Trump or Harris: Canada will work well with either one, ambassador to the U.S. says
'I don't believe that there is any anti-Canadian sentiment within the Republican Party,' Kirsten Hillman says
Canada's ambassador to the U.S. said Tuesday the country will work well with whomever wins the November presidential election, saying the government's "Team Canada" approach of continually meeting with a bipartisan group of American federal, state and local officials has prepared Canada for any eventuality.
Speaking to reporters at the Liberal cabinet retreat in Halifax after briefing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his team on the state of Canada-U.S. affairs, Kirsten Hillman said the Democrats and Republicans are not all that different from one another on the issues.
"Americans and the people who represent them politically have something very clear in common with us: economic growth, jobs, national security and energy security. Whether they are Republicans or Democrats, they are interested in all those things," Hillman said in French.
She added that while there may be differences on how the parties "want to attain those goals — the goals are basically the same."
Hillman did raise candidate Donald Trump's threat of a 10 per cent tariff on all imports — something that could be punishing for Canada's economy given that an estimated $3.6 billion worth of goods cross the border every day, according to federal data.
Hillman said if Trump is elected and enacts that sort of policy it "could be complicated for Canada," but she questioned whether a tariff could be easily applied in the Canadian case given the potential consequences for many U.S. states that do big business with Canadian companies.
Trump's personal relationship with Trudeau has been fraught at times. He's also been a critic of NATO allies like Canada's military spending.
Trump has vowed to crack down on what he calls "unfair trade deals" that could lead to a renegotiation of the new NAFTA, which was renegotiated in 2019 following a lengthy process.
As per the terms of the deal, the trilateral trade agreement is up for a review in 2026.
"A Trump victory gives Canadians pause, it gives Canadians reason for concern. We have a pretty good idea of where the Trump team will be going on issues affecting Canada, and none of them are very good," said Laura Dawson, a Canada-U.S. relations expert and the executive director of the Future Borders Coalition.
As for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, Hillman said she expects her possible administration to be similar to what outgoing President Joe Biden's has been like for the last four years.
Canada-U.S. relations have been relatively friendly over the last nearly four years, although Biden's early decision to cancel the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Alberta and uncertainty around whether Canadian-made electric vehicles would qualify for U.S. tax credits have been irritants.
"It's fairly transparent. I don't think it's that complicated," Hillman said of Harris's agenda. "She will put her own stamp on it."
'Team Canada' makes its case
Trudeau's "Team Canada" is composed of Hillman, Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne and International Trade Minister Mary Ng, with support from other officials and business leaders.
The two ministers and Hillman have been trying to make Canada's case for a continued close relationship to the U.S. for months, routinely reminding Americans that Canada is an important trading partner and any move to jeopardize those ties could be detrimental for all involved.
The three have been to 33 states and met with 42 of the 50 state governors, as well as local and state lawmakers.
Hillman attended both the Democratic and Republican conventions this summer where she got face time with some of the parties' senior leaders, she said.
"We have been working to make sure that in every corner of the United States, Americans understands we are moving from being nice to being strategic," Champagne said, adding Canada will protects its own interests at every turn.
Hillman said while there may be some anti-Canadian sentiment coming from Trump and some Republicans in Congress, the country is "appreciated, we are well liked and seen as strategic partners throughout the United States of America."
"I don't believe that there is any kind of anti-Canadian sentiment within the Republican Party. I have spent months and months visiting Republicans across the country, many of whom are the closest allies of former president Trump, and there isn't a single meeting where I wasn't received with open arms," she said.
Some GOP leaders critical
Some Republican leaders have been particularly critical of Canada's perceived lacklustre military spending. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said Canada is riding the U.S.'s "coattails" on defence, and Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell issued a strong statement earlier this summer saying Canada must invest more in its military capabilities after years of poor investment.
Last month, Republican senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz wrote a letter to the White House urging it to harden the northern border, suggesting Canada's refugee policy is too lax and could lead to unsavoury characters crossing into the U.S.
"The possibility of terrorists crossing the U.S.-Canada border is deeply concerning," the senators said in a July 26 letter, suggesting that Palestinian refugees that are resettled in Canada could slip into the U.S.
Hillman said that sort of "rhetoric sometimes gets amplified in the context of the lead up to an election," but Republicans are generally positive about Canada.
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