Canadian minister gets shirty at Asia summit

by Actual News Geezer | July 31, 2007 at 08:35 am

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At least he didn't wear a fishing vest as his boss, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, did.

Canada's deputy foreign minister was guilty of a diplomatic fashion crime when he showed up at a state dinner in the Philippines presidential palace wearing something looking like a cross between a Mexican wedding shirt and a bowling shirt. The photo of the event is available by clicking through the link below.

MANILA (AFP) - Apparently, Canada didn't get the memo. Deputy Foreign Minister Leonard Edwards cut quite a figure when he turned up for a gala dinner at the Philippine presidential palace Tuesday in his traditional -- and very transparent -- Philippine shirt.

The trouble is that all the other men were in suits and ties.

Like all male delegates at this week's Asian security meetings, Edwards had been provided with a barong, a fine hand-woven shirt that ministers dutifully don for certain meetings and photo shoots.

But not for a state dinner at the palace, where Edwards was mixing with the likes of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Prince Mohamed Bolkiah of Brunei.