The co-chair of the Canada-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group, Wayne Easter, says it’s time to move beyond U.S. President Donald Trump’s tirade against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – and focus on fixing the Canada-U.S. relationship.
Four U.S. politicians will be in Ottawa this weekend for the annual meeting of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group. In between a trip to the Diefenbunker Museum and a tour of the National Gallery, they will have a frank discussion about tariffs and trade.
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“We’re all elected, we all know what it is to knock on doors, and at the end of the day how do we make our constituents’ lives better, and our businesses more productive, and efficient?” said Easter, the Liberal MP for Malpeque, P.E.I.
“I really think in the Canada-U.S. endeavour at the moment, relationships have never been as important. People on their side can pick up the phone and call me, or their secretaries can call our ministers. Those relationships are important and never more so,” he added.
Easter says talking directly with members of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives is important because many of them have direct contact with senior leadership at the White House.
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“We can tell them what Canadian company is operating in their district, how much that trade means to their district, how many jobs are in their districts, and they feel the real impact on the ground, not the kind of ideological stance that President Trump seems to be taking. So it’s a little more real at the elected level.”
The Ottawa meetings will take place on Parliament Hill and will include discussions on trade, terrorism financing, the environment, security and defence.
“Ninety-five per cent of the people down there want to build on the relationship, don’t have any really serious, serious issues with Canada,” he said. “There will be softwood lumber, that will come up. There will be their dairy system versus ours, maybe some border issues, not getting across the border fast enough, some immigration issues and always the labour standards in Mexico will come up when they are talking to us as well.”
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