Source: http://geo.international.gc.ca/can-am/washington/ambassador/061026-en.asp

Home The Ambassador Speeches, Statements and Outreach October 26, 2006

Canada’s Commitment to the Continental and Global Agenda

Ambassador Wilson Address to the University of Buffalo
Wednesday, October 26, 2006
Buffalo NY

(Check Against Delivery)

Good afternoon and thank you President Simpson for that kind introduction.

It is great to be in Buffalo, a city with many significant and longstanding connections with Canada, and one of the most strategically important regions to our bilateral trading relationship.

I will keep my remarks to you today brief and focused - highlighting key aspects of the Canada-U.S. and Canada-New York relationship, and then outlining key facets of the Government of Canada’s commitment to other continental and global issues.

I also hope to take some of your questions.

The Canadian-American and Canada-New York Relationship

Let me begin by stating that no other border-nations in the world enjoy the long-standing friendship, family ties and prosperity of the Canadian-American relationship. The numbers speak for themselves.

• $1.3 billion USD a day in cross-border commerce.
• 300,000 people a day crossing our borders.

When you drill down to examine the Canada-New York and the Canada-Buffalo relationship — you see a similar set of impressive statistics. Last year the State of New York and Canada exchanged $33.5 billion dollars worth of goods.

Over 580,000 vehicles, cars, trucks and buses crossed over the Peace Bridge last month. (two-way flow)

And it comes as no surprise that Ontario is New York State’s top export destination — over 21% or $8.6 billion dollars worth of exports go to your provincial neighbour.

So what do these numbers mean for the State of New York and this region?

Our cross-border trading relationship directly translates into 348,000 jobs for the State of New York.

Equally impressive is the impact of cross-border tourism. Last year Canadians made over 2.3 million visits to the Empire State and spent nearly $544 million, while New Yorkers made over 1.8 million trips to Canada and contributed $562 million to the Canadian economy.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the significant draw of Niagara Falls. Over 13,000,000 international visitors come to visit the Falls every year, with approximately 8 million visiting Niagara Falls, New York — yes, that represents a lot of newlyweds and a significant boost to both of our regional economies!

But this is just the tip of the iceberg — Canada is also the United States’ largest and most secure supplier of foreign energy.

35 natural gas pipelines, 22 oil pipelines and 51 electricity lines cross our borders for one of the most interconnected energy networks in the world.

While many Americans believe that the Middle East is your largest supplier of oil, in fact, in 2004, Canada displaced Saudi Arabia as your largest supplier.

Going forward, oil supply from Canada will increase as the oil sands production is expected to grow from a million barrels a day today to three million by 2015.

In New York State, our energy relationship is impressive. Some 30% of the natural gas consumed in New York comes by pipeline from Western Canada. At 7% of your consumption, Canada is the largest non-OPEC supplier of oil to New York.

We share Niagara Falls which provides clean, renewable hydro electricity to Ontario and New York. The Ontario electricity grid is fully integrated with New York and Michigan, as the blackout of 2003 demonstrated. Notwithstanding the blackout, this integration allows both sides to move power back and forth on a continual basis, to take advantage in time-of-day, seasonal and market differences, to our mutual advantage.

And finally, Canadian uranium provides roughly one-third of the fuel used in nuclear reactors in the US, including in New York.

In a world where energy markets are increasingly volatile and uncertain, Americans can rest easy knowing that their largest foreign supplier of electricity, natural gas and crude oil is their friendly and reliable neighbour to the North.

But our relationship is not merely about dollars and cents. Our relationship is one forged by personal and family connections. These connections are the same ones that make our assistance to each other in times of need instinctive and automatic. Most recently there were crews in from Montreal and New Brunswick helping Western New Yorkers with your most recent weather challenge.

Whatever the cause — be it hurricane, ice storm, forest fire or terrorist attack, Canadians and Americans help each other immediately, generously and without thought of recompense because that is what good friends, neighbours and family do.

Our Continued Continental Prosperity: Challenges and Opportunities

While the numbers I have outlined demonstrate the commitment of both of our nations to the economic security and prosperity of North America. It is important that we also recognize the challenges and opportunities that we face going forward.

The quality of life that we have come to enjoy &mdash cannot be taken for granted.

After all, we see the forces of global competition every day.

New sources and forms of competition are emerging at a dizzying pace. Industries are operating in the context of global supply chains where distance and time is irrelevant.

You have research in one country, production in another, customer service elsewhere. The North-American automotive and hightech industries, so important to Canada as well as the Western New York and Buffalo region, serve as good examples of sectors where globalization has had an enormous impact.

This has led to new business models and global players such as China, India and Brazil who are positioning themselves as sources of production, innovation and investment.

So what direction must Canada, and North America, go to address these challenges?

By working to create common standards, compatible regulations and integrated trade corridors, we will be stronger and more competitive together than apart. We have seen this in Europe, Latin America and increasingly in Asia.

We in Canada, and for our partners in the US and Mexico, had a headstart with NAFTA, so the choice is clear.

Canada, the US and Mexico must act to build on our complementary strengths through the North American Security and Prosperity Partnership agenda.

We need to take the necessary steps to bring our investment and regulatory regimes closer together. We need to collaborate more often on research and development and grasp a better understanding of how North American supply chains can benefit business around the world.

This means being more aggressive in linking our transportation systems and having border security measures that help facilitate, not impede, the legitimate flow of commerce and labour — something that I will get into more detail shortly.

Given the pressures and demands of global commerce I have outlined; nations which cooperate and incorporate seamless trade regulations and efficient, interdependent modes of production will ultimately prevail.

With Canada's and the United States' long-standing friendship, interconnected production and the NAFTA trading agreement, we already have the foundation and key ingredients at our disposal. A roadmap, if you will, for continued prosperity.

We, as North-Americans, must continue to be ahead of the curve on innovation and research. And I see great potential for Canada and the U.S. to enhance our collaboration in the high-tech and medical research areas.

Buffalo and Western New York is a growing high-tech region. Couple this with the Golden Horseshoe in Southern Ontario, and you have a major cluster of leading companies, research institutes and universities in a close proximity which could be developed into one of the world's leading regions for technology development, medical research and innovation.

Canada and the U.S., as committed economic partners, must continue to explore areas in which we can enhance collaboration and leverage our competitive advantages. We must continue to push the envelope farther and set the benchmarks higher.

Canada's roles on the Global Stage

Moving from global prosperity and competitiveness, I would now like to spend some time highlighting Canada's role on global peace and security issues.

The new Canadian government, under Prime Minister Harper, had made a clear commitment to having Canada play a more effective and meaningful role in the world. This has meant increasing the capacity of our armed forces to be deployed to promote peace and security around the world. And it means that Canada is committed to playing a role where we can make a difference. This means too we will be working with the United States on common causes. After all, Canada and the US share a common commitment to so many fundamental values and beliefs including the promotion of democracy and human rights.

Our common dedication to global security, as well as the promotion of shared democratic values, is front-and-center in our current mission in Afghanistan.

We are there to provide support to failing nation because this part of the World had become a source of guidance and support for terrorism throughout the world — as we have seen in the US, UK, Spain and even in Canada.

Canada has taken the lead of NATO forces in the dangerous South-Eastern part of Afghanistan, and our troops are making a difference to help restore stability and opportunity to the Afghan people. Canada presently has over 2,500 military personnel in Afghanistan, and Canadians are paying the ultimate price for there countries commitment to peace and security.

In the spring, Prime Minister Harper, with Parliamentary approval, extended Canada's commitment through to 2009.

When President Karzai visited Canada last month, he praised our efforts helping his nation rebuild under years of Taliban rule: quote

"Canada, in all respects, has been among the leaders of this partnership. Thanks to Canada's contributions, Afghanistan today is profoundly different from the terrified and exhausted country it was five years ago."

But one major facet of Canada’s mission in Afghanistan is often overlooked. In addition to our military commitment, Canada is actively engaged in providing development assistance to help rebuild a nation that has been mired in conflict for far too long. Canada has been instrumental in assisting with the return of Afghan refugees, the building and repair of hospitals and schools, and the establishment of a secure environment in order for civil society to flourish.

Afghanistan is the largest recipient of Canadian foreign aid and we are committed to assist the Afghan people develop an open, democratic and prosperous nation.

In the words of the Prime Minister:

"Those two actions — rebuilding a shattered society and providing a stable security environment — go hand in glove."

It is with these words in mind that Canada will continue to honour its military and development commitments overseas, for we as Canadians and North Americans cannot let the seed of terrorism find place to root in Afghanistan or anywhere else in the world.

Another priority for us is one you are now reading in the headlines of all the newspapers — how to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, which has become all the more pressing with the explosion of a nuclear devise by North Korea and Iran’s intention to enrich uranium.

Canada is working with the US and our allies to find a diplomatic solution to prevent the spread of these weapons. But our work does not stop there. Canada is providing one billions dollars as part of the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, launched at the G8 Summit in Kananakis, Alberta. This partnerships' purpose is to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to terrorists or those support them by securing or destroying weapons grade material in the former Soviet Union.

Elsewhere in the world, Canada will remain engaged in Darfur. Over the last two years, we have been one of the largest contributors to the African Union peacekeeping force and for humanitarian assistance.

Yet there is still an urgency to do more in a situation that is once again deteriorating. Canada will continue to push for the admission of a UN peacekeeping force; we will encourage all sides to find a political solution and we will continue to work with NGO’s, including the Red Cross, in providing urgent humanitarian needs such as food, water, sanitation, basic health care as well as providing assistance in the protection of displaced populations.

Closer to home in the Western Hemisphere, Canada is a major security and development partner of Haiti [pause]; working with other nations in trying to bring stability and security to a nation that has suffered too long under violence and disorder.

And we continue to monitor the Cuba situation as we may see a transition from 47 years of domination under Castro.

Also in the Western Hemisphere, I’m sure that most of you are following and reading about the deteriorating business climate in parts of Latin America. With the threat of resource nationalization, we are actively engaged with the United States and a variety of multi-lateral organizations, including the Organization of American States, to assist in governance and institution building. A critical element in demonstrating why free and open trade is mutually beneficial and essential in today’s interconnected global economy. All this to say, Canada intends to play a meaningful role in the Western Hemisphere.

Finally, as I discussed before, we need to enhance North America as the world's most powerful trading relationship — and the SPP and North American Competitiveness Council offer vehicles to securing further prosperity. And I am pleased that Canada has selected 10 dynamic and committed CEOs to enhance and broaden this initiative with our Mexican and American colleagues.

Going forward without taking a step back

This being said, there is one issue relating to our relationship that I must raise with you. Something that I call a 'thickening' of our shared border in recent months.

I am more specifically referencing the recent USDA APHIS interim rule, which is in-effect a tax that airline passengers would have to pay for U.S. agricultural program inspections, and the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).

The WHTI initiative, in its present form, would mandate Canadians travelling to, and Americans re-entering the United States to carry a passport — or passport card, which was announced last week.

I am pleased that Congress passed the Homeland Security Appropriations bill in late September which provides for an extension on the deadline for the implementation of the WHTI, for those traveling by land and sea, to June 2009. Now, that is the ultimate time limit. I am sure that some members of Congress and the Department of Homeland Security may be leaning towards implementing WHTI by the original deadline, about a year from now or soon thereafter.

Canada continues to believe that both US and Canada should not rush this; we need to get it right. Business, border communities and the travelling public need to have the opportunity to provide input on the implementation of this initiative.

Whether WHTI comes on line in 19 months or thirteen months. there is not much time to implement such a vast initiative.

We have read that the proposed PASS card will use current RFID technology.

From a logistical standpoint — this does not leave a great deal of time to install and test any necessary new equipment, conduct the necessary trial runs, and then promote this secure travel document to the public for purchase. [Pause]

How many people will be able to get the PASS card or passport in time? Are we not talking about the need to have 100 million cards or passports ready in about a year's time? What happens to border traffic when the deadline is in place? Will alternative documents be accepted?

Canada is a committed partner in securing North America. But continental and border security involves much more than travel documents. [Pause] The border is a complex, multifaceted entity built on longstanding family, historic and commercial relationships. And no-one can relate to this topic better than the citizens of border communities such as Buffalo.

Far more effective in securing North America is the combination of intelligence sharing, law enforcement integration and cooperation, immigration policies that keep threats out while not impeding opportunities to attract skilled talent from around the globe, and a comprehensive policy that keeps the legitimate flow of people and commerce seamless and efficient.

And the relationship between Canadian and American intelligence, enforcement and immigration agencies is robust and working.

As students and future leaders, I encourage you to engage your political representatives on this issue — especially those in the U.S. Congress — and tell them that measures such as the WHTI do not represent the best solution for our mutual economic and security interests.

Articulate that it is in no-one’s collective interests to see a thickening of the border. You as constituents and vested parties will be directly affected by such legislation, and I encourage you to have your voices heard on this issue.

I am confident that we can continue to work with our American friends in the Administration and Congress in ensuring that this 'thickening' does not happen — our 139 years of shared heritage, friendship and economic prosperity necessitates this.

The importance of studying our relationship

Before I conclude, I would like to emphasize the continued importance of studying our great relationship. The study of Canada and its relationship to the United States is a significant component here at the University at Buffalo. I am proud to see the various departments and programs such as: The Canadian American Studies Committee, the Canada-US Legal Studies Center, the Canada US Trade Center, the Institute for Governance & Regional Growth, and the soon to be established Graduate Certificate in Canadian Studies.

An innovative project such as The Niagara Report, a public-private partnership between SES Research and the University at Buffalo, which seeks to establish longitudinal public opinion measures of the Canada-US relationship in order for us to better understand one another, is an example of the type of academic research that can only benefit our respective communities.

All of these programs offer you an opportunity to study the issues that I’ve mentioned here today and engage in guiding and enhancing this relationship for future generations.

I encourage you to get involved in these programs and tell your friends and colleagues to join you. After all, you will be future decision markers and having a concrete understanding of our shared past is critical in shaping our collective future.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to highlight that the Canadian-American relationship is something that I and all Canadians cherish. It is a relationship built on family, friendship, trust, and initiative. Our commitments to enhancing this great partnership at home in North America and abroad have never been stronger and will continue for many generations to come. Canada will always be your friend, your ally and your trusted business partner.

Thank you and I’m happy to take some of your questions.