Canadian Minister: Clinton and Obama are ignorant about NAFTA

Wildbore · #1 (**permalink**) 02-27-2008, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said he's concerned over threats by the presidential Democratic candidates to pull the U.S. out of the free trade agreement, suggesting they need to brush up on the benefits of the pact.

During Tuesday night's Democratic debate, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama said they would pull the United States out of the free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico unless it's renegotiated to include tougher enforcement of labour and environmental standards.During the campaign, both have been critical of NAFTA and what they see as its negative effect on American jobs.

"NAFTA is of tremendous benefit to Americans. And perhaps the nominees have not had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the benefit to Americans and the American economy of NAFTA."

Flaherty said there's a tendency in the U.S. to say the agreement favours Mexico and Canada rather than recognizing the mutual benefits that come out of free trade....

Liberal finance critic John McCallum also said he thought the threat was a lot of political rhetoric, and that no U.S. administration would pull out of NAFTA because of the devastating consequences.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/...a.html?ref=rss

However, it appears now that Clinton and Obama made up empty threats and nonsense criticisms against NAFTA just to get votes in Ohio.

Quote:

...Within the last month, a top staff member for Obama's campaign telephoned Michael Wilson, Canada's ambassador to the United States, and warned him that Obama would speak out against the NAFTA.

The staff member reassured Wilson that the criticisms would only be campaign rhetoric, and should not be taken at face value.

But Tuesday night in Ohio, where NAFTA is blamed for massive job losses, Obama said he would tell Canada and Mexico "that we will opt out unless we renegotiate the core labour and environmental standards."

Sources have also told CTV News that the Clinton campaign made indirect contact with the Canadian government, trying to reassure Ottawa that Clinton supports NAFTA despite her remarks. However, on Wednesday night a Clinton staffer denied that any such conversation had taken place.

During Tuesday's debate, she said that as president she would opt out of NAFTA "unless we renegotiate it."

Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said Wednesday that the candidates' criticisms of NAFTA were misguided....

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...0227?hub=World

As usual, many Americans will believe the garbage Clinton and Obama spew about NAFTA.

With NAFTA, in a world-wide oil shortage, America gets guaranteed access to Canadian oil. Rip up NAFTA, kiss that good bye its probably going to China. If you renegotiate NAFTA, Canada is going to try and take this out of the new agreement. So its not like renegotiation is going to magically render a positive result.

McCain is actually planning to visit Canada to highlight the benefits of NAFTA. At least we know theres one candidate out there that has common sense, and isn't trying to play political games.

Fear-And-Loathing · #2 (**permalink**) 02-27-2008, 07:02 PM

I agree completely, NAFTA is of great importance to the US and we need to stay in. We need to try together to form a Free Trade agreement with the EU. We support Free Trade everywhere and to then break an agreement with one of our closest friends would be a disgrace.

Wildbore hit the nail on the head by mentioning the Oil. There are an estimated 380,000,000,000 barrels of Oil in Canada buried in the Tar Sands.

http://www.hubbertpeak.com/tarsands/

Thank you Wildbore for bringing this to my attention as I did not know about Clinton and Obama's criticism of the organisation. This event has added another consideration for me, before I step into the Voting Booth this November.

Fear-And-Loathing · #3 (**permalink**) 02-27-2008, 07:05 PM

I also forgot to say that I think that the US needs to be moving towards forming closer links with Canada, the EU and all of our allies. the US, Canada & Mexico will only benefit from NAFTA together. This is not the time to be alienating ourselves from our traditional (as in Cold War) ally system........

Sickntiredofliblies · #4 (**permalink**) 02-27-2008, 08:01 PM

I don't support free trade globally but I support equal trade. NAFTA has not provided equality. It has only made us more dependent on foreign workers.

DuH2 · #5 (**permalink**) 02-27-2008, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Clinton and Obama are ignorant about NAFTA

Yes they are. Well nto totally.
They are intentionally making it "evil" knowing its not.
They are using it as a ploy to make Americans point fingers at it so that Americans will believe the solution is the Obama/Hillary protectionism.

The funniest thing so far was how they tried to use it in Ohio and where then reminded Ohio has benefited from it more then any other state.

Whatever economic problems a state or region may have will not be solved by scrapping or radically altering NAFTA.

Wildbore · #6 (**permalink**) 02-28-2008, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sickntiredofliblies

I don't support free trade globally but I support equal trade. NAFTA has not provided equality. It has only made us more dependent on foreign workers.

It actually has provided equal trade. Canada, the US, and Mexico are on a level playing field, all the tariff rates are at ZERO, whereas before they will varying all over the place.

Whats wrong with foreign workers? If they better or more productive, why not use them? If you don't use them, someone else will, and they will gain the benefits.

NAFTA isn't your problem. The high healthcare costs, high education costs, and high and misguided spending in the USA are the main problems. I can see why NAFTA gets the blame, theres nothing more convenient than to blame an international agreement and 'foreign workers' for your own domestic problems.

DuH2 · #7 (**permalink**) 02-28-2008, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Responding to a Canadian Television report that an aide to Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, had reached out to the Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. to reassure him that Obama's anti-NAFTA rhetoric was not to be taken seriously -- a report the Obama campaign and the Canadian Embassy deny -- Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Thursday said that Obama seemed guilty of not being straight with voters, and called such behavior "wrong."

don't think it's appropriate to go to Ohio and tell people one thing while your aide is calling the Canadian Ambassador and telling him something else," McCain told reporters. "I certainly don't think that's straight talk."

CTV reported Wednesday night that a "senior member" of Obama's "campaign team" telephoned Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Wilson within the last month "and warned him that Obama would speak out against NAFTA" but that "the criticisms would only be campaign rhetoric, and should not be taken at face value."

The report was attributed to "Canadian sources." Spokesmen for the Canadian Embassy and the Obama campaign deny its accuracy.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/V...4360446&page=1

Sickntiredofliblies · #8 (**permalink**) 02-28-2008, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wildbore

It actually has provided equal trade. Canada, the US, and Mexico are on a level playing field, all the tariff rates are at ZERO, whereas before they will varying all over the place.

Whats wrong with foreign workers? If they better or more productive, why not use them? If you don't use them, someone else will, and they will gain the benefits.

NAFTA isn't your problem. The high healthcare costs, high education costs, and high and misguided spending in the USA are the main problems. I can see why NAFTA gets the blame, theres nothing more convenient than to blame an international agreement and 'foreign workers' for your own domestic problems.

There have been many lawsuits filed by businesses claiming they haven't had fair access. I'm not sure which ones are valid cases though. It's not so much NAFTA that I have a problem with but the it's WTO in general. The foreign workers outside of NAFTA pose the biggest threat to the American worker and to our country's future sustainability.

Mack · #9 (**permalink**) 02-29-2008, 01:05 AM

If Obama and Clinton really want to focus on unfair trade they should be pointing their fingers at China. Currency manipulation can lead to unfair trade advantages more so than a lack of labor and environmental standards.

DuH2 · #10 (**permalink**) 02-29-2008, 01:22 AM

They mentioned Lead Paint!

What more do you need?......

(yes im being sarcastic while they may be highlighting a problem by mentioning it their intent and use of it is to over simplify their responses to appeal to knee jerks on China)

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