By Glenn Hicks

Trudeau ‘played chicken’ with US and delays cost us: Hoback

Oct 2, 2018 | 2:00 PM

Prince Albert MP, Conservative Randy Hoback, says the Trudeau government delayed for too long on trade negotiations with the US, “played chicken” with President Trump, and claims that shows in the new deal.

He was speaking to the uncertainty for the dairy sector and ongoing tariffs on steel and aluminium that were not addressed in the new USMCA trade deal announced late Sunday, which also includes Mexico.

“They [the Liberals] have been dragging their feet, not making decisions and that has cost Canadian businesses and industry a lot of money while they did that,” he told paNOW.

He added Canada had major investments waiting on the sidelines for the last 18 months while waiting for a negotiated deal.

“We said right off the bat a simple, quick deal would remove business uncertainty [but] they proceeded to play a game of chicken with President Trump and I think the results are what we are seeing.”

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Hoback pointed to the compensation that would now have to be paid to the Canadian dairy sector for increased US access to the domestic market, as well as the continued US tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium as key areas that were not addressed in the new agreement. Some analysts have suggested dairy had been sacrificed for the wider deal including benefits that will come for the Canadian auto sector.

“It’s unfortunate we got into a scenario where we’re trading sector versus sector, that’s something that shouldn’t happen in a proper trade negotiation,” Hoback said.

He said the delays by Ottawa ended up costing the Canadian economy and ultimately the new trade deal is very similar to the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), proposed by previous US President Barack Obama.

“The reality is if the Trudeau government embraced the TPP when they first came into power instead of stalling, stalling and stalling; Barack Obama was ready to push it through the US and that was the replacement for NAFTA,” Hoback said. The Conservative MP added the TPP had mechanisms that would have addressed compensation for the dairy sector but now there is uncertainty.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended the new deal as helping to grow the middle class and promised compensation for the supply managed dairy and poultry sectors.

Despite his concerns, Hoback said he was optimistic the USMCA was “a deal Canada can live with and it gives assurances to business and industry that they can take advantage of the US market.”

glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princelabertnow