(Washington) Canadian provinces are already pleading the cause of cooperation between Canada and the United States to Democrats and Republicans in view of the next American presidential election in November.
The executive director of the Future Borders Coalition and expert on Canadian-American relations, Laura Dawson, says she notes that the provinces and the federal government are accelerating their efforts in this direction.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, elected in October 2015, was criticized for not having prepared for Donald Trump’s coming to power the following year. The relationship between the two countries over the next four years was bumpy.
The Canadian government wants to be more proactive in 2024. It has already established links with the teams of Donald Trump and Joe Biden who will likely be the main candidates in a presidential election which promises to be very close.
The Minister of Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, often visits the United States. Canada’s Ambassador to Washington, Kirsten Hillman, is also playing her part by meeting with local leaders, interest groups and personalities from the business community.
Ms. Dawson says federal officials are speaking to their American colleagues to reiterate the importance of relations between the two countries.
The provinces deal with more specific subjects such as hydroelectric energy, agricultural issues, supply chains in a particular sector and common investments at the local and regional level.
“The federal government really relies on provincial representatives to precisely identify the sectors in which Americans and Canadians collaborate,” says Ms. Dawson.