The state of Canada-U.S. relations is often 鈥渒ind of a crisis,鈥� according to former prime minister Jean Chretien. His advice to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and company: 鈥淒on鈥檛 lose your cool.鈥�
Reflecting on his time in office, he explained that dust-ups over foreign policy directives and trade ties have long been the norm for the two nations, and the current list of divergences between Ottawa and Washington are far from unique.
鈥淚鈥檓 not nervous,鈥� Chretien told 麻豆传媒. 鈥淲hen I said no to the war in Iraq, a lot of people were not happy with me in the United States, and we survived rather well.鈥�
His remarks follow a wide-ranging address to the International Economic Forum of the Americas on Monday in which the Shawinigan, Que.-native expressed optimism for the looming NAFTA negotiations, and predicted emerging markets in China and Africa will take the lead in driving global growth.
Chretien鈥檚 reassurances followed a rather blunt assessment of the protracted cross-border dispute over softwood lumber. Speaking at the same event in Montreal, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland suggested both sides remain 鈥渜uite far apart,鈥� and hinted that her hopes for a quick resolution are rapidly waning.
Freeland has also recently called for Canada to spend billions to bolster its military might in order to rely less heavily on partnership with the U.S.
鈥淭here are always problems when you have almost $2 billion in trade per day,鈥� Chretien said. 鈥淭hat creates a bump and you navigate around it. Don鈥檛 lose your cool. That is the way to do it.鈥�
Chretien insisted that NAFTA will endure U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 鈥淎merica First鈥� trade stance, which he predicts will not have the desired impact on U.S. employment. He said if auto sector jobs were to return to Michigan, for example, those positions would be quickly swallowed by the rising tide of industrial automation.
Much of the former prime minister鈥檚 speech focused on shifting dynamics within the global economy. Specifically, the increasingly important role of youthful emerging markets such as China, India, and one day Africa. Canada鈥檚 economy, he said, is about to suffer the effects of its rapidly aging workforce.
鈥淚 think there are a lot of opportunities for growth, but not in mature economies,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e need people to work to pay taxes, to pay for all the people who will be in retirement, who will need more health care services.鈥�
One way Chretien sees Canada bolstering its labour force in the coming years is through its immigration policy. He said Canada was built by immigration, and that trend will need to continue.
鈥淗ere in Canada, one advantage we have is we are more open to immigration than most of the countries in the world. Our prime minister and the government has welcomed Syrian refugees, 35,000 the first year,鈥� Chretien said. 鈥淭hese people are an asset the day they arrive. Why? Because they become a consumer the first day.鈥�
