Former Canadian diplomat Robert Fowler ripped into the federal Liberals during the final day of their conference in Montreal, saying the party is in danger of "losing its soul."

Former diplomat Robert Fowler, seen here after his blunt speech Sunday, earlier told his audience, 'I'm not going to be mincing my words this morning.' (CBC)

The former diplomat and special envoy of the UN secretary general to Niger, who was kidnapped in the African country 15 months ago, thanked the Liberals for allowing him to be blunt while accepting their hospitality at the Canada 150 conference.

He then accused the Opposition party of caring more about votes than policy, even though the Liberals had organized the three-day gathering to allow 53 "leading thinkers and doers" to help shape long-term strategy.

"I believe the Liberal party has, to a significant extent, lost its way, at least in policy terms, and of course I mean, in particular, my area of foreign policy terms, and is in danger of losing its soul," he told the audience.

"To this observer, it seems that Liberals today don't stand for much in the way of principles," Fowler said.

"I have the impression that they will endorse anything and everything which might return them to power and nothing which won't, whatever the merits of either. It's all about getting to power, and it shows."

"I believe Liberals seem prepared to embrace an infinite array of special interests in order to shill for votes rather than forging a broad-based principled alliance founded in deep Liberal traditions, one with a distinct social contract and an independent Canadian character, which would protect, project and defend core Liberal values at home and abroad," he added.

At a news conference, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff described Fowler as "a Canadian hero" who has "earned to right to say whatever he pleases."

"I was honoured to have him at our meeting," Ignatieff said. "I don't agree with every syllable but that's exactly the kind of challenge to our party that our party needs, and I'm darn glad he was here."

Criticizes Conservatives on Africa

Fowler also doled out criticism to the Conservatives, explaining he had difficulty doing so as Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his government brought him home from the hostage ordeal while Edwin Dyer, his British colleague, was killed.

"I owe a debt to Mr. Harper and I am all too aware that such criticism is a rather churlish way of repaying it," he said, before accusing the government of brushing aside Canada's 50-year heritage of engagement in Africa "for reasons of political opportunism."

Fowler suggested Canada could be doing more in terms of aid to the continent.

"In a short period of time we've established unique credentials in Africa," Fowler said. "I fear, however, that we are in the process of squandering a hard-won and important asset."

"After four consecutive Conservative budgets, it is clear that the current government has failed to live up to its 2006 election promise to move Canadian aid performance toward the OECD [Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development] average donor spending levels," he said.

Stability in Africa threatened: Fowler

Fowler said turmoil in the Middle East is threatening stability in Africa.

He said that with an exploding population and scarce food and shelter across the northern part of the continent, violent jihad movements are growing in Nigeria, Somalia and Niger.

Pointing to the situation, he said mujahedeen with the Algeria-based al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb "are clearly poised to exploit it very aggressively."

Fowler predicted that without generous, timely and focused assistance to Africa, al-Qaeda could realize its dream of turning northern Africa into a lethal combination of Somalia, Darfur and Afghanistan under the Taliban.

"Allowing the situation between Israel and Palestine to continue to fester only makes this version of hell a more present and likely reality," he concluded.

As for Afghanistan, the former diplomat said the sooner Canada gets its troops out of that country the better, because "the bottom line is that we will not prevail in Afghanistan."