Release
Date: February 19, 2009
For release: Immediate
PRESIDENT OBAMA AND PRIME MINISTER HARPER VOW JOINT EFFORT ON NORTH AMERICAN ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Leaders establish Clean Energy Dialogue, discuss global security concerns
OTTAWA – President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Stephen Harper today agreed the United States and Canada will pursue economic recovery measures and efforts to strengthen the international financial system to counter the global economic recession.
“I value our strategic partnership with Canada and look forward to working closely with the Prime Minister to address the global economic recession and create jobs, to protect our environment through promoting clean energy technologies, and achieve our shared goals in responding to international security challenges.” said the President.
“The President and I agree that both our countries must take immediate action to restore economic growth by lowering taxes, ensuring access to credit and unleashing spending that stimulates economic growth. We also agreed to strengthen our cooperation in the areas of environmental protection and global security,” said the Prime Minister.
RESTORING ECONOMIC GROWTH AND CREATING JOBS
The President and the Prime Minister discussed their respective economic recovery plans and their focus on saving and creating jobs. In addition, the President and the Prime Minister discussed common challenges they face, including restructuring of the North American auto sector.
They also discussed working together to develop effective global responses to the economic crisis, through the G-8 and G-20 processes. The United States and Canada will actively work together to ensure that the G-20 Summit in April contributes to restoring confidence in financial markets.
Finally, they instructed senior officials to meet at an early date to develop strategies to enhance our collective security in North America, including reviewing the management of the Canada-U.S. border.
TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY SECURITY
Noting the long and productive history of bilateral co-operation on continental environmental protection and energy trade and technology, the President and the Prime Minister agreed that environmental protection and the development of clean energy are inextricably linked and announced plans to work together to build a new energy economy as a key element of broader economic recovery and reinvestment efforts.
The Leaders discussed practical ways the United States and Canada could encourage the development of clean energy technologies to reduce greenhouse gases and combat climate change. The Leaders established a senior-level U.S.-Canada Clean Energy Dialogue that will cooperate on several critical energy science and technology issues, including:
– Expand clean energy research and development
– Develop and deploy clean energy technology
– Build a more efficient electricity grid based on clean and renewable generation
United States and Canadian officials will meet in the coming weeks to launch the Clean Energy Dialogue.
RESPONDING TO INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CHALLENGES
The President and the Prime Minister agreed on the importance of Canada and the United States cooperating closely on a number of key international priorities for both countries, with a particular focus on Afghanistan, which is a top priority for both countries and which will be a major subject of attention at the upcoming NATO Summit. The Leaders also agreed to work together closely in the Americas, including promoting effective discussion and meaningful results at the Summit of the Americas in April.
Our Foreign Ministers will meet in Washington next week, and Ministers of Defence the following week, to pursue a strengthened dialogue on these and other key international challenges.
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This document is also available at http://pm.gc.ca
White House Press Office: (202) 456-2580
Annex:
U.S.-CANADA CLEAN ENERGY DIALOGUE
Expand clean energy research and development
*A cleaner, more secure energy future for both nations will depend on significant investments in energy research and development today.
*The United States and Canada are collaborating on energy research related to advanced biofuels, clean engines, and energy efficiency. In order to address the energy and environmental challenges that we face together, the two nations agreed to expand collaboration in these and other key areas of energy science and technology.
*The senior-level Clean Energy Dialogue will review the existing forms of collaboration and identify high-return opportunities for expanded and new joint research.
Develop and deploy clean energy technology
*Carbon capture and sequestration technology holds enormous potential to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions as we use our own energy resources to power our economy.
*To spur rapid progress in this critical technology, the two nations will coordinate research and demonstrations of carbon capture and sequestration technology at coal-fired plants. This will build on our experience with the North Dakota-Weyburn project.
*The United States will draw from the $3.4 billion for carbon capture and sequestration demonstrations in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Canada’s Economic Action Plan establishes a $1 billion Clean Energy Fund which builds on Canada’s previous investments in carbon capture and sequestration.
*A strengthened U.S.-Canada partnership on carbon sequestration will help accelerate private sector investment in commercial scale, near-zero-carbon coal facilities to promote climate and energy security.
Build a more efficient electricity grid based on clean and renewable generation
*The modern, 21st century electricity grid will need to be bigger, better and smarter than the system developed during the 20th century that our countries share.
*The two nations will consult and share information on the demonstration and deployment of smart grid technology, including installing smart meters in residential and commercial buildings, digitizing distribution systems, and employing information and measurement tools to manage the grid more effectively.
*The United States will draw from the $11.01 billion for smart grid technology and transmission investment in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. To build a bigger grid, the United States and Canada will share analysis of new transmission options for integrating wind power and other clean generation sources and encourage development of a grid stakeholders group, building on the existing U.S.-Canadian collaboration among the States and provinces in the West, Midwest, and East.
*These investments will make electricity delivery more reliable, reduce congestion that can lead to blackouts and power losses, enable consumers to use energy more efficiently, and promote broader development of renewable power.
Media program
Visit of the President of the United States Barack Obama
February 19, 2009
OTTAWA
1030 Arrival in Canada
Canada Reception Centre
Note: The Welcoming Party participants are the following:
Her Excellency, The Right Honourable Micha?lle Jean Governor General of Canada
His Excellency Jean-Daniel Lafond
The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Terry Breese, Chargé d=Affaires of the United States of America to Canada
Mr. Robert Peck, Chief of Protocol of Canada
Mr. Michael Wilson, Ambassador of Canada to the United States of America
Note: RCMP Honour Guard will be welcoming the President
*Media: Photo-op only
1050 Meeting with the Governor General of Canada
Canada Reception Centre
*Media: Pool photo op only (at the beginning of the meeting)
1140 Arrival at Parliament Hill
The President will be greeted by the Prime Minister
Centre block, bottom of the stairs
Welcoming Ceremony
Rotunda
Note: The Welcoming Party participants are the following:
The Honourable No?l Kinsella, Speaker of the Senate
The Honourable Peter Milliken, Speaker of the House of Commons
Mr. Paul C. Bélisle, Clerk of the Senate and the Clerk of the Parliaments
Ms. Audrey O`Brien, Clerk of the House of Commons
Mr. Kevin MacLeod Usher of the Black Rod
Mr. Kevin Vickers, Sergeant-at-Arms
Signing Ceremony
Rotunda
Note: The Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Commons will invite the President to sign the Distinguished Visitors Books of the Senate and of the House of Commons
*Media: Pool photo op only
1155 Meeting (Tête à tête) with the Prime Minister of Canada
Office of the Prime Minister
*Media: Pool photo op only (at the end of the Tête à tête)
1255 Working Luncheon given by the Prime Minister of Canada
Note: The Luncheon participants from the Canadian Delegation are the following:
The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada
The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs
The Honourable James Flaherty, Minister of Finance
The Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment
Kevin Lynch, Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet
Claude Carrière, Foreign and Defence Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister
Michael Wilson, Ambassador of Canada to the United States of America
Guy Giorno, Chief of Staff
Kory Teneycke, Director of Communications
*Media: closed
1440 President and Prime Minister walk down the Hall of Honour
Hall of Honour
*Media: Pool photo op only
1445 Joint Media Availability
Reading Room
*Media: Open to pool media
1535 The Prime Minister farewells the President
Rotunda
*Media: Pool photo op only
1600 Meeting with the Leader of the Opposition
Canada Reception Centre
*Media: Pool photo op only (at the beginning of the meeting)
1715 Departure from Canada
Canada Reception Centre
Note: The Farewell Party participants are the following:
The Honourable John Baird, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
Mr. Terry Breese, Chargé d`affaires of the United States of America to Canada
Mr. Robert Peck, Chief of Protocol of Canada
Mr. Michael Wilson Ambassador of Canada to the United States of America
Note: RCMP Honour Guard will farewell the President
*Media: Photo op only
WORKING VISIT TO CANADA BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
FACTS & FIGURES
A) THE CANADA – U.S. RELATIONSHIP
Note: all dollar figures are Canadian
Diplomacy
?Canada operates 22 missions and trade offices across the United States, including our embassy in Washington, D.C.
?The Canadian embassy is the only embassy between the Capitol and the White House.
?The United States maintains an embassy in Ottawa, as well as consulates general in Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg.
Border
?The Canada-U.S. border stretches for 8,891km; it is the longest undefended border in the world
?The Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor is the busiest border crossing between the two countries
?Each day, more than 300,000 people and 200,000 commercial trucks cross the U.S. – Canada border
Trade
?Canada and the United States share the largest bilateral flow of goods, services, people and capital between any two countries in the world – worth $710 billion in 2007.
?With some $1.9 billion of good and services crossing the border each day, the two countries are one another’s largest customers and biggest suppliers.
?Canada exported $392 billion in good and services to the U.S. in 2007 and imported $318 billion in return.
?86% of Canada’s total exports go to the United States.
?The United States absorbed 74% of Canada’s merchandise exports and furnished nearly two-thirds (63.7%) of Canada’s imports.
Almost ? of Canada-U.S. merchandise trade is in automobiles, trucks, and parts
?Canada is the primary foreign market for 35 and 50 states, absorbing more than one fifth of U.S. exports.
?Canada is the number one destination for U.S. agricultural exports.
?Canadians buy more American goods that Mexico and Japan combined, more that the entire European Union, and four times as much as China.
Investment
?Canada and the United States also have one of the world’s largest investment relationships.
?The United States is the largest foreign investor in Canada and the most popular destination for Canadian investment abroad.
?In 2007, 44% of Canadian foreign direct investment (approximately $226 billion) went to the United States.
?U.S. direct investment in Canada grew 8% between 2006 and 2007 (the highest annual growth rate in 6 years) to reach $288.6 billion
Energy
?Canada ranks sixth in the world in total energy production, seventh in global oil production, third in global gas production and second in hydro-electric generation
?Canada has the world’s largest known deposits of high-grade natural uranium and is the world’s leading producer of uranium for nuclear energy
?Alberta’s oil sands are the largest single oil deposit in the world.
?Canada is the United States’ largest supplier of energy – oil, natural gas, uranium and electricity
?In 2007, Canadian exports accounted for 9% of total U.S. energy demand
?Canadian crude oil imports – nearly 2.4 million barrels per day – accounted for 18% of U.S. crude oil imports in 2007
?Canada also supplied the United States with 85% of its natural gas imports, accounting for 16% of total U.S. energy consumption
?Canada supplies approximately one third of the uranium used in U.S. nuclear power plants
?Canada and the United States share a fully integrated electricity grid and supply almost all of each other’s electricity imports.
B) MEDIA
?Over 650+ members of the media have been accredited for the visit.
?There are approximately 570 Canadian press and 80 members of the U.S. press accredited for this visit.
C) THE PROGRAM ON PARLIAMENT HILL
Flags
?There will be 90 Canadian flags and 90 U.S. flags positioned at various locations on Parliament Hill.
Gifts
?To reflect the working nature of this visit, the leaders agreed that no gifts would be exchanged.
Peace Tower Carillon
?The 54-t (60-ton) carillon, developed from the 17 century chiming clocks in Dutch and Flemish cities, contains 53 bells, ranging in size from the 4.5 kg (10 lb.) A-bell 16.6 cm (7 in.) in diameter to the 10,160 kg (22,400 lb.) bourdon tuned to E. It is the bourdon that strikes the hour.
?The carillon is played from a large keyboard similar to that of an organ. To play, the keys are usually struck with the closed fist, but in the case of the heavier bells, which are fixed, the carilloneur must use his/her feet. Connected wires swing the clappers against the bells.
?Musicians come from all over the world to study this superbly tuned carillon. The Peace Tower contains one of the earliest and finest carillons in North America.
The Dominion Carillonneur
?The Dominion Carillonneur is Mme. Andrea McCrady
?She began playing the carillon in 1971
?Mme. McCrady will play ‘America the Beautiful’ as the President arrives on Parliament Hill.
?The lunch time carillon concert will feature the following songs:
oOne in the Spirit, by Peter Scholtes, arranged by Milford Myhre
oOnce to Every Man and Nation, by T.J. Williams, arranged by Leen ‘t Hart
oLift Ev’ry Voice, by James Weldon Johnson, arrange by Sally Slade Warner
oAmerica the Beautiful, by Samuel A. Ward, arranged by Milford Myhre.
Lunch Menu
Pacific Coast Tuna with a Chilli and Citrus Vinaigrette
Maple and Miso Cured Nunavut Arctic Char
Lightly Pickled Vegetables and an Organic Beet Relish
Applewood Smoked Plains Bison
Winter Root Vegetables and Local Mushrooms
Cauliflower and Rosemary Puree
Juniper and Niagara Red Wine Jus
Saugeen Yogurt Pot de Crème with a Lemon and Lavender Syrup
Wild Blueberry and Partridgeberry Compote
Acadian Buckwheat Honey and Sumac Tuile
H & K Communications Phone: (613) 829-1800
72 Elvaston Avenue Fax: (613) 829-2449
Nepean, Ontario E-mail: [email protected]
K2G 3X9
SOURCE: PCO LOCATION/LIEU: PARLIAMENT HILL
DATE: FEBRUARY 19, 2009 TIME/ HEURE: 14:45
REFERENCE/ R?F?RENCE: 1902doc1 LENGTH/DUR?E: 45 MINUTES
PRIME MINISTER’S STATEMENT AND PRESS CONFERENCE WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA
BARACK OBAMA (President of the United States of America): Hello, good afternoon.
RT. HON. STEPHEN HARPER (Prime Minister of Canada): Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Bon après-midi mesdames et messieurs. C’est un immense plaisir d’accueillir le président Obama au Canada. Nous sommes profondément honorés qu’il ait choisi le Canada pour sa première visite à l’étranger depuis son arrivée au pouvoir. Son élection à la présidence ouvre un nouveau chapitre de la riche histoire de la relation entre le Canada et les ?tats-Unis. C’est une relation d’alliés, de partenaires, de voisins et d’amis très proches, une relation fondée sur des valeurs communes: la liberté, la démocratie et l’égalité des chances, des valeurs personnifiées par le Président lui-même. Nous discutons…nos discussions aujourd’hui ont porté sur trois priorités majeures. D’abord, le président Obama et moi-même reconnaissons que le Canada et les ?tats-Unis doivent collaborer étroitement pour contrer la récession économique mondiale en prenant des mesures de relance mutuellement bénéfiques et en soutenant les efforts déployés pour renforcer le système financier international. Nous nous entendons sur la nécessité d’action immédiate concertée pour rétablir la croissance économique et pour protéger les travailleurs, les familles les plus durement touchés par la récession en réduisant les imp?ts, en assurant l’accès au crédit et en faisant des dépenses qui soutiennent et stimulent l’activité économique.
Deuxièmement, le président Obama et moi-même, nous sommes entendus sur une nouvelle initiative qui va accro?tre notre coopération transfrontalière en matière de protection de l’environnement et de sécurité énergétique. Nous établissons un dialogue Canada-?tats-Unis sur l’énergie propre qui engage les hauts dirigeants des deux pays à collaborer pour développer une séance et des technologies sur l’énergie propre, qui réduiront les gaz à effet de serre, et lutteront contre les changements climatiques.
Troisièmement, le Président et moi-même avons eu une discussion productive sur nos priorités communes, comme la sécurité internationale, en particulier sur notre engagement envers la stabilité et le progrès en Afghanistan. Cette visite a été très constructive. Elle la mise en lumière un solide consensus sur d’importantes questions bilatérales et internationales. Monsieur le Président, je suis dans l’impatience de travailler avec vous au cours des prochains mois alors que nous progressons sur ces questions et tirons profit de la longue et profonde amitié entre nos deux pays et nos deux peuples.
Once again, it is a great pleasure to welcome President Obama to Canada. We are deeply honoured that he has chosen Canada for his first foreign visit since taking office. His election to the presidency launches a new chapter in the rich history of Canada-US relations. It is a relationship between allies, partners, neighbours and the closest of friends, a relationship built on our shared values: freedom, democracy and equality of opportunity epitomized by the President himself. Our discussions today focused on three main priorities.
First, President Obama and I agree that Canada and the United States must work closely to counter the global economic recession by implementing mutually beneficial stimulus measures and by supporting efforts to strengthen the international financial system. We concur on the need for immediate concerted action to restore economic growth and to protect workers and families hit hardest by the recession through lowering taxes, ensuring access to credit and unleashing spending that sustains and stimulates economic activity.
Second, President Obama and I agreed to a new initiative that will further cross-border cooperation on environmental protection and energy security. We are establishing a US-Canada clean energy dialogue which commits senior officials from both countries to collaborate on the development of clean energy science and technologies. That will reduce greenhouse gases and combat climate change.
Third, the President and I had a productive discussion about our shared priorities for international peace and security, in particular our commitment to stability and progress in Afghanistan. This has been a very constructive visit, revealing to both of us a strong consensus on important bilateral and international issues. President Obama, I look forward to working with you in the months ahead to make progress on these issues and build on the long and deep friendship between our two countries and our two peoples.
BARACK OBAMA: Thank you. Well, it is a great pleasure to be here in Ottawa, and Prime Minister Harper and I just completed a productive and wide-ranging discussion on the many issues of common concern to the people of the United States and Canada. I came to Canada on my first trip as President to underscore the closeness and importance of the relationship between our two nations and to reaffirm the commitment of the United States to work with friends and partners to meet the common challenges of our time. As neighbours, we are so closely linked that sometimes we may have a tendency to take our relationship for granted, but the very success of our friendship throughout history demands that we renew and deepen our cooperation here in the 21st century. We’re joined together by the world’s largest trading relationship, and countless daily interactions that keep our borders open and secure. We share core democratic values and a commitment to work on behalf of peace, prosperity and human rights around the world. But we also know that our economy and our security are being tested in new ways, and the Prime Minister and I focused on several of those challenges today.
As he already mentioned, first we shared a commitment to economic recovery. The people of North America are hurting, and that is why our governments are acting. This week I signed the most sweeping economic recovery plan in our nation’s history. Today the Prime Minister and I discussed our respective plans to create jobs and lay a foundation for growth. The work that’s being done by this government to stimulate the economy on this side of the border is welcomed, and we expect that we can take actions in concert to strengthen the auto industry as well. We know that the financial crisis is global, and so our response must be global. The United States and Canada are working closely on a bilateral basis, and within the G8 and G20 to restore confidence in our financial markets. I discussed this with Prime Minister Harper, and we look forward to carrying that collaboration to London this spring.
Second, we are launching, as was mentioned, a new initiative to make progress on one of the most pressing challenges of our time, the development and use of clean energy. How we produce and use energy is fundamental to our economic recovery, but also our security and our planet, and we know that we can’t afford to tackle these issues in isolation, and that’s why we’re updating our collaboration on energy to meet the needs of the 21st century. The clean energy dialogue that we’ve established today will strengthen our joint research and development. It will advance carbon reduction technologies, and it will support the development of an electric grid that can help deliver the clean and renewable energy of the future to homes and businesses both in Canada and the United States. And through this example and through continued international negotiations, the United States and Canada are committed to confronting the threat posed by climate change.
In addition to climate change, Prime Minister Harper and I discussed the need for strong bilateral cooperation on a range of global challenges, one of the most pressing being Afghanistan. The people of Canada have an enormous burden there that they have borne. As I mentioned in an interview prior to this visit, those of us in the United States are extraordinarily grateful for the sacrifices of the families here in Canada, of troops that have been deployed and have carried on their missions with extraordinary valour. You’ve put at risk your most precious resource, your brave men and women in uniform, and so we are very grateful for that. There is an enduring military mission against Al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan and along the border regions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, but we also have to enhance our diplomacy and our development efforts, and we discussed this in our private meetings. My administration is undertaking a review of our policies so that we forge a comprehensive strategy in pursuit of clear and achievable goals. And as we move forward, we intend to consult very closely with the government here in Canada to make certain that all our partners are working in the same direction. In April we’ll have a broader dialogue with our NATO allies on how to strengthen the alliance to meet the evolving security challenges around the world.And finally, we look forward to the Summit of the Americas. My administration is fully committed to active and sustained engagement to advance the common security and prosperity of our hemisphere. We will work closely with Canada in advancing these goals, and look forward to a meaningful dialogue in Trinidad.
As I’ve said, the United States is once again ready to lead, but strong leadership depends on strong alliances, and strong alliances depend on constant renewal. Even the closest of neighbours need to make that effort to listen to one another, to keep open the lines of communication, and to structure our cooperation at home and around the world. That’s the work that we’ve begun here today. I’m extraordinarily grateful to Prime Minister Harper for his hospitality, his graciousness and his leadership, and I’m looking forward to this being the start of a continued extraordinary relationship between our two countries.
DIMITRI SOUDAS (Press Secretary to the Prime Minister): Bon après-midi, good afternoon. We’ll start with David Jackson, USA Today.
REPORTER: Thank you. Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, I have Afghanistan questions for you both. Mr. President, General McKinnon requested 30 000 extra troops. Your new order calls for 17 000. How likely is it that you’ll make up that difference after the review you’ve mentioned, and more importantly, how long can we expect all US combat troops to be in Afghanistan?
And Mr. Prime Minister, based on your discussions today, are you reconsidering the 2011 deadline for troop withdrawal, and are you also thinking about increasing economic aid to Afghanistan?
BARACK OBAMA: Well, David, the precise reason that we’re doing a review is because I think that over the last several years, we took our eye off the ball, and there’s a consensus of a deteriorating…that there’s a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. I don’t want to pre-judge that review. I ordered the additional troops because I felt it was necessary to stabilize the situation there in advance of the elections that are coming up, but we have 60 days of work to do. That review, which will be wide-ranging, will then result in a report that’s presented to me, and at that point, we will be able to, I think, provide you with some clearer direction in terms of how we intend to approach Afghanistan. In terms of length, how long we might be there, obviously that’s going to be contingent on the strategy we develop out of this review, and I’m not prejudging that as well.
I should mention just to pre-empt, or to anticipate Prime Minister Harper’s…the question directed at him, that I certainly did not press the Prime Minister on any addition commitments beyond the ones that have already been made. All I did was to compliment Canada on not only the troops that are there, the 108 that have fallen as a consequence of engagement in Afghanistan, but also the fact that Canada’s largest foreign aid recipient is Afghanistan. There has been extraordinary effort there, and we just wanted to make sure that we were saying thank you.
RT. HON. STEPHEN HARPER: Just very quickly, as you probably know, it was just last year that we were able to get through Parliament a bipartisan resolution extending our military engagement in Afghanistan for an additional close to four years at that point. As we move forward, we anticipate an even greater engagement on economic development. That’s part of the strategy that we adopted. I would just say this. You know, obviously we’re operating within a Parliamentary resolution. I would just say this in terms of the United States looking at its own future engagement: we are highly appreciative of the fact United States is going to be a partner with us on the ground in Kandahar. The goal of our military engagement, its principal goal right now beyond day-to-day security is the training of the Afghan army so the Afghans themselves can become responsible for their day-to-day security in that country. I’m strongly of the view, having led, you know, as a government leader, having been responsible now for a military mission in Kandahar province, that we are not in the long term through our own efforts going to establish peace and security in Afghanistan, that that job ultimately can be done only by the Afghans themselves. So I would hope that all strategies that come forward have the idea of an end date, of a transition to Afghan responsibility for security, and to greater western partnership for economic development.
DIMITRI SOUDAS: We’ll continue with Emmanuelle Latraverse, Radio-Canada.
JOURNALISTE: Bonjour. En fran?ais pour vous, Monsieur Harper, au chapitre de l’environnement, au-delà des technologies vertes, jusqu’où est-ce que vos deux pays sont prêts à aller pour harmoniser vos stratégies dans la réduction des gaz à effet de serre, et surtout, comment est-ce que vous pouvez réconcilier vos approches alors qu’elles sentent différentes, entre autres au chapitre des sables bitumineux, des cibles.
And for you Mr. President, I can repeat in English. On the file of the environment, beyond research, technology and science, how far are your two countries willing to go to harmonize your strategies in terms of greenhouse gas reductions, and how can you reconcile your two approaches when they seem so different, especially considering the fact that Canada refuses to have hard caps, in part because of the oil sands? Thank you.
RT. HON. STEPHEN HARPER: Do you want…want me to answer first?
BARACK OBAMA: Please.
TR. HON. STEPHEN HARPER: Yeah. Premièrement, les ?tats-Unis n’ont pas encore développé son propre stratégie nationale, et évidemment il y a des décisions…il y aura des décisions aux ?tats-Unis, et le Président devra faire ses décisions à l’avenir, et il devrait prendre ses décisions à l’avenir et c’est plus t?t de parler de l’harmonisation et des choses comme ?a. Nous établissons aujourd’hui une dialogue très importante sur les stratégies pour la réduction des gaz à effet de serre, par le développement de technologies. Le Président et son administration font des investissements bien importants à cet égard, et nous faisons la même chose. Pour les différences en approche, comme je viens de dire, les ?tats-Unis viennent de commencer son approche, et comme vous savez, le Canada avait des difficultés pendant une décennie maintenant d’avoir une approche unique dans une économie continentale intégrée. Et nous, à notre c?té, nous devons examiner, comme les ?tats-Unis font des progrès, feront des progrès dans ce système, nous chercherons des opportunités d’harmoniser pour nos propres besoins. Mais les approches ne sont pas très différentes. Si j’examine des propositions dans la plate-forme électorale du président Obama et la n?tre, la réalité est que les cibles en général sont de plus ou moins le même. Si on parle des cibles…des cibles intermédiaires d’intensité ou d’une fa?on absolue, c’est juste deux fa?ons de…de mesurer la même chose. On peut convertir l’une à l’autre. Et je suis convaincu que nous aurons beaucoup en commun, comme on fait du progrès.
Just…briefly, first of all, really premature to talk about anything like that, anything like harmonization with the United States. The United States has not had a national dialogue and debate on its own detailed approach, and obviously that’s something the President’s administration will be doing. What we have agreed to today is a dialogue on clean energy, and particularly on the development of clean energy technology. Both of our governments are making large investments in things such as carbon capture and storage and other new technologies designed to fight climate change. We share…our document on this clean energy dialogue talks about things we can do together to improve the electricity grid in North America. There are all kinds of things we can do together independent of any American regulatory approach on climate change. We will be watching what the United States does very…with a lot of interest for the obvious reasons that as we all know, Canada has had great difficulty developing an effective regulatory regime alone in the context of an integrated continental economy. It’s very hard to have a tough regulatory system here when we are competing with an unregulated economy south of the border. So we’ll be watching what the United States does. We’ll be looking ourselves for our own sake at opportunities for harmonization to make our policies as effective as they can, and I don’t think the differences are near as stark as you would suggest. When I look at the President’s platform, the kind of targets his administration has laid out for the reduction of greenhouse gases are very similar to ours. You say we have intensity, they have absolute, but the truth is, these are just two different ways of measuring the same thing. You can convert one to the other if that’s what you want to do. So I’m quite optimistic. I’ll be watching…I’ll be watching what’s done in the United States with great interest, but I’m quite optimistic that we now have a partner on the North American continent that will provide leadership to the world on the climate change issue, and I think that’s an important development.
BARACK OBAMA: Well, this is not just a US or a Canadian issue. This is a worldwide issue that we’re going to have to confront. There are good, sound economic reasons for us to address this issue, to the extent that on both sides of the border, we can make our economies more energy efficient. That saves consumers money. That saves businesses money. It has the added advantage of enhancing our energy security, and we are very grateful for the relationship that we have with Canada, Canada being one of…being our largest energy supplier. But I think increasingly we have to take into account that the issue of climate change and greenhouse gases is something that’s going to have an impact on all of us. And as two relatively wealthy countries, it’s important for us to show leadership in this area. I think the clean energy dialogue is an extraordinary beginning because right now there are no silver bullets to solve all of our energy problems. We’re going to have to try a whole range of things, and that’s why sharing technology, sharing ideas, sharing research and development is so important. Here in Canada, you have the issue of the oil sands. In the United States we have issues around coal, for example, which is extraordinarily plentiful and runs a lot of our power plants, and if we can figure out how to capture the carbon, that would make an enormous difference in how we operate. Right now the technologies are at least not cost-effective. So my expectation is, is that this clean energy dialogue will move us in the right direction. We’re not going to solve these problems overnight, as Prime Minister Harper indicated. We have to complete our domestic debate and discussion around these issues. My hope is, is that we can show leadership so that by the time the international conference takes place in Copenhagen, that the United States has shown itself committed and ready to do its part. I think the more that we can coordinate with Canada as well as Mexico, a country that has already shown interest in leadership on this issues, and when I spoke to President Calderon, he indicated this is an area of interest to him. The more that within this hemisphere we can show leadership, I think the more likely it is that we can draw in countries like China and India, whose participation is absolutely critical for us to be able to solve this problem over the long term. And as Prime Minister Harper suggested, there are going to be a number of different ways to go after this problem. You know, we’ve suggested a cap and trade system. There are other countries who’ve discussed the possibilities of a carbon tax. I think there’s no country on Earth that is not concerned about balancing dealing with this issue on the environmental side, and making sure that in the midst of a severe recession, that it’s not having too much of an adverse impact on economic growth and employment. So we think that we can benefit by listening and sharing ideas, and my hope is, is that we emerge from this process firmly committed to dealing with an issue that ultimately the Prime Minister’s children and my children are going to have to live with for many years.
DIMITRI SOUDAS: Continue with Jonathan Wiseman, Wall Street Journal.
REPORTER: Thank you, both of you. I’ve got a question for both of you. Mr. President, on Tuesday you said that now is not the time to reopen NAFTA, but your aide said that you would be trying to convince our friends in Canada and in Mexico of the rightness of your position. So, first, did you convince our friends in Canada, and when is the right time to incorporate labour and environmental standards into the main body of NAFTA?
Second, for Prime Minister Harper, Mr. Prime Minister, is there a way for a “buy American” provision to be compliant with the US obligations under the World Trade Organization.
BARACK OBAMA: Well, first of all, Jonathan, I’m not sure that was my exact quote. I always get a little nervous about responding to quotes without me actually saying it. I think what I’ve said was is that now is a time where we’ve got to be very careful about any signals of protectionism, because as the economy of the world contracts, I think there’s going to be a strong impulse on the part of constituencies in all countries to see if they can engage in beggar-thy-neighbour policies. And as obviously one of the largest economies in the world, it’s important for us to make sure that we are showing leadership in the belief that trade ultimately is beneficial to all countries. Having said that, what I also indicated was that with a NAFTA agreement that has labour provisions and environmental provisions as side agreements, strikes me if those side agreements mean anything, then they might as well be incorporated into the main body of the agreements so that they can be effectively enforced. And I think it is important, whether we’re talking about our relationships with Canada or our relationships with Mexico that all countries concerned are thinking about how workers are being treated, and all countries are concerned, are thinking about environmental issues of the sort that Emmanuelle just raised earlier. So you know, I’ve raised this issue with Prime Minister Harper. My hope is, is that as our advisors and staffs and economic teams work this through, that there’s a way of doing this that is not disruptive to the extraordinarily important trade relationships that exist between the United States and Canada.
Now, you didn’t ask me about the “buy American” provisions, but since it relates to our recovery package, let me just reiterate, and I said this very clearly before the bill was passed and before I signed it, that I think it was very important to make sure that any provisions that were there were consonant with our obligations under WTO and NAFTA. And I think that is what we achieved. I recognize the concerns of Canada, given how significant trade with the United States is to the Canadian economy. I provided Prime Minister Harper an assurance that I want to grow trade and not contract it. And I don’t think that there was anything in the recovery package that is adverse to that goal.
RT. HON. STEPHEN HARPER: I’ll answer both questions as well. First of all, I just think it’s important to reiterate that since NAFTA came into force, and more importantly, since Canada signed its free trade agreement with the United States in 1988, trade agreements between our two countries have been nothing but beneficial for our two countries. There has been a massive explosion of trade. It was already the biggest trading relationship in the world. It’s so much bigger now, and that trade supports, you know, countless millions of jobs. And I don’t think we should also forget the leadership that was established in that. You know, this was about the end of the cold war, and Canada and the US signed the first modern generation trade agreement that really started the proliferation of these types of agreements, which really gave us the growth of the global economy. Now, you know, I know some aspects of trade invariably cause political concerns, but nobody should think for a minute that trade between Canada and the United States is anything but a benefit between the two of us, and quite frankly, the trade challenges we face are common trade challenges. The trade challenges we face in North American are common trade challenges. They’re not problems between our countries. So I just think it’s always important to keep this in mind. The President and I did have a good discussion of his concerns. You know, our position is that we’re perfectly willing to look at ways we can address some of these concerns, which I understand, without, you know, opening the whole NAFTA and unravelling what is a very complex agreement. But we had a good discussion on that, and I think…I’m hopeful we’ll be able to make some progress.
On the “buy American provisions”, let’s also be very clear as well that in both WTO and NAFTA, there are…there are industries and there are ways in which, and there are levels of government at which one can have domestic preferences in purchasing policies. These things are allowed in some cases, but they’re certainly not allowed without limit. We expect the United States to adhere to its international obligations. I have every expectation, based on what the President’s told me and what he said publicly many times in the past, that the United States will do just that. But I can’t emphasize how important it is that we do that. We have agreed in Canada and, you know, all the major countries of the world through the G20, we agreed to pursue economic stimulus measures, not just to stimulate our own economies, but to recognize that we have a synchronized global recession that requires policies that will not just benefit ourselves, but benefit our trading partners at the same time. If we pursue stimulus packages, the goal of which is only to benefit ourselves, or to benefit ourselves worse at the expense of others, we will deepen the world recession, not solve it. So I think it’s critical that the United States has been a leader for a long time in the goals of an open global economy. I think it’s critical that that leadership continue and I’m quite confident that the United States will respect those obligations and continue to be a leader on the need for globalized trade. If I could just comment on our stimulus package, one of the things we did in our stimulus package was actually removed duties on some imported goods. Now part of the reason we did that, it’s in our own economic interest, but also as well, it will help stimulate continental and global trade, and this is important for our recovery. We know as a small economy, we can’t recover without recovery in the United States and recovery around the world, but that’s true for all of us these days.
DIMITRI SOUDAS: We have time for one last question, Jennifer Ditchburn, Canadian Press.
REPORTER: I have a question for both of you. Mr. President, during your meetings today, did you discuss the possibility of Canada stepping up its stimulus plans? And secondly, for both of you, what do you think the Canada-US relationship will look like in four years? What will the auto sector look like? Will the border be thicker or thinner, and will you have a carbon market?
BARACK OBAMA: See, you stuffed about six questions in there. (LAUGHTER) Were you talking to Jonathan? Is that… (LAUGHTER) Ha! I’ll bet. Well, first of all, I’ll answer your last question first. I expect that four years from now, the US-Canadian relationship will be even stronger than it is today. I expect that you will see increased trade. I think we will see continued integration of efforts on energy, in various industries, and I think that’s to be welcomed. I’m a little biased here, because I’ve got a brother-in-law who’s Canadian and I have two of my key staff people who hail from Canada, and I love this country, and think that we could not have a better friend and ally. And so I’m going to do everything that I can to make sure that our relationship is strengthened. You mentioned a couple of specific issues, the idea of thickening of borders. One of the things that I would like to see – and Prime Minister Harper and I discussed this – how we can use some of our stimulus and infrastructure spending that is already being planned around potentially easing some of these bottlenecks in our border. Now, we’ve got very real security concerns, as does Canada, but I think that it is possible for us to balance our security concerns with an open border that continues to encourage this extraordinary trade relationship in which we have $1.5 billion worth of trade going back and forth every single day.
With respect to the auto industry, obviously we are concerned…we’re deeply concerned about the current state of the North American auto industry. It is an integrated industry. When we provided our initial federal help to the auto industry, Prime Minister Harper stepped up and provided assistance that was commensurate with the stake that Canada has in the auto industry. We have just received the report back from GM and Chrysler in terms of how they intend to move forward. My economic team is in the process of evaluating it. One thing we know for certain is that there’s going to have to be a significant restructuring of that industry, and as that restructuring takes place, one in which all parties involved, shareholders, creditors, workers, management, suppliers, dealers, as all of those parties come together to figure out what is a sustainable and vibrant auto…North American auto industry, it’s going to be very important for our government to coordinate closely with the Canadian government in whatever approach that we decide to take. And we are committed to doing that.
And finally, with respect to stimulus, I think that as Prime Minister Harper mentioned, Canada has put in place its own stimulus package. We obviously are very proud of the recovery act that I recently signed, not only because it provides a short-term boost to the economy, and provides relief to families that really need help, but I think it also will lay the groundwork for long-term growth and prosperity. We were talking earlier about the issue of the electric grid. The potential that exists for creating ways of delivering energy from wind and solar across vast plains to get to urban areas and populated areas is enormously promising. That’s why we are investing billions of dollars to help jump-start that process. And so we think we’ve taken the right approach to not only get the economy moving again and to fill domestic demand as well as global demand, but also I think Prime Minister Harper’s taken the same approach, and to the extent that as we go to the G20 summit, that we are seeing the most significant economies in the world all taking these steps in concert, the more likely we are that we’re going to be able to slow the recessionary trends, reverse them and start growing the economy again, which ultimately is the bottom line for both the Prime Minister and myself, making sure that Americans, Canadians have good jobs that pay good wages, allow them to support a family and send their kids to college and let their children aspire to new heights. So I think we’re going to continue to coordinate as closely as possible to make sure that we are helping families on both sides of the border.
RT. HON. STEPHEN HARPER: You did ask several questions. I’ll try and touch on a few of them. On stimulus, first of all, it’s important to understand that Canada’s economic stimulus package is very large. It’s certainly larger than the kind of numbers the IMF was talking about in the fall. With the provincial action that we will bring into our stimulus spending, we’ll be close to two percent of GDP for this year, a percent and a half for next year. This is not as large as the stimulus package in the United States, but the issues in the United States are different, and in fairness, they are bigger than in Canada. Let me just give you a concrete example of the difference, and I could talk about housing, or the banking sector, but American stimulus package contains significant money, a significant pot of money being transferred to lower levels of government to deal with healthcare. Well, in Canada, as you know, we already have permanent healthcare transfer arrangements with our provinces before this economic crisis, so not all of these things are directly transferable to the Canadian experience, but by any measure, ours is a very large stimulus program. As the President mentioned, we talked about today how we can use our investments in infrastructure to focus specifically on border infrastructure that we share. We know well, Detroit, Windsor and elsewhere in Canada that the growth of our trade is straining our border infrastructure. That’s independent even of security demands, so there may be things we can do there jointly in the name of economic stimulus that are beneficial for the long term. Statement lays out today a whole bunch of initiatives we’re undertaking, and I think President Obama mentioned them. Beyond border infrastructure, we have joint action going on on the auto sector. We were working closely with the outcoming administration. We will be continuing to work with President Obama’s administration on what is an integrated industry, needs an integrated solution. We are engaged in Afghanistan. We’ve talked about that at length. We are launching a clean energy dialogue on one of the most important challenges of the next decade, and that is climate change. So you know, I see a range of initiatives that’ll carry us forward for many years.
I do want to address two specific things, though, you raise. One is border thickening and one is kind of four years from now. On the thickening of the border, I just want to make this clear, and I want to make this clear to our American friends. Not only have we since 9/11 made significant investments in security and security along our border, the view of this government is unequivocal. Threats to the United States are threats to Canada. There is no such thing as a threat to the national security of the United States which does not represent a direct threat to this country. We as Canadians have every incentive to be as cooperative and alarmed about the threats that exist to the North American continent in the modern age as do the government and people of the United States. That’s the approach with which we treat the border. Obviously we’ve been concerned about the thickening of the border. You know, in our judgement, and we’ll have some time to talk about this as we move along in our respective governments. We’re looking at…the key is to look at how we can deal with security in a way that does not inhibit commerce and social interaction. That is the real challenge, but let there be no…and that’s where thickening of the border concerns us. But let there be no illusion about the fact that we take these security concerns as seriously as our American friends.
In terms of big picture, you know, I think this’d be the safest prediction in the world, that today Canada and the United States are closer economically, socially, culturally, in terms of our international partnerships, than any two nations on the face of the Earth, closer friends than any two nations on the face of the Earth, and I think we can safely predict that in four years’ time, we will be in exactly the same spot. What we can do with that in the meantime, and what I’m sure President Obama will want to do with that, is to take that close relationship that is so deeply integrated when it comes to things like trade, and military and defence considerations, things where we have not only established a close friendship, but where we have established models that others who want to pursue close friendships have used around the world, that we can take those things and we can continue to lead in the future. We can continue to show how two countries can work together in ways that pursue global cooperation and integration to mutual benefit. And as we all know, one of President Obama’s big missions is to continue world leadership by the United States of America, but in a way that is more collaborative. And I’m convinced that by working with our country, he will have no greater opportunity than to demonstrate exactly how that model can operate over the next four years.
BARACK OBAMA: And let me just say that, to echo what the Prime Minister said, we have no doubt about Canada’s commitment to security in the United States as well as Canada. Obviously we’ve got long lasting relationships around NORAD, for example, and the same is true with respect to border security. There’s been extraordinary cooperation, and we expect that that will continue. And Prime Minister Harper’s right. It’s a safe bet that the United States and Canada will continue to enjoy an extraordinary friendship and together I think we’ve got an opportunity to show the world that the values that we care about, of democracy, of human rights, of economic growth and prosperity, that these are values that the world can embrace and that we can show leadership and I’m very much looking forward to working with this government and all Canadians in order to promote these values. I want to also, by the way, thank some of the Canadians who came over the border to campaign for me during the election. (LAUGHTER) It was much appreciated. And I’m looking forward to coming back to Canada…as soon as it warms up. (LAUGHTER)
DIMITRI SOUDAS: This brings an end to the press conference. Cela met fin à la conférence de presse. Thank you very much, everybody.
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