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Voters should treat most of what politicians say about themselves with the same kind of skepticism normally reserved for recorded telephone calls promising a free cruise.

Consider the Conservative argument that, unlike the Liberals they replaced, they have a “principled foreign policy.”

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As Prime Minister Stephen Harper put it, under his government, Canada doesn’t just “go along and get along with everyone else’s agenda.”

The Tories often say this, praising Canada’s stalwart support for Israel and Ukraine, and our tough line against Iran or Russia, inviting voters to admire a government that isn’t afraid to stand up for its beliefs.

It would all be more convincing if the Conservatives weren’t shamelessly seeking political support from the two best-organized ethnic groups in Canada, who happen to support Israel and Ukraine.

The Tories aren’t the first to use foreign relations for domestic political advantage among diaspora communities. What’s new is their self-righteousness and shamelessness.