SCENESETTER FOR DEPUTY SECRETARY LEW'S VISIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 OTTAWA 000394 SIPDIS FOR DEPUTY SECRETARY LEW FROM CDA BREESE E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/26/2019 TAGS: PREL ECON CA SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR DEPUTY SECRETARY LEW'S VISIT Classified By: CDA Terry A. Breese, reason 1.4 (d) ¶1. (SBU) Mr. Secretary, Mission Canada warmly welcomes you to Toronto and hopes that you will soon be able to visit Ottawa and our other six constituent posts as well. Canada remains one of if not the closest partners we have around the world, and there are few foreign policy priorities and programs that we do not share with our Canadian allies and friends. Canadians were almost uniformly thrilled that President Obama chose in February to make his first foreign trip as President to Canada. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano visited May 26-27. Many Canadian Cabinet members have already met in Washington with their new U.S. counterparts. MINORITY POLITICS -------------- ¶2. (C) The minority status in Parliament of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative Party means that it and all other parties remain in almost permanent campaign mode; there have now been three successive minority governments (one Liberal, two Conservative). The bottom line questions remain when the government will fall and on what issue. Currently, the Liberals are threatening an election -- possibly as early as July -- over eligibility for Employment Insurance. However, the New Democratic Party and the Bloc Quebecois may not be ready to face the voters again so soon. They risk losing seats to the newly resurgent Liberals, especially in Quebec. All parties will be closely watching the somewhat volatile polls -- and the latest economic data -- to determine the best prospects for an election. Most insiders predict an election no later than spring 2010. ¶3. (C) No matter which political party forms the Canadian government over the next four years, Canada will remain one of our staunchest and most like-minded of allies, our largest trading and energy partner, and our most reliable neighbor and friend. KEY FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES -------------- ¶4. (C) Canada declined to join the U.S. in the invasion of Iraq, and instead concentrated its global counterterrorism efforts on Afghanistan, including almost 3000 troops in Kandahar Province and its largest bilateral aid program worldwide. With the highest casualty rate among NATO partners and only about 65,000 Canadian Forces overall, there is virtually zero willingness across the Canadian political spectrum to extend the current Parliamentary mandate for these forces in Afghanistan beyond 2011, but Canada could offer up significant new funding to strengthen the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police. Much will depend upon convincing Canada that its continued contributions to the Afghanistan effort are a critical component of a viable strategy for success in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Canada has quietly been working with Afghanistan and Pakistan in the Dubai process on practical steps to improve border relations. ¶5. (C) Canada has been a notably generous donor also in both Haiti and Sudan, working closely with the U.S., as well as on worldwide efforts to promote democracy and better governance. It plans to establish a new Democratic Promotion Agency in the near future, although details remain elusive. Its voting record in the United Nations General Assembly is virtually identical to our own. Canada staunchly stood almost alone in defense of human rights and Israel in the UN Human Rights Council; it will step down from its term as we assume our new seat in Geneva in June. ¶6. (C) Although not yet a formal member of the Somali Piracy Contact Group, Canada has twice deployed naval vessels QPiracy Contact Group, Canada has twice deployed naval vessels on escort duty, and remains willing to provide additional assistance in the future. Under the auspices of the U.S.-Canada Permanent Joint Board of Defense, Canada is now considering reaching out to other potential partners in the hemisphere to provide vessels to this effort. ¶7. (C) PM Harper has repeatedly cited the Americas and key emerging markets such as China and India as top foreign policy priorities, but has disappointed many who expected a much more activist and comprehensive strategy to deepen these relationships. PM Harper will likely make his first official visit to China since taking office in 2006 before or after the APEC Summit this fall. TRADE AND ENERGY: A HUGE SUCCESS STORY -------------- ¶8. (C) The U.S. and Canada enjoy the world's largest OTTAWA 00000394 002 OF 003 trading relationship, with more than $1.5 billion in two-way trade crossing the border each day, including 77 pct of all Canadian exports. With the border central to Canada's economic well being, Canadians chafe about what they see as a "thickening of the border" since 9/11. Canadians claim that these U.S. actions have driven up business costs and delayed border crossers. The business and trade communities in the U.S. and Canada both believe that the "balance" between trade and security has been tilted too far toward security, and are hopeful that the Obama administration will tilt that balance back. Canadians have been agitated to see "Buy American" provisions in several key pieces of legislation, despite President Obama's commitment to follow free trade rules under the World Trade Organization and the North American Free Trade Agreement (these rules do not cover a significant portion of government procurement). ¶9. (C) Canadians wish that more Americans would recognize that Canada is the largest source of imported energy for the U.S. (including oil, natural gas, uranium, and electricity), although there is also keen sensitivity over the higher environmental footprint of oil from western Canada's oil sands and concern about the implications for Canada of the President's energetic calls to develop renewable energies and reduce our reliance on imported oil. Canada is also rich in hydroelectric power, has similar objectives for developing renewables, and is working strenuously to improve the environmental impact of production from the oil sands and to expand its own wind power capacity. ¶10. (C) Although the climate change issue has largely been the province of the official opposition Liberal Party, the Conservative government now seeks to set in place measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advocates a coordinated policy with the U.S. on expanded efforts to protect our shared environment. ¶11. (C) Arctic sovereignty is a motherhood-and-apple-pie issue for Canadians of all political persuasions, and they are deeply suspicious of assertions by the U.S. (and most other concerned nations) that the Northwest Passage is a strait for international navigation, not Canada's territorial sea. The new Arctic policy issued at the end of the Bush Administration, which reasserted our views on the Northwest Passage and emphasized cooperation among Arctic nations, has re-ignited these suspicions. KEY THEMES -------------- ¶12. (SBU) In any public remarks and discussions with Canadian interlocutors, these points would be most useful from Mission Canada's perspective: -- Canada is a true friend, trusted ally, valued trading partner, and democratic model for the world; -- around the world, the U.S. and Canada are working together to defeat terrorism, promote economic development through trade and investment, prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and advance the cause of human freedom and dignity; -- Canada and the U.S. are blessed to share the beauties and riches of North America, and will strive individually and jointly to protect and preserve its environment, while ensuring that our nations and the world benefit from its extensive natural and human resources; -- our highly integrated economies are now facing enormous challenges, but with our traditional resilience, creativity, sacrifice, and cooperation, our two countries will emerge from this crisis stronger than ever; -- while we share the prosperity that comes with the world's largest bilateral trade relationship, we also share the Qlargest bilateral trade relationship, we also share the threats to that prosperity from international terrorism; -- 21st century technology can help ensure safer and more efficient transit of goods and people across this longest undefended border in the world, and we need to work together more fully to understand each other's security and trade needs and to build a shared vision for the security of our two nations from new threats while investing in technology and infrastructure that can secure, support, and expand the benefits of our trade; -- Canada has paid a high price in human life to help the people of Afghanistan emerge from their dark era under the Taliban, and the U.S. salutes these Canadian contributions to the building of a democratic and successful society in that troubled land and counts on continued Canadian cooperation to achieve this goal; -- Our shared values and aspirations will continue to underpin a robust, mutually respectful, and hugely successful friendship and partnership that benefits not only our two peoples but the world. OTTAWA 00000394 003 OF 003 If asked: -- the U.S. and Canada maintain extensive cooperation in the Arctic. The U.S. does not question Canada's sovereignty over its Arctic lands; the only point of difference is regarding the potential use of the Northwest Passage as a strait for international navigation. On that point, the U.S. and other maritime nations take the position also set forth in the Law of the Sea Treaty. US CONSULATE GENERAL TORONTO -------------- ¶13. (SBU) U.S. Consulate General Toronto is staffed by 30 Americans and 54 Locally Employed staff working for six agencies: State; Commerce; Secret Service; FBI; ATF; and, DHS/ICE. Over 130 Preclearance Officers with DHS/CBP work at Pearson International Airport. In addition, six DOD staff are located at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto as part of an exchange program, and four DOD military and contract staff are currently employed at the Stryker armored vehicle plant in London, Ontario -- two hours west of Toronto. The consular section is the largest component of the post, offering the full range of American Citizen Services, as well as Non-Immigrant visa services to a large and diverse clientele. ¶14. (SBU) The Consulate General has been in its current building in the downtown core since 1951. The building, which houses all State Department sections, is an aging and inefficient structure with no security set-back. The building has required constant attention and internal renovations, especially to alleviate crowding in the consular work areas. With a new Consulate Office building project now postponed until 2018 despite the security concerns, and no land purchase identified for a new building, post will need significant funding for further internal renovations to improve the working environment in the building. As noted by last years OIG inspection, significant OBO assistance for design and funding will be necessary for these projects. Visit Canada,s North American partnership community at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / BREESE