Washington scolds Ottawa.....

[dragon wench]

Washington scolds Ottawa
U.S. tired of Canadian attacks on environment, trade policies

By DANIEL LEBLANC AND GLORIA GALLOWAY

Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Posted at 4:57 AM EST

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

OTTAWA and VANCOUVER — The United States launched an exceptional mid-campaign rebuke yesterday of the Liberal government's constant criticism of the Bush administration, bringing the high level of tensions between the world's two biggest trading partners to the forefront of the Canadian election.

"It may be smart election-year politics to thump your chest and constantly criticize your friend and your No. 1 trading partner. But it is a slippery slope, and all of us should hope that it doesn't have a long-term impact on the relationship," the U.S. ambassador to Ottawa, David Wilkins, said in a tough speech to the Canadian Club at the Chateau Laurier.

The 20-minute address reverberated on the campaign trail. Liberal Leader Paul Martin, who had promised to repair relations with Washington when he became Prime Minister two years ago, vowed yesterday to continue to defend Canadian interests "against anybody."

Tory Leader Stephen Harper did not address the matter. It may become a challenge for him to strike the appropriate balance between improving Canada-U.S. relations and cozying up to the Americans.

NDP Leader Jack Layton said Mr. Martin's comments hurt Canada-U.S. relations. After a Regina rally speech in which Mr. Layton once again criticized [U.S. President] "George W. Bush's missile defence," Mr. Layton said Mr. Martin's verbal attacks on the U.S. have hindered any chance of getting Washington to do more for the environment.

"I think it's very sad," he said.

Mr. Wilkins, a close supporter of Mr. Bush, was expected to ease tensions in the bilateral relationship when he was appointed this year to replace his hawkish predecessor, Paul Cellucci. But Mr. Wilkins's stinging remarks revealed the high level of anger in the U.S. government over a recent speech in which Mr. Martin criticized the U.S. policy on greenhouse-gas reductions.

Mr. Wilkins, who did not name the Liberal Leader directly, said his government is growing exasperated with the Canadian government's constant attacks on U.S. environmental and commercial policies.

"Canada never has to tear down the United States to build itself up," Mr. Wilkins said.

He said Canada shows little respect for U.S. concerns. He acknowledged irritants such as the softwood lumber dispute and the war in Iraq, but called on Canada to accentuate the positive.

"What if one of your best friends criticized you directly and indirectly almost relentlessly? What if that friend's agenda was to highlight your perceived flaws while avoiding mentioning your successes? What if that friend demanded respect but offered little in return? Wouldn't that begin to sow the seeds of doubt in your mind about the strength of your friendship?" Mr. Wilkins said.

During the Liberal leadership race in 2003, Mr. Martin spoke about the need for a "more sophisticated" relationship with the United States to address a perceived strain between the two countries.

Last week, however, Mr. Martin chastised the United States at the UN conference on climate change as "reticent" for not ratifying the Kyoto accord, adding the country lacked a "global conscience."

At a campaign stop yesterday in Surrey, B.C., Mr. Martin denied that he had launched a verbal attack on the United States to bolster his election hopes, but he made his tough foreign policy a campaign issue.

"If the thesis of Mr. Harper is that the only way to have good relations with the United States is to concede everything to the United States, then I do not accept that at all," Mr. Martin said.

Mr. Martin said it is time for a "new multilateralism" that takes into account the rise of economic giants like India and China and addresses issues that have global impact.

"We have to have a global conscience that says -- whether it is avian flu in Asia, AIDS in Africa, whether it is climate change globally, or whether it is softwood lumber -- we've got to understand the fact is this is one world and the leadership of this world has got that global conscience," he said.

"And I will defend the Canadian position and I will defend our values and I will defend our interests against anybody."

In his speech, Mr. Wilkins compared the United States to a "hanging curveball" -- an easy target that politicians try to hit out of the ballpark during election campaigns.

"I've been on the ballot 13 times in my home state. I get election-year politics. I understand political expediency. But the last time I looked, the United States was not on the ballot for the Jan. 23 election," said the former speaker of the state legislature in South Carolina.

One of Mr. Wilkins's predecessors, Gordon Giffin, said the speech was planned weeks ago, before the campaign launch, and was aimed at all political parties.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20051214.wxwilkins14/BNStory/specialDecision2006/?query=Wilkins

Strange.... I could have sworn Canada was a sovereign nation...

[Fiona]

Quote:

"What if one of your best friends criticized you directly and indirectly almost relentlessly? What if that friend's agenda was to highlight your perceived flaws while avoiding mentioning your successes? What if that friend demanded respect but offered little in return? Wouldn't that begin to sow the seeds of doubt in your mind about the strength of your friendship?" Mr. Wilkins said.

LOL. Not so much diplomacy as Hallmark greetings cards

[dragon wench]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fiona LOL. Not so much diplomacy as Hallmark greetings cards

You might have a point there Maybe our Prime Minister should give his remarks more of a sugared coating, just so that he doesn't sound so mean and nasty...

[Rookierookie]

Quote:

Mr. Layton said Mr. Martin's verbal attacks on the U.S. have hindered any chance of getting Washington to do more for the environment.

Typical spoiled-brat attitude.

[Aegis]

Frankly, I'm glad to see the party leaders here making noise about the relations between Canada and the States.There have been too many instances that Canadian policy and industry has been stifled, simply because the government to the south of us has said it is not in their best interests.

Perhaps what Chretien started in his last 18 months of office, party leaders are willing to keep, an independant minded nation...

[dragon wench]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aegis Frankly, I'm glad to see the party leaders here making noise about the relations between Canada and the States.There have been too many instances that Canadian policy and industry has been stifled, simply because the government to the south of us has said it is not in their best interests. Perhaps what Chretien started in his last 18 months of office, party leaders are willing to keep, an independant minded nation...

I totally agree. IMO, the US really has no business interfering in Canada's elections..
Of course... I can't help but wonder how much US money is backing Stephen Harper......


I also have to say, I'm becoming more and more disgusted by Jack Layton. If it weren't for the fact that I already plan to vote Liberal for strategic reasons (the riding I live in would never go NDP, and the Tory candidate is a fundy to boot), I think I'd actually be transferring my vote.
Bah... politics....

[Aegis]

Boo strategic voting!

But, that's another matter...

What's worse is that because this election occurs over two years technically (2005/2006) parties are able to accumlate double their normal funding. The way it normally works, a company is allowed to contribute $1000 Canadian to a party a year for the purposes of an election, while an a private person may contribute upwards to $5000 a year. These donations may also only occur during the time of the election campaign. This is a way to avoid the campaign victors being based simply upon who put more money into the election through bombaring media outlets with advertisments and slogans.

However, this election, because it started in November, and it occurs in Janurary, it sits over two seperate years, which means donations and contributions may be doubled. One donation in 2005 and another come the new year.

With the likely amount of American backing for Stephen Harper (as he holds the policies most well received by the current White House Administration), the Conversative party is bound to have a nice, full coffer by the end...

[dragon wench]

I have often wrestled with the concept of strategic voting..
But to be honest, I'm pretty disenchanted with the federal NDP, and have been for some time. Layton's behaviour since having been duped by Harper into forcing this election has only confirmed my growing disgust. Thus, at this point I'm not even sure the term "strategic voting" is applicable.

Lovely to know that the Tory coffers will be so well-filled....
Ugh.... I rarely feel all that venemous towards politicians because they are usually cardboard cutouts on puppet strings, but in the case of Harper.... *shudder* He reminds me of something straight out of Margaret Atwood's novel The Handmaid's Tale. A very nasty piece of work....

[Hill-Shatar]

What's really funny is that it doesn't matter how you vote, considering that they change the constituencies in some cases after doing polls on neighbourhoods to see who they will vote for.

For example (although this may not be true) it would be possible in Calgary to move a subdivison into a riding outside of the one they were in, mostly pro liberal, for example, into a pro conservative series of neighbourhoods. If they split it well enough, then the liberal voters are a minority, and another two MPs are conservative for that riding.

Quote:

NDP Leader Jack Layton said Mr. Martin's comments hurt Canada-U.S. relations. After a Regina rally speech in which Mr. Layton once again criticized [U.S. President] "George W. Bush's missile defence," Mr. Layton said Mr. Martin's verbal attacks on the U.S. have hindered any chance of getting Washington to do more for the environment.

Mmm.... don't you wish the administration here would use some of the same tactics? I know it does sound childish, but it would feel so good to the typical Canadian person here.

Quote:

The 20-minute address reverberated on the campaign trail. Liberal Leader Paul Martin, who had promised to repair relations with Washington when he became Prime Minister two years ago, vowed yesterday to continue to defend Canadian interests "against anybody."

Of course, the current, and most likely future government, will not follow what they said in this case...

Quote:

Mr. Wilkins, a close supporter of Mr. Bush, was expected to ease tensions in the bilateral relationship when he was appointed this year to replace his hawkish predecessor, Paul Cellucci. But Mr. Wilkins's stinging remarks revealed the high level of anger in the U.S. government over a recent speech in which Mr. Martin criticized the U.S. policy on greenhouse-gas reductions.

I'm quite happy with that global conscience statement myself. I guess they don't like the fact that Canadians are sick of having polltion from the states being pushed by the prevailing winds dumped here.

Quote:

Mr. Wilkins, who did not name the Liberal Leader directly, said his government is growing exasperated with the Canadian government's constant attacks on U.S. environmental and commercial policies.

Well, they are only costing us several billion dollars and 15 thousand jobs a year...

Who to vote for? Well, does it really matter for me? Vote liberal in a riding dominated by conservatives?

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hill-Shatar I'm quite happy with that global conscience statement myself. I guess they don't like the fact that Canadians are sick of having polltion from the states being pushed by the prevailing winds dumped here.

At least you guys still have an ozone layer...