Blame it on Michael Ignatieff, says MP Jim Abbott. Blame it on Stephen Harper?s foreign policy, says would-be MP Mark Shmigelsky as the blame game went into high gear in the wake of Canada losing a seat on the United Nations Security Council.

Canada dropped its bid to regain a seat on the Security Council Tuesday after falling behind Portugal in the vote which some called a ?historic loss.?

Abbott, who said he was ?very distressed? by the vote, is adamant that the loss can be laid squarely on the shoulders of Opposition Leader Ignatieff whose criticism of Canadian foreign policy on the eve of the vote he called ?quite disgraceful.?

?Other people in the political realm who are involved in foreign affairs were aghast that he would do that, Abbott said while also accusing the Liberal leader of ?washing Canada?s dirty laundry in the UN.?

Responding to criticism of Canada?s foreign policy under Harper?s leadership including his strong support for Israel Abbott said Canada has nothing to apologize for. ?Israel, as the only democracy in the Middle East, has to be protected . . . and we make no apologies for that.?

However, Shmigelsky said Canada?s first loss of a Security Council vote was a ?rejection on the international stage? of Canada?s foreign policy for the past four years. ?I don?t know what?s more embarrassing, losing the vote or the way the Conservatives are trying to spin it.?

Shmigelsky said Canada?s traditional image as a peace-keeper on the world stage has been tarnished in recent years by our involvement in the war in Afghanistan and the international community is more concerned about that than political battles within Canada?s own borders.

?This is the ultimate hypocrisy because this is the same government that when it was in opposition went down to Fox News and opposed Canada?s position staying out of the Iraq war. Mr Harper did that on two occasions and, I believe, he was also in the New York Times saying the same thing.

?This is all Mr. Harper. This is all Mr. Abbott. and (Foreign Minister) Cannon and I think every Canadian knows that except for the ones that are receiving Conservative talking points.?

The war of words over Canada losing its Security Council bid is also occurring across the country with the Council of Canadians blaming the Harper government for the loss.

The organization said the loss is a direct result of the Harper government?s refusal to recognize the human right to water, being virtually alone in not signing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and consistently undermining action on climate change in Canada and internationally.

?The Harper government has been the only government in the world to be consistently against these major UN initiatives and worse, has been actively working to undermine these treaties and efforts,? said Council of Canadians national chairperson Maude Barlow.

But Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said Canada?s bid was scuttled by a lack of support from Ignatieff. ?Canada was not united because some saw this as an opportunity to score political points by opposing Canada?s candidacy.?

In previous years, Canada has always spoken with one voice, Cannon said.