The Conservative Shadow Minister for Canada-United States Trade is concerned about the absence of a trade deal with Donald Trump.
Shelby Kramp-Neuman, MP for Hastings-Lennox and Addington-Tyendinaga, said it’s been six months since the federal election and there is still no trade deal with Trump. She added Canadian workers are concerned.
“I’m talking to a lot of people. It doesn’t matter what the sector is, whether it’s automotive or steel, there are so many people facing legitimate uncertainty. I understand there is a process, and President Trump is a difficult and unpredictable negotiator, but the government and Carney are overpromising and underdelivering.”
The MP said even though she sits on the opposition side of the House of Commons, elected officials need to be united and work together to come up with a solution.
“The government is not delivering, and it’s not me being political. They have bypassed their own deadlines, so we are trying to say you said you would have a deal, you said you were a good negotiator, so what’s happened in the meantime?”
Kramp-Neuman said the economy is shrinking, the deficit has doubled, $54 million in investment has fled the country and unemployment remains high. She has reached out to Dominic LeBlanc, the top Liberal minister in charge of negotiations with the Americans, to offer her help, but there has been no reply.
She said Canadians deserve more clarity in what is happening with trade talks south of the border.
“Partisanship has to stay out of this. We have to put Canadians first. If I were sitting across the table from (LeBlanc), I’d say we need to defend our jobs and supply chains. We need to avoid reflexive protectionism that raises consumer prices, and I think we need to negotiate by sector.”
Kramp-Neuman said her crystal ball is telling her there will be some targeted trade deals done in the near future, with steel and aluminum being at the forefront.
“We need to use every possible tool in our toolbox, whether it’s simple diplomacy and dialogue, to taking a very close look at the current trade deal we have (CUSMA) and not waiting until the last minute.”
She is also calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to provide fact-based communication to Canadians.
“There is misinformation and a lack of information. That weakens our negotiating position. We need to defend Canadian interests using every possible legal and diplomatic tool.”
