Canadian Legislative Issues

As Members of Parliament returned to Ottawa the week of January 30, 2017, the main issue that was on the majority of their minds was how Canada would continue to engage with the new administration south of the border. Since President Donald Trump’s election in November and then his inauguration in January, Canadian politicians from all political parties have been mostly concerned with the relationship between Canada and the United States.The main concern is around trade, with the new President’s promise to revisit the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and how Canada can continue a positive relationship while also continuing to express its openness to immigration and international engagement.
 
Prior to the Liberals cabinet meeting on January 23 and 24, Prime Minister Trudeau made some key changes to the leaders in his government, most notably promoting Chrystia Freeland to the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs, with the special responsibility of being the lead on trade relations with the United States. Previously, Freeland was integral to organizing the trade agreement between Canada and the European Union and has key relationships with decision-makers in Washington. 

The Canadian government received a sense of security from the Trump administration, which has stated several times that NAFTA renegotiations are aimed at Mexico, not Canada. This has become evident through the public disagreements that have already taken place between President Trump and Mexican President Peña Nieto over the building of a wall between their borders and a promised 20 percent tax hike on imports from Mexico. Prime Minister Trudeau’s main goal over the next months will be to keep the borders open between the two countries, as the majority of American states and every Canadian province depend on the free flow of trade.

President Trump is expected to take his first official visit to Canada in the near future, where further details around the future of the Canadian-American relationship are sure to be discussed. Until this situation is made clear, Canadians and their representatives in Ottawa will continue to have these worries top of mind, hoping that the closest trading relationship in the world stays strong.