Former B.C. Premier out as High Commissioner to U.K.

OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion has wiped the diplomatic slate clean of several high-profile appointments made by the previous Conservative government.

More than two dozen ambassadors and high commissioners are being replaced around the world in a shuffle the government says is intended to ensure diplomats represent a wide diversity of Canadians.

In the U.K., former B.C. premier Gordon Campbell is being replaced by former clerk of the privy council Janice Charette.

And in the Middle East, Dion is replacing the heads of two missions whose appointments both drew criticism for being too partisan.