The role of any Canadian government, especially in challenging times, is to assert Canadian values and interests in a resolute but reasonable way and, in particular, to stand up to any attempts by other nations to bully us.

Naturally, in practice, this needs to be done with tact, calmness and a steady hand.  It is counterproductive to pick disputes before they arise or to engage in bravado or in hectoring other nations to follow our lead on various issues.