Enrique Pena Nieto

Friday November 30, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday November 30, 2018

USMCA signing could be overshadowed by larger divisions between nations at G20

Officials don’t know yet who will sign the pact. And they haven’t said exactly when, or where, it’s going to happen.

October 2, 2018

But when the G20 summit in Buenos Aires is over, the leaders of Canada, the United States and Mexico are supposed to be coming home with a newly signed trade agreement.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday his government was “still in discussions” with Washington about the timing and circumstances of the official United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement signing event. At any rate, it may turn out to be a hold-your-nose moment for the Trudeau government, which had hoped to see U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum lifted before signing day.

August 18, 2018

The chances that the tariffs will even be discussed at the summit, let alone lifted, are so slim that a source tells CBC News that Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. isn’t even going to Argentina.

David MacNaughton has been a key leader for the Canadian trade negotiating team, but he will not be present for the anticipated signing ceremony, or for any sideline talks with the Americans in Buenos Aires.

While the USMCA signing will be big news in Canada when it happens, it’s likely to be overshadowed by the larger global divisions on display at the G20.

June 9, 2018

The official agenda will see leaders discussing different approaches to sustainable and fair growth for the global economy. But these conversations come at a time when confidence in multilateral institutions is declining.

The Americans have been at the centre of two summits that ended in diplomatic disaster in this year alone.

Most recently, the APEC summit in Papua New Guinea ended without a communique, as trade frustrations between the U.S. and China flared.

In June, the G7 summit in Charlevoix, Quebec ended with President Trump pulling his support for the communique and lashing out at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, calling him “weak.” (Source: CBC) 

 

Wednesday June 29, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Wednesday June 29, 2016 Trudeau looks for reset with Mexico, leadership role with Americas The official state visit by Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto in Ottawa today is a chance for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to not only reset the bilateral relationship, but also for Canada to show it can play a leadership role in the Americas. Trudeau's meeting with Pena Nieto comes ahead of Wednesday's North American Leaders Summit with U.S. President Barack Obama, a gathering also known as the Three Amigos. In the lead-up to this week's meetings, Trudeau's government has been relaying a clear message to Canada's allies in the Americas. "It is absolutely the case that we are living in a time of a tremendous wave of populist protectionism and anti-immigrant sentiment around the world," International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland said in an interview with CBC News Network's Power & Politics on Monday. Freeland said the Pacific Alliance countries are "important and valuable allies" who are worried about rising anti-immigration and protectionist sentiments from abroad. "When they hear people talking about building walls, that concerns them deeply and rightly," Freeland said without naming Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate whose proposal for a wall along the Mexican-U.S. border has been a controversial part of his campaign. (Source: CBC News) http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/justin-trudeau-enrique-pena-nieto-ottawa-state-visit-1.3637234 Canada, USA, Mexico, amigos, bridge, Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau,ÊEnrique Pena Nieto, fire

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday June 29, 2016

Trudeau looks for reset with Mexico, leadership role with Americas

The official state visit by Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto in Ottawa today is a chance for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to not only reset the bilateral relationship, but also for Canada to show it can play a leadership role in the Americas.

March 23, 2005: Martin, Fox, Bush

Trudeau’s meeting with Pena Nieto comes ahead of Wednesday’s North American Leaders Summit with U.S. President Barack Obama, a gathering also known as the Three Amigos.

In the lead-up to this week’s meetings, Trudeau’s government has been relaying a clear message to Canada’s allies in the Americas.

“It is absolutely the case that we are living in a time of a tremendous wave of populist protectionism and anti-immigrant sentiment around the world,” International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland said in an interview with CBC News Network’s Power & Politics on Monday.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Wednesday February 10, 2016 Poll: Trump, Sanders lead ahead of New Hampshire's vote Donald Trump continues to lead the Republican race in New Hampshire on the eve of the vote, the final CNN/WMUR tracking poll finds. On the Democratic side of the race, it remains Bernie Sanders' primary to lose, with the Vermont senator holding a 26-point lead over Hillary Clinton. The field of candidates vying for a second place finish behind him is finally beginning to separate, according to the survey. Trump holds 31%, down two points from the February 3-6 release, but within the poll's margin of sampling error. READ: The full CNN/WMUR tracking poll results Behind him, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio earned 17% support -- within the margin of sampling error of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz at 14%, but significantly ahead of the fourth and fifth place candidates in the poll, Ohio Gov. John Kasich at 10% and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 7%. Behind Bush, Carly Fiorina stands at 5%, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 4% and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 3%. Aside from Trump, none of the Republican candidates moved more than 1 point in either direction compared with the previous CNN/WMUR tracking poll. About three-quarters of the interviews conducted for this poll were completed before the Republican candidates debated Saturday night, their final such match-up before Tuesday's election. Although the post-debate sample size is too small to produce a separate estimate of the vote, interviews conducted Sunday and Monday found no drop in support for Rubio, and actually showed a slimmer margin between Trump and Rubio. There has been little movement in the last two days in the other metrics tested in the survey, with about two-thirds still saying they expect to see Trump win on Tuesday (64%), and about a third saying they would never vote for Trump (32%). (Source: CNN) http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/08/politics/donald-trump-bernie-sa

February 10, 2016

Freeland said the Pacific Alliance countries are “important and valuable allies” who are worried about rising anti-immigration and protectionist sentiments from abroad.

“When they hear people talking about building walls, that concerns them deeply and rightly,” Freeland said without naming Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate whose proposal for a wall along the Mexican-U.S. border has been a controversial part of his campaign. (Source: CBC News)


 

 

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Wednesday, February 19, 2014By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Stephen Harper heads to Mexico for Three Amigos meeting

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to discuss plans for new visa arrangements when he meets with his U.S. and Mexican counterparts in Mexico tomorrow and Wednesday for the so-called Three Amigos summit.

Harper, U.S. President Barack Obama, and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto are scheduled for three-way talks covering areas of mutual interest. Harper arrived in Mexico Monday night.

Three Amigos 2005

At the top of the agenda for Mexico are Canada’s visa requirements for Mexican visitors. While the prime minister isn’t expected to drop those barriers immediately, there may be some easing of the application process.

There are hopes that Canada and Mexico may agree sometime soon on “Nexus-style” travel permits that would allow legitimate travellers to visit participating countries with fewer restrictions.

Trade Minister Ed Fast, who is also travelling on Harper’s plane, has been authorized by the federal cabinet to sign an expanded airline access agreement with Mexico, The Canadian Press reported today.

That agreement would allow Mexican airlines greater access to more cities, and Canadians more direct flights to Mexico.

The expanded air access would likely be a precursor to the Conservative government eventually lifting the controversial visa it slapped on Mexican travellers in 2009 to combat an increase of bogus asylum seekers. Harper isn’t expected to announce a lifting of the visa this week, but the two countries are hopeful the issue can be ironed out in the coming months.

Mexico is said to be very frustrated with Canada’s refusal to drop visa restrictions for Mexicans visiting Canada.

“It’s an insult to the ‘new Mexico,'” Carlo Dade, director of the Canada West Foundation’s Director of the Centre for Trade & Investment Policy, told CBC News.

“It’s also against competitiveness. This isn’t about Canada and Mexico. This is about North American competitiveness.”

Harper could be in for disappointment, too, as Obama is unlikely to give him his long-awaited decision on the Keystone XL pipeline. (Source: CBC News)