Canadian Meddlers

Are we so forgetful in this country, and so stupid!

Do you remember the time about 6 months ago when the US Ambassador to Canada made some critical comments about Canada just before our federal election.

Why the Editorial writers in Canada were fuming. The Edmonton Journal wrote an Editorial as an example, "The undiplomatic diplomat." Here is part of what they said :

• "I understand political expediency, but the last time I looked, the United States was not on the ballot for the Jan. 23 election," David Wilkins, the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, declared this week.
  
  For precisely that reason, the ambassador should steer clear of this campaign -- no matter how miffed Washington gets when Canadian electioneering insults it.
  
  Wilkins was wrong to issue a threat disguised as campaign advice to Canada's political leaders in an Ottawa speech referring mainly to Paul Martin's criticism of U.S. policies -- though without naming the prime minister.
  
  "All of us should hope it does not have a long-term impact on our relationship," he said. "And that's what you have to weigh scoring short-term political points against."
  
  This diplomatic broadside goes beyond trying to cool down anti-Washington rhetoric. Wilkins appears to want to put a chill in campaign discussions that get critical of his country.
  
  It is not a foreign diplomat's place, and has never been, to meddle during an election campaign...
  
  Wilkins could well have waited until after the election and thereby observed diplomatic tradition. Instead he was deliberate in his interference, serving his own country's interests while ignoring Canada's."
  
  

But that does not seem to apply to Canadian politicians. We are allowed to try to influence US politics even during the run-up to their elections. We think nothing about asking the Democratic Michigan Governor to use her VETO power and overrule the Republican House and Senate majorities in an election year to help us out.

What's good for the Canada goose should be good for the gander too shouldn't it. You would that think we would have learned our lesson now about the border issue and meddling.

Eddie Francis almost cost Kwame his re-election as Mayor by butting in right before the Mayoral election by telling him that he did not know what he was doing re the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel! Unfortunately for Eddie, Kwame won. The end result, Windsor changed from being more important to Detroit than its suburbs to being a snow plower at Super Bowl.

Our Deputy PM at the time also tried to influence Kwame. She is out and Kwame is Mayor.

Then Eddie and Windsor Council held what was called a Joint Councils meeting in Detroit which was in fact nothing more than a sales pitch to block the Bridge Co. from redoing their Tunnel deal with the Mayor and letting Windsor become the partner of choice. They tried to end-run Kwame for heaven's sake.

Who got the last laugh---The Detroit Mayor. He got back at both Windsor and Canada by writing the Michigan Governor. He stated very clearly that he viewed the DRIC study as a threat to Detroit and that if the Governor could end DRIC for the Downriver towns, she can do it for Detroit. After all, more Detroiters voted for her than in all of the Downriver communities combined! Kwame also made it clear that the DRIC alternatives were not acceptable to Detroit.

Now we read in the Star that "Canada's Minister of Transportation Lawrence Cannon sent a June 7 letter to Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Michigan's House leaders urging them to continue with the DRIC study." Can you imagine what the reaction would be if the reverse took place, if the US Ambassador wrote to say, the Prime Minister or Premier, to kill DRIC!

Governor Granholm is NOT going to listen to the Transport Minister when she is fighting for her life. My understanding is that if she vetoes what the Republicans in the House and Senate want, then the entire MDOT budget is in jeopardy. And if she does exercise her veto, she has handed her Republican opponents a $3.5 billion election gift!

Do you think the Republican leaders are going to help out the Minister or the Governor when they can smell blood and think they can elect a new Republican Governor.

Seriously, do you think the Michigan Governor will listen to Transport Minister of Canada or the Mayor of Detroit who holds her future in his hands? Do you think she will listen to her campaign people who will tell her that a veto would be political suicide for her or to some bureuacrats in Canada!

The Transport Minister better learn some manners in international relations. More importantly, his advisors better learn some political sense.

I know they want to bankrupt the Bridge Co. but the manner in which they are trying to do it will not work!