Getting it done : a memoir / Derek H. Burney.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Burney, Derek H. (Derek Hudson), 1939-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Burney, Derek H. (Derek Hudson), 1939-.

Burney, Derek H.

Ambassadors--Canada--Biography.

Ambassadors.

Diplomats--Canada--Biography.

Diplomats.

International relations.

Canada.

Canada--Foreign relations--20th century.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xi, 208 pages : illustrations, portraits ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Montreal : McGill-Queen's University Press, [2005]

Summary:

Whether it was organizing Canada's first G-7 Summit or concluding the Free Trade Agreement, Derek Burney fused politics, public policy, and diplomacy into a fine art. His tenure as chief of staff to Brian Mulroney is often cited as a model of how the Prime Minister's Office should work. As Canada's ambassador to the United States from 1989-1993 he had an insider's perspective on ways in which Canada manages, and sometimes mismanages, its relationship with the world's superpower. His career in Canada's foreign service spanned three decades, with assignments in Japan and Korea, and he served in Ottawa as deputy minister.

In a candid memoir, Burney paints a vivid picture of leading politicians, including Pierre Trudeau using an off-colour joke to break the ice with Ronald Reagan, Colin Powell becoming upset about Canadian concerns over collateral damage in the first Gulf War, and George Bush Sr chafing at the excessive European flavour of G-7 summits.

Contents:

Foreword: The Honourable John Crosbie vii

1 Early Days: Lasting Influences 3

2 Entering External, 1963-1965 9

3 Japan, 1965-1972 17

4 Headquarters, 1972-1978 33

5 Korea, 1978-1980 46

6 Ottawa, 1980-1987 57

7 New Government: New Direction 70

8 The Prime Minister's Office: The Most Foreign Assignment of All 83

9 Free Trade: Getting It Done 108

10 Washington: The Best Job in the Foreign Service 133

11 Washington: The Issues 151

12 Managing Canada-US Relations: A Matter of Choice 177

13 Looking Back 192.

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

0773529268 :

OCLC:

57575393