Posted on 12/15/2005 8:11:54 PM PST by blam
Voters electrified as Canada's PM hits back in war of words with US
By Francis Harris in Washington
(Filed: 16/12/2005)
Canada's increasingly heated war of words with the United States intensified yesterday, with the prime minister demanding that Washington halt attempts to "dictate" to its northern neighbour.
Paul Martin responded after the US ambassador to Ottawa accused him of playing politics with the relationship between the two countries.
Paul Martin: 'I am not going to be dictated to'
Mr Martin, who has called an election for next month, shot back: "I am not going to be dictated to as to the subjects that I should raise.
"I will make sure that Canada speaks with an independent voice now, tomorrow and always, and you should demand nothing less from your prime minister."
The row has become the main issue in Canada's hitherto lacklustre election campaign, with newspapers feasting on the exchanges between the two allies. Mr Martin is fighting to keep his job following a series of corruption scandals which have tarnished his Liberal party.
Ambassador David Wilkins shrugged off the prime minister's words yesterday.
Explaining that his words were designed to improve relations between the two countries, he said: "I had no intention of in any way affecting an election which is the business of Canadians. I don't presume I can dictate to anybody."
The US state department made plain that the ambassador's comments had its full support, saying the intervention had been "offered in the best traditions of US-Canadian neighbourly relations".
Washington has been increasingly irritated by Mr Martin's regular attacks. The Canadian leader, who once said relations with the US should be conducted more maturely, has criticised Washington's approach to international trade and climate change.
That culminated in comments last week when Mr Martin told international climate change negotiators: "To the reticent nations, including the United States, I'd say there … is such a thing as a global conscience and now is the time to listen to it."
His words infuriated Washington and provoked the near-unprecedented intervention from ambassador Wil-kins.
The exchanges have complicated the electioneering efforts of Mr Martin's rivals, largely because the Bush administration is so unpopular in Canada. Mack Layton, the leader of the Left-leaning New Democratic Party, des-cribed Mr Martin's comments as "shameless posturing".
He added: "Whipping up the rhetoric about George Bush is very easy to do … Canadians have known that the Liberals will say anything in an election to get elected."
Conservative opposition leader Stephen Harper said he was perplexed by the American intervention: 'Anyone who's watched Martin on Canadian-US relations in the past couple of years knows you can't take anything he says very seriously."
The Vancouver Sun was one among a number of newspapers which suggested yesterday that the dispute was proving helpful to Mr Martin and his Liberal Party.
"The Liberals are clearly counting on [ambassador] Wilkins's intervention in the election to stir up strong nationalist sentiments among Canadians. They believe many of those voters will swing towards Martin, particularly if he is portrayed as a strong national leader."
Canadians have been infuriated this year by Washington's decision to ignore a World Trade Organisation ruling that its duties on Canadian lumber were illegal. Washington has since backed down.
"exchanges between the two allies." With allies like this, who needs....
"I will not be dictated to!"
Except by ROPers, France, Kofi, anyone with a weapon, girl scout troops, etc.
I think Martin should reconsider his Defeat and Retreat mantra
'Anyone who's watched Martin on Canadian-US relations in the past couple of years knows you can't take anything he says very seriously."
Harper's got a very good point there...
Great. Cancel a couple of contracts and see how popular he becomes.
Oh Jeez. Give the Eastern provinces their freedom to be as liberal as they want until it kills them (which won't be long) and let the Western ones (we'll conquer the coasts of CA, OR, WA, and BC) join with the Western USA. I have lots of friends in Alberta that don't act like the eastern Canucks at all and they are proud of it. Kind of like most of the NE and MW states east of the Mississippi River - they ARE expendable since the people there are sheeple and the primary industries are entitlement programs.
Given the envious bitter sanctimonious attitude of both the Mexican and Canadian governments and their lack of suppport in the WOT. The US should pull the plug on NAFTA and tell both governments to eff off
Time to stir up three or four independence movements up there.
He's pulling an old liberal trick: "When you're ass is in a sling, BLAME GEORGE BUSH!"
It had remarkable success in New Orleans post Katrina.
In his dreams
Looks like Martin has hit upon the "Schroeder strategy." He might get some short-term mileage out of it, but not long-term sustainability.
I had a feeling that this might backfire and help the liberals.
That's like asking"What major city in a landlocked state is farther west than Los Angeles?" The answer is Reno, Nevada.
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