Prime minister Paul Martin has signaled he hopes the United States will move quickly on sensitive trade issues including the BSE-closed border now that the Nov. 2 election is over.
Martin telephoned president George Bush after his victory to congratulate him.
“I also said I look forward to sitting down with the president to deal with very important issues from mad cow to softwood lumber to wheat that we in this country have with the United States,” Martin said in the House of Commons Nov. 3.
“I look forward to doing that forthwith.”
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In Ottawa and within the farm industry, the re-election of Bush, the return of Republican control of Congress and the defeat of protectionist Democratic senator Tom Daschle in South Dakota were greeted with enthusiasm.
The general view was that the Republicans are more likely to open the border sooner, that in rhetoric at least, Republicans are more supportive of trade liberalization than Democrats and that establishing relationships with a new Democratic administration could have delayed progress.
“I think there is a little more optimism, a little hope on this side of the border that the re-election of the Bush administration might lead to a faster border decision than would have been the case under senator Kerry,” said David Rolfe, president of Manitoba’s Keystone Agricultural Producers.
Fast action required
Ted Haney, president of the Canada Beef Export Federation, said he hopes the Bush administration will move quickly to establish rules through the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will propose how the border can be opened.
If the rules don’t move through the government process within a month, “we have to redouble our efforts on a made-in-Canada solution and exercise our rights under the (World Trade Organization) and (the North American Free Trade Agreement),” he said.
However, Haney added the election did produce one obvious trade benefit.
“Bottom line, an anti-free trade voice in the name of Tom Daschle has been moved from a position of influence and that is good news for Canada,” he said.
As Democratic party minority leader in the U.S. Senate, Daschle carried Capitol Hill weight. He was instrumental in getting country-of-origin labelling rules into the last U.S. farm bill and supported a continuing border closure over BSE.
Stan Eby, president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, said the election result was positive. Eby is leading a cattle and beef industry lobby to Washington this week.
“Definitely we felt very positive that Bush got in,” Eby said from his Ontario farm.
“He has been pro-free trade. We look forward to working with the administration on the file.”
However, some Ottawa officials noted that despite the Bush administration’s free trade rhetoric, the border has been closed for almost 18 months under the Republicans.
Opposition Conservatives also raised the issue of Canada-U.S. relations.
Conservative party leader Stephen Harper said Nov. 3 he was not sure which party would have been better for Canadian agriculture.
“I thought it was six of one and half a dozen of the other, to be honest. I can now say these things since the election is over.”
Harper said he was concerned about Democratic protectionist policies on BSE and agricultural issues.
However, he said the Liberals have a poor relationship with the Republicans, apparently preferring the Democrats and allowing some Liberal caucus members to utter anti-American comments.
“We do have a serious problem with the present administration given the hole this (Canadian) government seems intent on digging us on Canadian-American relations,” Harper said.
“I think they may already have thrown away the advantage of electing this party over the other one.”
