“The human rights component of our foreign policy is fundamental, has been forever. And I don’t think we’re going to sacrifice that for economic reasons.”

However billions of dollars of weapons sales to the worst human rights violator was different and doesn't count. Since receiving very little international media notice, it doesn't matter anyway.

And the recent sale of the Canadian high tech company with military applications allowing the Chinese to take a leap of 4 or 5 years in development time so as to be on a par with the West is another appalling sale to another notorious human rights violator. Only this deal poses a direct threat to Canada's allies. Not to Canada of course given that the size of  its military doesn't offer too many  targets.

While it's absurd to compare Canada to the U.S. on anything, to compare Canada to Australia is insulting. They have 2/3 the population of Canada, twice the military and their own media and a national identity.