Harper blasts Liberals’ handling of NAFTA talks

Stephen Harper has come out against his successor’s handling of NAFTA negotiations with the United States, with the ex-prime minister declaring the negotiations in real peril in a memo titled, “Napping on NAFTA.”

The memo criticizes the Trudeau government in several areas: for too quickly rejecting U.S. proposals, for insisting on negotiating alongside Mexico, and for promoting progressive priorities such as labour, gender, Aboriginal and environmental issues.

The former prime minister says he was worried by what he heard during a recent trip to Washington, where he discussed NAFTA at an event, but did not publicly share his misgivings about the Trudeau government.

“I came back alarmed,” said the Oct. 25 letter signed by Harper, and sent to clients of his firm Harper & Associates.

“I fear that the NAFTA renegotiation is going very badly. I also believe that President (Donald) Trump’s threat to terminate NAFTA … is real. Therefore, Canada’s government needs to get its head around this reality: it does not matter whether current American proposals are worse than what we have now. What matters in evaluating them is whether it is worth having a trade agreement with the Americans or not.”

The current government was not pleased by the letter.

Officials in Ottawa accused Harper of essentially negotiating in public — against the government of Canada. They called the release of the note ill-timed and perplexing.

“This is a gift to the Americans,” said one Canadian official. “There’s nothing Wilbur Ross and Robert Lighthizer (from the Trump administration) want to see more than prominent Canadians standing up to suggest making concessions to the Americans. Make no mistake: Wilbur Ross and Robert Lighthizer will be very happy with this letter.”

The memo accuses the Canadian government of stubbornness on several fronts.

First, it suggests Canada has been too quick in rejecting U.S. proposals as a “red line,” or “poison pill.” He said such knee-jerk refusals are only a viable strategy if you truly believe Trump cannot cancel NAFTA — an assessment Harper does not share.

Second, he suggests the government made a tactical error by co-operating too closely with Mexico. He says Trump campaigned on constant complaints about Mexico, not Canada, and Harper appears to suggest it was unwise of the Liberals to insist upon renegotiating a trilateral NAFTA.

Third, he criticizes the Liberals for pursuing their progressive trade policies in these talks: “Did anyone really think that the Liberals could somehow force the Trump administration into enacting their agenda — union power, climate change, Aboriginal claims, gender issues? …”

Finally, he accuses the Liberals of bungling other disputes over lumber and airplanes.