14 January 2009

Obama `understands' economic ties

This article is extracted from the 14 January 2009 edition of the “Toronto Star”.

The mastermind of U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's campaign, David Plouffe, delivered a reassuring message to Canadians yesterday during a visit to Toronto.

… Plouffe took a soft line on fears that Obama would shred the North American Free Trade Agreement or boycott Alberta's massive oil sands project….

"He understands how tied together we are economically."

During the presidential primaries last year, Democratic contenders Obama and Hillary Clinton both indicated they'd re-open the NAFTA pact, which could mean new trade barriers and severe economic consequences for Canada.

But, answering a question from former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna yesterday, Plouffe took a more soothing line, saying Obama's "view is that there are good trade deals and bad trade deals."

He added that Americans voted for Obama because they were concerned about deteriorating relationships between the United States and the rest of the world.

Although the economic downturn has boosted American calls for protectionism, Plouffe said Obama values Washington's relationship with Ottawa, and the decision to make his first presidential trip to this country was not just a matter of routine….