US senators say relations with Canadian neighbours struggling

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HALIFAX — The tariffs imposed on Canada by U.S. President Donald Trump have clearly prompted financial ache for Canada, however a U.S. senator from Maine says he’s extra anxious about how Canadians are reacting on a private stage.

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“Like any neighbours, there’s all the time going to be points backwards and forwards, and we’ve been preventing about softwood lumber for so long as I may bear in mind,” Angus King advised a global safety convention in Halifax on Saturday.

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“But the deeper drawback is the cultural break; the concept Canadians don’t consider Americans as their mates and neighbours, however as adversaries.”

The annual Halifax International Security Forum, which opened on Friday, has attracted greater than 300 delegates from world wide, together with politicians, lecturers, authorities officers, army leaders and non-government organizations.

The focus of this yr’s convention is democracy, however questions on Canada-U.S. relations touched off a heated debate on Saturday morning when King and three different American politicians have been requested to speak about their nation’s place on the earth.

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King, one among solely two Independents within the U.S. Senate, mentioned the lingering rift between Canadians and Americans is especially troubling in a state that borders on New Brunswick and Quebec.

“Being from a state the place we have now folks going throughout the border to get a haircut … it’s a tragic day. And if there was some level to it, that might be one factor. But there was no profit to the United States imposing these ridiculous tariffs.”

In response, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis reminded the viewers that Canada and the U.S. are a part of a broader household of democratic nations which have a protracted historical past of squabbles over commerce.

“I do know that if we have been underneath risk, we might come to every others’ help,” mentioned the outspoken senator from North Carolina.

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But Tillis shortly pivoted to a harsh critique of what he mentioned was Canada’s failure to satisfy its monetary obligations to NATO, saying Ottawa nonetheless owes the army alliance greater than $300 billion.

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“Every prime minister has mentioned the identical factor, ‘We’re going to get to it,’ they usually by no means received to it,” mentioned Tillis.

“Some look down their noses on the United States due to well being care. On the opposite hand, we’ve met our obligations to funding our mutual defence for so long as NATO has been round.”

Former California congresswoman Jane Harman, a Democrat, argued that Canada not too long ago dedicated to spending extra on defence. In June, Prime Minister Mark Carney introduced a plan to spice up spending by $9 billion by March of subsequent yr, bringing defence spending to 2 per cent of Canada’s GDP.

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Tillis scoffed on the promise. “That’s beautiful, however may we do a make-up for the 20 years of shortfall funds as properly?”

Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer, who represents North Dakota, mentioned King was proper to name consideration to the “cultural break” between the 2 nations.

“There’s develop into a rigidity,” he mentioned later throughout a information convention, including that the pressure has led to fewer Canadians travelling to the United States for pleasure.

“In North Dakota, that occurs to be purchasing within the malls and staying within the resorts …. Those numbers are down as a result of individuals are offended.”

Still, Kramer mentioned he was hopeful one thing may very well be labored out regardless of Trump’s latest choice to impose extra tariffs on Canadian companies.

“Our relationship with Canadians may be very private,” he mentioned. “The finest method to repair that is to get again to the negotiating desk and repair no matter it’s that separates us on commerce …. People in each nations are anxious to reunite.”

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