Connect with us

Breaking

Liberal cabinet praises Mulroney, back on Parliament Hill as NAFTA broker

Published

on

Prime Minister Trudeau and his cabinet praised former prime minister Brian Mulroney for giving them useful advice during a closed-door meeting Thursday on the upcoming renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.(Photo: Justin Trudeau/ Facebook)

Prime Minister Trudeau and his cabinet praised former prime minister Brian Mulroney for giving them useful advice during a closed-door meeting Thursday on the upcoming renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.(Photo: Justin Trudeau/ Facebook)

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Trudeau and his cabinet praised former prime minister Brian Mulroney for giving them useful advice during a closed-door meeting Thursday on the upcoming renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

It was part of an unprecedented display of non-partisan co-operation, a healing of old political wounds and unity in the name of managing a new, wildly unpredictable U.S. presidency.

There was also a hint of deja vu. A smiling Mulroney, who departed politics more than a quarter century ago, said it was “as if I never left” as he exited the hallway from the Centre Block’s cabinet room.

Trudeau was not at the meeting of his cabinet committee on Canada-U.S. relations; he was in New York City for a women’s leadership summit. His ministers, however, said Mulroney made a valuable contribution.

Trudeau told reporters he had found Mulroney “thoughtful and helpful” in connecting with the Trump administration.

“I think it’s really a credit to all Canadians that we’ve been so able to put aside partisanship on an issue that goes beyond political parties and goes to the fundamental success of our economy,” Trudeau said. “Working well with the United States is not a partisan issue; it’s one that we can all align on.”

Transport Minister Marc Garneau, who chairs the cabinet committee, said: “We welcomed Mr. Mulroney this morning and certainly we benefited from his insights.”

Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said it was “interesting to hear the expertise and experience from people who have had decades of experience dealing with the United States.”

Mulroney’s government fought and won an election on the first Canada-U.S. free trade deal in 1988, which became the precursor of the current NAFTA deal when Mexico was brought on board.

The 79-year-old former prime minister, a personal friend of Donald Trump, has been helping Justin Trudeau’s government navigate the new U.S. administration, setting aside a bitter antipathy for his father, Pierre Trudeau, in the process.

Mulroney has also been embraced by the new Conservative party — the one that former prime minister Stephen Harper essentially banished him from almost a decade ago after winning power.

He has repeatedly urged Canadian politicians to set aside domestic partisan interests to protect the country’s economic interests with the U.S., praising interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose for offering to work with the government.

“It was good to see him (Mulroney) accept the invitation to participate,” said Conservative foreign affairs critic Peter Kent. “As we have said any number of times, this is a bipartisan issue.”

But Mulroney didn’t mince words on what the Liberals face as they move forward on the NAFTA talks with an unpredictable Trump administration.

“I think they’re going to be very challenging,” Mulroney said of the upcoming negotiations.

Following Trump’s fiery anti-NAFTA rhetoric, a meeting with Trudeau at the White House appeared to cool the U.S. president, who at the time seemed to have adopted a “pretty reasonable posture,” Mulroney said.

“Then the letter from the (U.S. trade representative) comes out with a different version of things, so we’ll just have to wait and see,” Mulroney added.

“It is a document that reflects a territorial wish for advantage by the Americans, so you could expect it’ll be tough.”

Mulroney briefed the cabinet ministers on the efforts so far to divine the Trump administration’s specific intentions and how NAFTA negotiations are likely to proceed.

He says so-called country-of-origin rules, long a sore spot in NAFTA, and the dispute resolution mechanism are likely to be sticking points.

David MacNaughton, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., and one of his predecessors, Derek Burney, Mulroney’s former chief of staff, joined the cabinet discussion.

MacNaughton said the timeline on the start of the talks is slipping, but the Americans control the agenda, so Canada will wait and be ready when the time comes.

“I keep being assured that it’s imminent, but imminent seems to be dragging on,” MacNaughton said after the meeting.

buy flexeril online https://www.methanol.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/png/flexeril.html no prescription pharmacy

He said the Liberals have forged “extremely good” relations with the Trump White House, which has been “extraordinarily responsive” to Canada. But he predicted harder times ahead.

buy zydena online https://www.methanol.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/png/zydena.html no prescription pharmacy

“Obviously we’re getting into some things that are pretty tough,” MacNaughton said. “The Americans are no slouches in terms of their negotiations, but neither are we.”

Mulroney said it was too early to say what Canada might have to give up in the forthcoming talks, because there is no clear picture of what the American demands will be.

But he added: “The question is, what will they have to give up, too?”

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Maria in Vancouver

Lifestyle2 weeks ago

Nobody Wants This…IRL (In Real Life)

Just like everyone else who’s binged on Netflix series, “Nobody Wants This” — a romcom about a newly single rabbi...

Lifestyle3 weeks ago

Family Estrangement: Why It’s Okay

Family estrangement is the absence of a previously long-standing relationship between family members via emotional or physical distancing to the...

Lifestyle2 months ago

Becoming Your Best Version

By Matter Laurel-Zalko As a woman, I’m constantly evolving. I’m constantly changing towards my better version each year. Actually, I’m...

Lifestyle2 months ago

The True Power of Manifestation

I truly believe in the power of our imagination and that what we believe in our lives is an actual...

Maria in Vancouver3 months ago

DECORATE YOUR HOME 101

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Our home interiors are an insight into our brains and our hearts. It is our own collaboration...

Maria in Vancouver4 months ago

Guide to Planning a Wedding in 2 Months

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Are you recently engaged and find yourself in a bit of a pickle because you and your...

Maria in Vancouver4 months ago

Staying Cool and Stylish this Summer

By Matte Laurel-Zalko I couldn’t agree more when the great late Ella Fitzgerald sang “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.”...

Maria in Vancouver5 months ago

Ageing Gratefully and Joyfully

My 56th trip around the sun is just around the corner! Whew. Wow. Admittedly, I used to be afraid of...

Maria in Vancouver6 months ago

My Love Affair With Pearls

On March 18, 2023, my article, The Power of Pearls was published. In that article, I wrote about the history...

Maria in Vancouver6 months ago

7 Creative Ways to Propose!

Sometime in April 2022, my significant other gave me a heads up: he will be proposing to me on May...