Putting Canada on Washington’s radar
EDITORIAL: WHAT OTHERS THINK
It was the BFF summit. And if the agenda was policy-lite, President Barack Obama’s welcome to the White House for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was heavy on goodwill, spiced with a bit of good-natured ribbing.
Canada/U.S. relations needed a sunny spring reboot after a season of frost under Stephen Harper, and this first official visit by a Canadian leader in nearly two decades was it.
After graciously declaring that Americans “treasure our alliance and our ties,” Obama even ventured a greeting in French — Bienvenue, mes amis — to underscore the welcome. But not before he poked a little fun at Canada’s rivalry with the U.S. in hockey and suds, pointing out that his Chicago Blackhawks took the Stanley Cup last year and referencing our different taste in beers. Scripted as it was, this ranks as one of the most memorably friendly official greetings yet.
After retorting that the Blackhawks are awash with Canadian talent, Trudeau made good use of the celebrity photo op to remind his hosts that “Canada and the U.S. share the same values, the same origins and the same space,” and stressed that “there’s no relationship in the entire world like the Canada/U.S. relationship.”
The rhetoric may have been shopworn. But the point was worth making. The U.S. is developing bigger trading partners as the Chinese and Mexican economies thrive, but no other country is so close an ally, partner and friend.
That bears repeating from time to time, especially during an American presidential transition year when Canadian interests rate hardly an afterthought in Washington.
Ominously for Canada, both Republican front-runner Donald Trump and the Democrats’ Bernie Sanders oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact and other trade deals, as resentment toward the economic disruption caused by freer trade surges in both parties. We could easily find ourselves side-swiped if American lawmakers lash out.
Moreover, 15 years after the 9/11 attacks Americans are still obsessed with terrorism and secure borders. That has led to a thickening of the Canada/U.S. frontier that hurts both countries.
Modest as they were, the political and policy take-aways from the summit — and Trudeau’s celebrity status and glad-handing with Republican leaders — should keep Canada on the U.S. radar screen for the remainder of Obama’s presidency, and help manage the double threat posed by protectionism and security fears.
This summer Obama will visit Canada and address Parliament, when Trudeau hosts the North American Leaders Summit where the focus will be on continental co-operation on security, climate change and trade.
Both leaders agreed, as well, to “make our borders more open and more secure,” as Trudeau put it. Given the sclerosis, measures to ease the movement of people and goods are welcome.
New initiatives include letting travellers to the U.S. be pre-cleared at Billy Bishop Airport in Toronto, at Jean Lesage International Airport in Quebec City, and at rail terminals in Montreal and Vancouver, as they already are at eight other major sites.
Obama and Trudeau also agreed to implement systems the Americans have long demanded to track entryexit information on all travellers at land borders, and to share more nofly-list information. Due regard will be given to “the privacy and civil liberties of our respective citizens,” Obama promised. That will require vigilance on Ottawa’s part. Meanwhile, the decision to set up a working group to identify ways of rectifying errors on the no-fly lists is welcome; innocent travellers are facing unwarranted delays.
There was progress on climate change, as well. The leaders agreed to sharply cut methane emissions from the oil and gas industry, to toughen emission standards for cars and trucks, to protect the fragile Arctic and to work together on clean, renewable energy.
And softwood lumber, that perennial irritant? Obama expressed optimism that a deal will soon be cut to avert another squabble.
A smattering of modest gains, for the most part. But selling Canada and managing the relationship is part of the job. By that standard this trip is already a success.
An editorial from the Toronto Star (distributed by The Canadian Press)