USA owes Canada 5+ Billion Dollars.

How ingenious our neighbors to the north are, act smart and compassionate at the same time, eh

Originally posted by svenglezz
Canada should forgive the 5 Billion .... and donate that money to the US for the relief effort.....show's our LOVE for the US at the same time.....doesn't look like we are gona'a get it anywho......plus if Canada would forces this now...would look bad they are in a crisis now....so let's open our hearts and so our support and offer the money back....you guys' need it more

They have always been there for us

Y'r Canadian friend,
Sven

I agree, and then every Canadian can claim a percentage on their income tax as a charitable contribution. Mr. Martin are you listening. lol
While your at it time to give us all a break on the gasoline tax, if you want to get re-elected that is.

valkeryie your avatar is hard to look at without flinching, other than that though it’s very interesting.

Originally posted by WestPoint23
valkeryie your avatar is hard to look at without flinching, other than that though it’s very interesting.

thanks, its just the pain I'm going through with everything happening down there and the cost of gas. Hope I don't have to adjust it up a notch if any other disasters happen or such.

Originally posted by WestPoint23
How ingenious our neighbors to the north are, act smart and compassionate at the same time, eh

After all, we have a wonderful mentor...

When in Rome...

www.globalissues.org...

I've heard it said, you catch more flies with honey rather than vinegar.

We will more than make up the 5 billion onec contruction starts for rebuilding new orleans.

That lumber comes from......

Do the math.

It's update time!

Currently John McCallum, Minister of Natural Resources, is over in China drumming up business for us. China is the only card Canada has in this dispute and we're playing it.

Reluctance to deal with this issue in a fair manner is about to cost the US a whole bunch of oil imports.

From the Globe and Mail:

China's investment appetite for the Alberta oil sands has climbed so strongly that it could be importing 400,000 barrels of oil a day from Canada within the next seven years, Natural Resources Minister John McCallum says.

The Chinese oil ambitions in Canada, which intensified yesterday when Mr. McCallum met two of China's most powerful oil executives, are a key element in the Liberal government's aggressive push to diversify Canada's energy sales away from its traditional U.S. markets in the aftermath of the softwood-lumber dispute.

and

If the prediction is accurate, China's oil imports from Canada by 2012 will reach one-quarter of the current level of American oil imports from Canada, allowing Canada to make a substantial cut in its dependence on the United States, which buys about 85 per cent of Canada's oil exports.

"That would certainly be a very good beginning," Mr. McCallum said. "That's definitely significant."

He said he was able to obtain his meetings with the presidents of PetroChina and CNOOC at relatively short notice -- another sign of their strong interest in the Canadian energy sector.

and finally:

China is likely to increase its oil imports from Canada by acting as an investor, rather than simply as a customer, Mr. McCallum said. This could include takeover bids and greenfield investments, as well as other forms of investment.

"They do not feel limited by how much economically can be sent to China. They could well make investments for sale in third markets. They're also interested in joint ventures or minority holdings or strategic alliances with Canadian companies. They could team up with Canadian companies in joint ventures to enter into production which isn't necessarily destined for China."

And from south of the border, The New York Times

"If Nafta is called into question by U.S. action, it calls for us to diversify our trade and investment relations," said Acting Natural Resources Minister John McCallum in a telephone interview on Tuesday, only moments before he left for China to meet with oil, mining and forestry officials.

"On the Chinese side I am sure there will be receptivity," he added.

Mr. McCallum noted that his trip came only after a month after President Hu Jintao of China visited Canada and declared that the two countries had upgraded their relations to a "strategic partnership" and a week after the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee declared that energy supplies was one of the top three challenges for the future.

and

In a speech last week in New York, Prime Minister Paul Martin sharply criticized the Bush administration's decision to ignore the Nafta panel's order to return the tariffs to Canadian companies.

"Forgive my departure from the safe language of diplomacy, but this is nonsense," he said. "Countries must live up to their agreements."

Mr. Martin's speech made front-page news in Canada, particularly because he seemed to link the dispute with the United States with a renewed effort to improve relations with emerging trading partners. "For us, there is no doubt, China and India represent an exciting new opportunity that we intend to take advantage of," he added in his speech.

Bush and Martin talked today with no movement in positions from either side. The US would still like to see a negotiated settlement. Why it would be any different from negotiating a trade agreement that is not respected, I have no idea.

I didn't read all 9 pages, lots of skimming, I must admit. But I thought I would throw in my two cents anyway. This is probably all covered in the pages before me. If so, ignore me entirely. lol.

I have heard rumors that Paul Martin is actually planning to sue the US Government over this, because it violates NAFTA agreements. It would be pretty crazy to see a country sue another country. I can imagine we would become the next Iraq though if he did. I can see it now.... "We must destroy Canada, and their weapons of mass wilderness/deliciousness."

It might give the Western half of Canada further reason to seek becoming states of the US or to become separate from Eastern Canada.

Alberta is the only province that is actually self-sustaining (Ontario probably could be but we give all our money away). If they were going to separate, they'd do it Quebec style and become their own country.

Sardion, you'd miss us if we were gone. A HUGE vacuum in
Canada's defense would ensue and your appeasement style
government would welcome the terrorists with open arms.
Canadian beer, and worse yet - NHL HOCKEY, would cease to exhist,
as well as Canada as you know it.

Canada doesn't really need defense like America does. We're kind of like Switzerland. Pretty neutral, and I don't think many countries would want to attack us anyway. Hockey has already ceased to exist for a year anyway, and you can easily just make a new league. I don't see how Canadian beer would cease to exist.

All the Americans are saying this is a petty issue and whatnot, but you know you would be fuming if it happened the other way around.

Frankly I don't care. It's for the government to work out. I think if Canada just suddenly attacked the US with all it had, it would be pretty crazy though. So unsuspected, and I bet a lot of other countries would suddenly join in "Canada... the country that just sorta finally snapped" .

Oh well. Politics is not my thing.

The Canada-U.S. softwood lumber dispute is just the tip of the iceberg, and both countries are likely to engage in more acrimonious trade wars in coming years, former U.S. president Bill Clinton said Monday.

Still, Clinton said he sympathizes with Canada's position in the long-standing lumber feud, and expressed support for Prime Minister Paul Martin's recent strong-armed efforts with the United States.

news.yahoo.com...

How many presidents does the united states have again? Seems he is always in the news.....

Clinton also said he supported the first decision in the Softwood case which I believe was in favor of the USA. Typical politicing on his part heh.

It's nice to know that there is at least one American senator who recognizes that we are a valuable trading partner who deserves to be treated a little better.

Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, one of the most influential Republicans on Capitol Hill, said yesterday that Canada is poised to surpass Saudi Arabia as "the world's oil giant" and warned energy-hungry America cannot afford to alienate its northern neighbour over such trade disputes as softwood lumber.

"Anyone watching what is happening up north will recognize that, before long, Canada will inevitably overtake Saudi Arabia as the world's oil giant," said Mr. Hatch. "What does this all mean for the United States? It means that the United States can enjoy a new gigantic source of oil from a friendly neighbour."

Alberta's ability to make oilsands production economically viable is a "great success story," said Mr. Hatch, who at one point joked that "we in this country don't want to be on Canada's crap list, ever."

Canadian oil at stake, influential Republican says

The word 'crap' was inserted to replace Orin's use of a swear word.

He doesn't like all this China talk, however.



[edit on 18-10-2005 by Duzey]

Ottawa to turn up heat on softwood, tourism as U.S secretary of state visits

The Liberal government has organized two special parliamentary debates to coincide with a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in an effort to highlight a pair of hot-button issues - cross-border tourist traffic and the lingering softwood lumber dispute.

The first debate, set for Monday evening in the Commons, will centre on an American proposal to require Canadians who cross the border to present a passport starting in 2008.

U.S. citizens would also need passports to return to their country after visiting Canada, as part of a wider effort to tighten border security and fight terrorism.

news.yahoo.com...

We never give up !

P.S. I think those passport ideas suck. But thats my opinion.

Show goes on....

Canada presses softwood attack ahead of Rice visit

Canadian
Prime Minister Paul Martin kept up his attack on U.S. trade policy on Monday even as he prepared to meet Condoleezza Rice later in the day on her first official visit to Canada as U.S. secretary of state.

"Friends live up to their agreements," Martin said bluntly in calling on the United States to respect a ruling under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on Canadian exports of softwood lumber.

...

Martin said he would also press the United States to help reduce the northward flow of illegal guns, which Canadian police say are increasingly used in the commission of crimes. Canadian Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said he would also explore the idea of the provinces suing U.S. gun manufacturers.

news.yahoo.com...

All talk and no actions. Thats my prediction. For Martin that is.

Originally posted by Dulcimer

P.S. I think those passport ideas suck. But thats my opinion.

So do an inordinate number of Canadians who normally travel to the states according to a poll the Globe and mail ran recently. (sorry, link is dead) Out of 12-14,000 polled, more than 60% said they're wondering if they want to go back or not.

imo...
All those 'snowbirds' staying home could just improve our ecomomy. It won't matter to the states, though...well, maybe Florida.

A productive visit, not.

"I think the United States has been as good as gold in its international dealings and in its agreements," said Rice at a joint news conference with Canada's foreign minister.

She added: "We would like to see a negotiation on this to succeed but I think it's extremely important not to speak in apocalyptic language."

www.alertnet.org...

Ummm, yeah OK. Good as gold in their agreements, eh?

"It is a trade dispute. We are working to try and resolve that trade dispute. We have mechanisms to do that," Rice told reporters in Ottawa Tuesday at a joint press conference with Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew.

"We believe that there is still room for negotiation."

www.ctv.ca...

Yes Ms. Rice, we do have mechanisms to resolve issues such as these, set up exactly how the US demanded they be. And now you are ignoring them!!!!!!!!

:shk:

Once again the fiberal liberals are at it again. They hum and hah and sit on their hands during almost every crisis until it comes crunch time or, wait 'ELECTION TIME' while lining their pockets with our money, sometimes it almost seems like half of what I earn. I love living in this country and always try and respect my fellowcitizen but more and more I am becoming a little more disillusioned about where this great country is going. I don't mean to harp on the liberals even though it is kind of fun but with this vast land of resources, can we not find someone to take care with it. I worry that we have become so neutral we have no stance anymore on anything. I know this went off topic but it is hard to find much interest in the interests of Canada.We are on the map for those of you who would be so inclined. It's late, thanks for letting me rant a bit.Goodnight.

Washington says it needs more time to consider a NAFTA ruling that orders it to drastically cut some duties on Canadian softwood lumber exports.

Late Friday afternoon, the U.S. Department of Commerce said it needs clarification on the order that it essentially eliminate countervail duties that total more than 16 per cent on softwood exports. It's the fifth time the U.S. has been ordered to cut the duties.

Canadian government officials responded angrily to the latest delay, which sends a negative signal as to the prospects of the multibillion-dollar trade dispute ending soon.

"The U.S. has ignored an obvious opportunity to demonstrate good faith and-or indicate that they are prepared to live by the rules of NAFTA," the official said on background.

How much time do you need? A few years? Give me a break.

Oh wait. Give US a break.

news.yahoo.com...

Here's what over 20,000 Canadians polled think of the veracity of Condi's message.

I wonder if we held a referendum on NAFTA right now, would it be still in effect the next morning?

This issue is going from bad to worse.

It's how business works. The US can do it so it does.

Here's a question: What country exports the most oil to the USA?

At the beginning of this decade it was Canada at 17% of all crude imports to the U.S.
Those are old numbers now, but I'm guessing that Canada still provides the largest share among oil producing countries.

That's why Ralph Klien is such a happy guy.