Members of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet, who were sworn in on Tuesday, were not the only new faces in Ottawa’s political scene this week. At an Ottawa conference on Friday, Pete Hoekstra delivered his first official speech as the United States’ ambassador to Canada.
While the speech naturally praised President Trump and his actions in office, it differed from the president’s rhetoric when discussing Canada.
Unlike President Trump, there was no mention of Canada becoming the “51st state,” which aligns with a previous interview Mr. Hoekstra had with The National Post.
Mr. Hoekstra, a former Republican congressman from Michigan, did not follow President Trump’s approach of listing goods that the United States supposedly does not need from Canada, such as automobiles, lumber, and oil.
Instead, Mr. Hoekstra referenced Mr. Carney’s statement to Mr. Trump during their Oval Office meeting that the “owners of Canada” had advised him that their country was not for sale.
During a gathering before the Group of 7 meeting organized by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Hoekstra echoed Mr. Carney’s sentiment, emphasizing the collaboration between the United States and Canada in areas such as artificial intelligence and energy.
Despite his friendly tone and folksy style, Mr. Hoekstra did not provide any concrete predictions regarding the United States lifting its tariffs on Canada.
While the new ambassador praised Mr. Carney, he is not necessarily a political ally. Mr. Hoekstra was a founding member of the Tea Party movement in the Republican caucus, advocating for small-government libertarianism.
This is Mr. Hoekstra’s second appointment as ambassador by Mr. Trump. Mr. Hoekstra, who immigrated to the United States from the Netherlands as a child, previously led the embassy in the Netherlands during Mr. Trump’s first term.
In 2018, Mr. Hoekstra faced scrutiny for false claims he made about the Muslim community in the Netherlands during a conservative group speech in the United States.
In 2020, Mr. Hoekstra’s involvement in a fund-raiser for a far-right Dutch political party raised questions about political interference.
Despite the ongoing issues between Canada and the United States, there is hope for collaboration in areas such as the renegotiation of the Columbia River Treaty and taking advantage of research opportunities. Honda’s decision to postpone an investment in Alliston, Ontario, due to U.S. tariffs has impacted Canada’s electric vehicle industry plans. La producción desde allí a una planta en los Estados Unidos, aunque se dijo más tarde en la semana que un cambio de producto en la dirección inversa mantendría la producción y el empleo canadiense intacto.
Dos personas fueron matadas por un incendio forestal en Manitoba que forzó la evacuación de un pueblo entero pero atrapó a las víctimas antes de que los equipos de rescate pudieran alcanzarlas.
Souvankham Thammavongsa, una novelista y poeta en Toronto, escribe en Modern Love sobre su regalo del divorcio.
Científicos trabajando en el Museo Real de Ontario han descubierto criaturas del período Cámbrico conocidas como peces mariposa con un tercer ojo aparentemente alienígena, pero también características anatómicas más acordes con los animales modernos.
Vjosa Isai ha investigado la afirmación a menudo repetida por el Sr. Trump de que los Estados Unidos no necesitan una amplia gama de importaciones de Canadá.
El rapero canadiense Tory Lanez fue hospitalizado después de ser atacado en la prisión de California donde cumple una sentencia de 10 años por disparar al rapero Megan Thee Stallion.
Ian Austen informa sobre Canadá para The Times con sede en Ottawa. Cubre política, cultura y la gente de Canadá y ha informado sobre el país durante dos décadas. Puedes contactarlo en [email protected].
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