The chilliness that characterized the relationship between former prime minister Jean Chrétien and U.S. President George W. Bush certainly wasn’t new—if anything, a warm, friendly camaraderie between prime ministers and presidents has been the exception, not the rule, over the past 40 years.
Generally speaking, Liberals and Republicans (and to a lesser extent, Progressive Conservatives and Democrats) mix like oil and water.
It’s a particularly perplexing dilemma for prime ministers. Get too close to the White House occupant and you’re accused of kow-towing to the Americans—at the expense of Canadian interests. Get too frosty and you’re blamed for every trade irritant or border brouhaha that comes along.
Prime Minister Paul Martin, barely one month into the job, has made it clear he wants to improve Canada-U.S. relations—and believes that must start with his personal relationship with Mr. Bush. He took the first step over breakfast with the president yesterday morning in Monterrey, Mexico—and promptly was rewarded with a pledge that Washington will first inform Ottawa if they’re planning to deport a Canadian citizen.
Not a huge concession, to be sure, but one really couldn’t expect that the U.S. would throw open its borders to Canadian beef or resolve the lingering softwood lumber dispute after just one face-to-face meeting.
It was a start, however, and Mr. Martin should be lauded for his efforts to warm the tone between our two countries quickly.
That doesn’t mean there won’t be disputes, as we well know right here in Borderland with our Minnesota neighbours, but we also know they’re a lot easier to solve if the relationship is amicable, not acrimonious.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
