David Akin’s On the Hill

Canada’s reputation in the world has never been stronger, says Harper. Here’s the Great Statesman at the UN. #elxn42 pic.twitter.com/9oYuGLhvR5

— Gerald Butts (@gmbutts) September 13, 2015

That was Gerald Butts during last year’s election campaign tweeting a picture of former prime minister Stephen Harper’s last speech at the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. Butts, then, was trying to help Justin Trudeau become prime minister. He did a great job at that and Trudeau won. Butts is now Trudeau’s principal secretary and it was Trudeau, today, who took Canada’s speaking slot at the 71st United Nations General Assembly, the annual parade of world leaders to the dais at UN headquarters in New York City to say whatever is on their mind.

Here’s some photos of the hall when Trudeau spoke today:

This one is pretty much the same angle as the pic tweeted by Butts. There’s a few more people here than Harper. But it’s still pretty empty.

And let’s pull out a bit and see different angles:

The pictures here were taken, incidentally, by the United Nations, the Canadian Press, the AFP and one’s a screen grab from the CBC.

The point is: It’s silly, as Butts tried to claim in his mid-election tweet, that we should measure the greatness of our statesmen or our states by the number of diplomats’ bums they can put in seats at the United Nations General Assembly.

This is the way it is always for any Canadian PM.  The room is always empty.

.@InklessPW Here – 4 PMs, 4 UN GA speeches, & one reminder that in politics attendance is in the eye of the beholder pic.twitter.com/d6AraEsxde

— Alexander Panetta (@Alex_Panetta) September 21, 2016

In fact, this is the way it is for almost any leader. New UK PM Theresa May spoke just before Trudeau today and it was empty for her.

I’ve covered the UN leaders week three times and sat in that hall and watched leaders of China, Russia, France, Germany — you name it —  speak to empty seats. The only leader that fills the hall every time is the president of the United States (no matter who s/he is).

That’s the just the way it is at the UN.

Diplomat Kevin McGurgan has this helpful perspective:

@davidakin To be fair, also depends on size of UN mission delegation. Not all missions are staffed to cover GA debate in full especially 1/2

— Kevin McGurgan (@KevMcGurganFCO) September 21, 2016

@davidakin If they are hosting their President / Prime Minister / etc. Key thing to note are all the P5 / BRIC / MINT missions present.

— Kevin McGurgan (@KevMcGurganFCO) September 21, 2016