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Title: USMCA

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SHORT EDITORIAL
While the terms of the updated NAFTA agreement were still being negotiated, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Economic Development Minister Jim Wilson flew to Washington to express their concerns if our province's dairy farmers had their pastures compromised.
Well, it happened, didn't it?
To seal the deal on the new United States Mexico Canada Agreement—now shorted to USMCA—the Trudeau Liberals handed Americans an additional 3.9% access to Canadian dairy consumers.
“That's why we went to Washington—to make it clear that if they did throw the farmers under the bus, they'd better pay the billions of dollars required to make our farmers whole again,” Wilson said following the new pact's announcement.
“It's not the Ontario taxpayer who should foot the bill for a federally-negotiated agreement.”
And he is not wrong.
So, credit to Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, Canada's leading free trade negotiator, for clearing the air by stating all aggrieved farmers would be compensated with federal dollars, regardless of the billions involved.
There is only one taxpayer, of course. And that is you.
But when your financial tax pain is spread out over the entire country's population, rather than just our province, the pain is a little more bearable.
U.S. President Donald Trump, regardless of whether he is re-elected in 2020, will no longer be in office when the first three-nation review of the USMCA is undertaken.
This is possibly the best news of all.
For reasons known only to him, Trump would not budge on removing the restrictive tariffs he put on Canadian steel and aluminum, so only a fool would predict he has run out of things to throw a spanner into the mix if things don't go as smoothly as he wants or envisions,
The only thing predictable about Trump is his unpredictability, which means he can't be trusted.
At no time in our history have we had to deal with a president so insulting and egotistical that we have to walk on eggshells for fear of upsetting him.
If he gets four more years, so be it.
We'll deal with him until he is gone, and hope the next president has a firmer grip on reality,
It's the least we can hope for.
A friendly neighbour, not a neighbouring bully.

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Post date: 2018-10-11 13:10:29

Post date GMT: 2018-10-11 17:10:29

Post modified date: 2018-10-11 13:10:29

Post modified date GMT: 2018-10-11 17:10:29



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