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|Monday April 21, 2003 | BACK | NEXT
Canada-U.S.
Parliamentary Group
by Angelo Persichilli Mr. Comuzzi (Thunder Bay-Superior North, Ont.) recently travelled to Washington, D.C., with the House Transport Committee and Sen. Grafstein (Metro Toronto, Ont.) is a keen political player on Canada-U.S. issues. Sen. Grafstein helped organize a large Canadian rally to New York City after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the New York and Washington, D.C. As co-chairs of the Canada-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group, both have recently and publicly voiced their concerns about the deteriorating relationship between Canada and the United States, pointing to concerns about bilateral trade, the softwood lumber dispute and the flow of goods across the border. They¹ve also said they¹re worried about the perception that the governing federal Liberals¹ are anti-American. The two have developed good relations with U.S. Senators and Representatives. There are 46 Senators and more than 100 MPs on the Inter-Parliamentary Group and 15 on the executive. Canadian and American legislators will meet next month in Niagara-on-The Lake, Ont. Sen. Grafstein recently told The Hill Times that he feels it¹s his responsibility to find a way to bridge the gulf between those who think that Canada should have supported the U.S.-led war in Iraq and those who did not because the U.S. is Canada¹s neighbour and the two countries have strong historical ties NDP MPs in the Inter-Parliamentary Group prevented the group from sending the formal letter of complaint against the Prime Minister on the Iraqi issue. The letter was written by Mr. Comuzzi and Sen. Grafstein, and it was supposed to express "in the frankest of manners with the deep disappointment felt by our members at the deterioration of the relationship between the U.S. and Canada." In a copy of the "draft-only for revision" letter, signed by the two co-chairs and obtained by The Hill Times, the letter states members of the Canada-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group of the association "have continued to publicly support your Œpositioning¹ of Canada on the Iraq issue even though some may hold a different view on your ultimate decision." In the letter, the federal legislators express a stiff attack against "some of our colleagues, in both Houses have been less balanced, indeed unrestrained and intemperate in their remarks regarding our most important trading partner and most significant ally" and it is stressed that "these comments and this behaviour do not go unnoticed by our neighbors to the south." The group asks in the letter that "the government must distance itself unequivocally from such unbridled statements" and, in a direct criticism to the Canadian position on Iraq, they point out that "we take pains to repeat that none of us think it of value to revisit the merits of the decision to abstain from participation in the war effort. You have made it." In the letter, they also stressed to Prime Minister Chrétien that "you have made a decision for all of Canada. All Canadians will benefit from, or live with whatever that decision brings" and they ask Mr. Chrétien: "Is it helpful, then, for future relations with our neighbour to allow scornful, disdainful, even condescending, if not openly contemptuous, statements showered by Parliamentarians upon Americans to go unchallenged?" The letter does not specify MPs such as Natural Resources Minister Herb Dhaliwal¹s (Vancouver South-Burnaby, B.C.) who recently said U.S. President George W. Bush had failed as a statesman, or Liberal MP Carolyn Parrish (Mississauga Centre, Ont.), who recently said she "hated" Americans and called them "bastards," but general references are made: "Ad hominem attacks by Government Members and by Privy Councillors cannot possibly contribute to the diplomatic efforts aimed at smoothening ruffled feathers and re-establishing good relations after the crisis" is stated in the letter, dated March 27, the day after the statements made by U.S. Ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci who said the U.S. was "disappointed" in Canada. In fact, the members of the committee stress "the unprecedented step" the diplomat took in "expressing sadness at the current state of Canada-U.S. reactions." Moreover, Mr. Comuzzi and Sen. Grafstein disassociate themselves from some Liberals who reacted negatively to Mr. Cellucci¹s statements and ask the Prime Minister "to begin on our action plan to rebuild that relationship from the ground zero to which it has apparently descended." The letter concludes urging Mr. Chrétien "to initiate a rebuilding process both in our hemisphere and beyond." The reference to "ground zero," is a particularly poignant description. On Sept. 11, 2001, two air passenger planes, hijacked by terrorists, crashed into the World Trade Centre towers in New York City. The building collapsed. It¹s estimated that 3,000 people in New York City that morning. The area was called "Ground Zero." According to sources, the letter was written and signed by Mr. Comuzzi and Sen. Grafstein, was approved by the majority of the members of the Canada-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group by did not go beyond the draft stage because Mr. Comuzzi was asking for the unanimous consent of the entire committee. NDP MPs opposed the move. Two weeks ago, The Hill Times (March 31) reported the group was drafting a letter to the Prime Minister. |