A former CBC-TV journalist and current spouse of Canada’s ambassador to Vatican City has drawn criticism for a series of self-published online essays, including one that mocked the funeral mass of Pope Francis, criticized Canadian workers’ productivity, and urged Canada to suspend exports to the United States in retaliation for trade disputes.Blacklock's Reporter says Neil Macdonald, who now writes independently on Substack, attended the papal funeral in St. Peter’s Square alongside his wife, Ambassador Joyce Napier. In an April 26 post, he derided the solemn event’s traditions and rituals, commenting that “it is easy to mock such ceremony,” and expressing a personal “indifference” to the Vatican proceedings. .Despite acknowledging the historical weight behind the funeral, he dismissed its emotional impact, saying, “That it has no effect whatsoever on me is increasingly a source of fretting and worry.”Macdonald described the service as glacially paced and contrasted it with his brief Presbyterian school experiences. He remarked that Catholic homilies sounded “sort of like the BBC” and noted that the “paschal mystery of faith” was a phrase he did not understand.The Department of Foreign Affairs distanced itself from the remarks, with spokesperson Brittany Fletcher saying, “This person is not an employee.” While Macdonald is not a public servant, he is categorized under “spouses and partners” and is subject to conflict of interest guidelines and eligible for official training seminars prior to diplomatic postings..Macdonald has not responded to questions about his posts, which also included strong criticisms of Canada’s labor productivity and tax policies. “Canada’s workforce is quite simply less productive than America’s,” he wrote. He described the country’s regulatory and tax environment as “daunting.”In an April 11 commentary, Macdonald suggested that Canada retaliate against U.S. trade actions by halting key exports, including oil, potash, and electricity. .“Trump says America doesn’t need what Canada has? Really? Fine,” he wrote, suggesting retaliatory spending measures like export taxes. “Pretty sure how that would work out,” he added, referencing the United States’ reliance on Canadian resources such as uranium.Macdonald concluded one of his posts with a call to action: “Just thinking that way is a sugar blast of self-esteem. I’ve posted about it on social media.”His Substack includes requests for reader contributions to support his work.
