Foreign Affairs committee  Mr. Chair, may I add a footnote? I see the plausibility of the argument that Professor Hampson is offering. In the past, I think it would have been absolutely clear and a convincing position to take, but I'm not so sure that the new administration follows the same rules that exi

Foreign Affairs committee  I think that was my colleague. Give him credit where credit is due.

Foreign Affairs committee  First of all, I think you're right that there is concern—that I have perceived—about the way in which NAFTA could be exploited by outside trading partners in a way that the biggest market would feel would be at its disadvantage. I think that's the right thing to look at. Frankl

Foreign Affairs committee  Perhaps I could just add a footnote. I think that it may happen that on some of these trade issues, Canada is going to have to decide whether it wants to go along with some provisions that are, quite frankly, not first choices, but that would involve looking at North America as

Foreign Affairs committee  If you have it, you can't conceal it. If you conceal it, you will in fact underplay your hand. It doesn't mean you have to use it, but people have to know that it exists. Look at the response to the situation in Syria. Mr. Trump was rightly appalled by the use of sarin gas—the

Foreign Affairs committee  It probably was dinner—lunch, dinner, something like that. The effect of that is not lost. In the matters you're talking about here, the high politics among the great powers, I think Russia and China take Trump seriously, partly because they don't quite know what he's going to

Foreign Affairs committee  I think Professor Hampson has outlined the difficulties. I would just mention one thing. The tariff, as I understand it, varies with the province and with the costs. There is quite a range. I think it's certainly the case that the average citizen is going to suffer from this ar

Foreign Affairs committee  Have you been to Switzerland recently?

Foreign Affairs committee  Well, I don't have any great sources of information. I just read the press very, very carefully and listen to a lot of people. My judgment is that it's not just the Trump administration. Everybody who seriously looks at defence recognizes that North Korea is going to be a problem

Foreign Affairs committee  —or maybe Vancouver—but in any case, they'll get something over here. That is absolutely new and very problematic. I think what's going to happen is that the North Koreans are going to have to cease and desist. The Chinese, as I said, have been reluctant, but they seem to be muc

Foreign Affairs committee  First of all, I agree with you that there are subsidies everywhere. I know a bit about agriculture, having grown up on a farm and still owning one. Agriculture is a complicated mess in terms of government policy on both sides of the border. I don't know what you can do or want to

Foreign Affairs committee  First of all, it's a distinct honour for me to be here to talk with you about something that is always important, Canada-U.S. relations, but that probably at this point is as important as it has been in a very long time. I wasn't quite sure about my instructions, so I tried brie