visits between Canada and China. The reason why he accepted the demoted ambassador position was nothing more than saving himself from the humiliation caused by Trudeau, while also considering for his own family.
If Trudeau really cherish Canada-China relationship and the Chinese community, he could have appointed a minister with Chinese origin in his Cabinet shuffle. However, it is a pity that the Cabinet now has several Indian ministers, plenty female ministers, ministers from Islamic community, and even an Afghanistan refugee serving as the new immigration minister, while not having one single Chinese minister. All of these ministers from minority groups are "politically correct", while obviously Chinese people are not even considered in the realm of "political correctness". So what is there to say?
翻译：Kitty
出品：加拿大头条
微信ID：Canadanews
