Biden's visit an opportunity for Trudeau

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has never been known to excel at foreign affairs. But he had better brush up, because today, U.S. President Joe Biden comes to town.

This will be Biden's second official visit to Canada and his first as president; he was last in Ottawa in 2016 as President Barack Obama's VP. The world has changed a lot since then; between the Donald Trump years, the COVID pandemic, Russia's war on Ukraine and the consolidation of Xi Jinping's power in China, sometimes it feels as though we are living in an alternate universe. During this time, Canada's relationship with the U.S. has also been transformed — and not for the better.

The bruising years of NAFTA renegotiations with the Trump administration failed to deliver results in several key sectors, including softwood lumber. Canada's softwood deal with the U.S. expired in 2015 and, since then, successive administrations have avoided signing a new one. As a result, Canadian softwood exports have faced more than $8 billion in tariffs between 2017 and 2022.

Another area where the U.S. has been reluctant to engage is curbing illegal border crossings into Canada. Ever since Trudeau's tweet in 2017 in response to Trump's Muslim travel ban, “Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada,” illegal migrants have poured across the border, with 40,000 crossing in 2022 alone, mostly at Roxham Road in Quebec. This has cost the Canadian taxpayer $94 million since 2021 just for hotel rooms to house them, not to mention the millions in social welfare costs.

Then there's national security. The recent exclusion of Canada from the AUKUS defence pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S. was a slap in the face to our country. But it shouldn't come as a surprise, considering our woeful contribution to NATO efforts and the pitiful state of our Armed Forces.

Add to that Canada's failure to curb Chinese infiltration into our political, military, academic and business realms, which the Americans have apparently been concerned about since the late 1990s, and it's not surprising that our allies left us out in the cold.

In 2023, Canada is not back; it's at the back of the line. If Trudeau hopes to regain any leverage with the U.S., he needs to take concrete action. Here are five things he could do.

On softwood tariffs, Trudeau could try to get Washington to the table by offering to exempt Americans from Canada's new foreign ownership real estate tax, a one per cent levy that takes effect in April. The levy affects many owners of second homes and recreational properties, and some American congress members are demanding an exemption.

On defence, Trudeau must convince Biden Canada will do its share. He should pledge to meet NATO's target of spending two per cent of GDP on defence in the upcoming federal budget, to be tabled March 28. Some of this spending could perhaps shore up Canada's naval defences, as recently suggested by Lt.-Gen. Michel Maisonneuve, by purchasing a fleet of 10 to 12 nuclear-powered submarines to patrol our three coasts and the Arctic Ocean.

Trudeau also should offer to take the lead on resolving the current crisis in Haiti — something the U.S. has called for — which would be popular with Canada's extensive Haitian diaspora. That could perhaps convince the Americans to reopen the Safe Third Country Agreement as a quid pro quo.

On Chinese infiltration and influence, Trudeau should do two things. First, he should immediately call a full public inquiry. Second, he should engage with the U.S. on the development of critical mineral reserves, a sector China currently dominates. Washington announced last week that it is negotiating a critical minerals agreement with the European Union; it should do the same with Canada.

Foreign affairs frequently take a back seat because they are not considered a “ballot question.” But they will shape that question, on issues from immigration to national security to economics. By getting a win or two with Washington, Trudeau would score points he sorely needs at home — and help Canada regain the support it needs from its allies abroad.