Canada's Conservative government is making the claim that it lost its bid for a UN Security Council seat because it was not willing to "sacrifice principle" in order to win at any cost. In short, the Conservative government would rather go down in defeat than budge to mushy Europeans and third-world dictators; it would rather die on its feet than live on its knees.

Just like when threatened by the coalition.

No doubt, there are several blocs of countries that are naturally perturbed by Canada's position on a diverse range of issues (such as not ending the "Zionist Entity" in a blaze of a certain kind of fury), but Canada's defeat had more to do with raw politics surrounding additional permanent seats on the Security Council than with anything else.

To save face, the government went with a combination of the former argument and Ignatieff's alleged treachery.

Principles in Ottawa only stand for more than a minute when there is perceived political gain to be made from doing so. Remember Prime Minister Harper's opposition in 2000 to funding professional hockey teams? Remember the Conservatives' former support of "open skies" to increases competition in air transport? Remember that unequivocal promise to never run a deficit during the 2008 election?

Andrew Coyne and Monte Solberg among others held an informed discussion of this with CPAC in Conversation with McLeans.

The accusation that "Iggy screwed it up" has been used as a defense not only in the UN vote, but quietly by Conservatives in private when excusing the fiscal policy of the Tory government. Publicly however, the Tories brag daily about the keynesian monstrosity that is the "Economic Action Plan."

The Tories' position of "no truck or trade" with spineless Euros and and tin-pot dictators at the UN might hold more water had some of that principle been seen at home. Had half of that principle in foreign policy been applied at home, it is doubtful that federal spending would have grown by 42% since coming to power.

The only humor to be found is that Canada lost its bid at the UN to two countries at near opposite ends of the European spectrum: first to Germany (which together with the UK bankrolls the EU) and second to one of the bankrupt PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Spain).

Germany and the UK both have launched serious plans aimed at cutting back the size and scope of government in their respective countries. Canada's Conservative government doesn't need a seat at the UN confab so that it can pass meaningless resolutions. It needs to look in the mirror and decide what it stands for at home before looking abroad for change there.