The Foreign Service Journal, March 2005

ments were made via political patron- age, the overwhelming majority of Canadian ambassadors have been career officials. The sole exception has been their ambassador to the Court of St. James’s (London), which for years was Canada’s flagship appointment, and still is more likely than not to have a political appointee. Otherwise, their record is one that U.S. diplomats would envy — at least until relatively recently. Conservative Prime Minister John Diefenbaker (1957-1963) made only five political appointments. His Liberal successor Lester Pearson (1963-1968) also made only five. Pierre Trudeau (1968-1979; 1980-1984), who was demonstrably contemptuous of the career Foreign Service (and much else, including U.S. presidential leadership), made 17 political appointments in 16 years in power. His successor, Progressive Conservative Brian Mulroney, howev- er, made 19 such appointments in his first three years in office and stimulat- ed a chorus of complaint. Today, although there is a steady stream of political appointees, including some to highly visible embassies (London, Paris), there was a career diplomat in Washington until very recently. PAFSO has indicated that the issue is not a primary concern. Currently, the association is more concerned over the prospect of later- al entry into both mid-career and executive levels for individuals who do not take the entry-level exams. In particular, significant numbers of positions overseas and in Ottawa are being filled by career civil servants who, in PAFSO’s view, appear to land the better appointments. Not Well Paid — or Promoted While it is the rare U.S. diplomat who would admit to being overpaid (indeed, we all think we are worth “more”), the Canadians have a more pointed gripe than most. The top mid- level base pay is $85,000 Canadian (approximately U.S. $65,000). One for- mer Canadian Foreign Service officer, now working for the United States as a Foreign Service National, recently noted that he was making consider- ably more than his contemporaries who had remained as diplomats. In a more systematic study, a Price- M A R C H 2 0 0 5 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 47 PAFSO is more concerned about competition for positions from civil servants than political appointees.