That's two hundred thousand dollars; or about the same as what the trip cost. But no matter; the Ukrainians are hard up and will take what they can get.
Foreign Minister Baird posted this insight on his Department's website today;
Members of the Canadian delegation walked through the Maidan and paid their respects to the fallen protesters who died for the cause of democracy. “Their sacrifice in the defence of their democracy and freedom has brought change to this country,” said Baird. “They will not be forgotten.”
That's got to be one of the more ominous developments in the evolution of democracy; overthrowing an elected government in the defence of it. Orwell would be proud.
Elsewhere Baird waxed wise on lending Ukraine support in establishing good relations with it's ethnic minorities, due to Canada's world-reknowned expertise in the matter. Canada is especially reknowned for it's treatment of the ethnic minority otherwise known as "First Nations," treatment which is often referred to as "genocidal" among people tasked with studying such matters.
This trip and these news stories may not make a lot of sense on the face of it, but there are sound political calculations behind it. There's a federal election on the horizon in Canada, and Canada just happens to be home to the largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world. There will be well over a million votes cast by Ukrainian-Canadians in that election.
The Harper Gang just tried to buy them off at less than a measely twenty cents per vote.
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