Canada to be exempt from Buy Americian

[punked]

A deal may be imminent that will exempt Canada from the controversial Buy American provision included in the U.S. stimulus package, CBC News has learned.

According to Canadian government sources, Ottawa expects that the White House will use its discretionary power to exempt Canada from the clause very soon. In return, Canada would simultaneously announce that its provincial and municipal doors are now wide open to U.S. companies.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/09/29/buy-american.html

[jdobbin]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/02/03/layton-trade.html

Canada should adopt a "Buy Canadian" strategy in response to the "Buy American" clause included in the proposed U.S. stimulus package, NDP Leader Jack Layton urged Tuesday.

During question period in the House of Commons, Layton said that there's a "golden opportunity" to boost slumping domestic sales with a "perfectly legal and appropriately designed 'Buy Canadian' strategy."

"The United States has had a 'Buy American' act for 76 years," Layton said. "It's perfectly legal under the World Trade Organization, and, in fact, under NAFTA, governments are allowed to buy at home in order to use taxpayers' money to create jobs for workers and to support communities and their industries.

Layton's view.

[OddSox]

Layton's view.

He's almost as dumb as he looks. Sorry, that's probably not called for, but gee

[punked]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/02/03/layton-trade.html

Layton's view.

And he was right. We used the fact that provincial and municipal coffers were closed in the stimulus spending to US companies as a bargaining chip to get this retraction for the US. So don't let the fact that Layton was right and playing a little bit of hard ball worked get in your way.

Edited September 30, 2009 by punked

[punked]

He's almost as dumb as he looks. Sorry, that's probably not called for, but gee

Accept for the fact he was right.

According to Canadian government sources, Ottawa expects that the White House will use its discretionary power to exempt Canada from the clause very soon. In return, Canada would simultaneously announce that its provincial and municipal doors are now wide open to U.S. companies.

[jdobbin]

Sorry, that's probably not called for, but gee

I wonder if Layton will still support a Buy Canada plan.

[Smallc]

Right, Jack Layton got this agreement....

[punked]

Right, Jack Layton got this agreement....

Like it or not being right counts for something. I will tell you one thing C Iggy didn't get this agreement as he yells "EEEELLLLLEEEECCCTTTTIIIIOOOONNN"

[punked]

I wonder if Layton will still support a Buy Canada plan.

If he does it would be well with our rights as a country under all our trade agreements.

[OddSox]

And he was right. We used the fact that provincial and municipal coffers were closed in the stimulus spending to US companies as a bargaining chip to get this retraction for the US. So don't let the fact that Layton was right and playing a little bit of hard ball worked get in your way.

Sorry, I missed something. Our government managed to negotiate an agreement which does not involve a trade war, in part by bringing the provinces onboard in cooperation, which is something that several previous federal governments have not managed to do successfully.

It sounds like Layton was advocating a full-out trade war and still is - which both sides would lose out on.

There is a difference.

Edited September 30, 2009 by OddSox

[punked]

Sorry, I missed something. Our government managed to negotiate an agreement which does not involve a trade war, in part by bringing the provinces onboard in cooperation, which is something that several previous federal governments have not managed to do successfully.

It sounds like Layton was advocating a full-out trade war and still is - which both sides would lose out on.

There is a difference.

Yes we gave up trade restrictions to get them to give trade restrictions. So when they put trade restrictions on us we would have to also counter or we will never have anything to give up. These trade restrictions we gave up BTW were buy Canadian policies which well in the provinces rights. Most linked directly to the stimulus money. Jack was right trade restrictions do work when done in the right manor.

I would also like to put in here I don't think opening up our provinces to NAFTA is as good a solution as what Jack wanted. It will hurt provinces like Ontario in a few years. Sometimes we have to think long term.

Edited September 30, 2009 by punked

[Smallc]

Like it or not being right counts for something. I will tell you one thing C Iggy didn't get this agreement as he yells "EEEELLLLLEEEECCCTTTTIIIIOOOONNN"

I suppose he was just picking up where Jack left off. I don't think for a minute that Ignatieff had anything to do with this. I don't think he knows which way he's going to go next and I hope he loses the net election bog time...almost as big as Dion did. I hope Jack does too, because they're both pathetic and they both keep talking when they don't have anything to say.

Stephen Harper got this agreement, and no one else. Now, I don't like Stephen Harper, but from where I sit, he's doing a much better job than either of the alternatives and I might be forced to vote Conservative again despite all my objections. There is no credible alternatives except in the eyes of incredible partisans as far as I'm concerned....and I just renewed my Liberal membership.

[Keepitsimple]

If this deal actually comes about, Mr. Ignatieff will look pretty foolish (again). He called Harper's trip to Washington "Amateur Hour". The smartest man in the room.......but the room is empty.

[Smallc]

The smartest man in the room.......but the room is empty.

[punked]

I suppose he was just picking up where Jack left off. I don't think for a minute that Ignatieff had anything to do with this. I don't think he knows which way he's going to go next and I hope he loses the net election bog time...almost as big as Dion did. I hope Jack does too, because they're both pathetic and they both keep talking when they don't have anything to say.

Stephen Harper got this agreement, and no one else. Now, I don't like Stephen Harper, but from where I sit, he's doing a much better job than either of the alternatives and I might be forced to vote Conservative again despite all my objections. There is no credible alternatives except in the eyes of incredible partisans as far as I'm concerned....and I just renewed my Liberal membership.

I personally think this deal will be a good thing in the short term and possibly the long term for the west and the East. It wont be for Qu and Ont. Jacks idea was better becuase opening up provinces to be subject to NAFTA is going to hurt those two provinces big time but the resource based provinces will see good things come out of this.

[jdobbin]

It sounds like Layton was advocating a full-out trade war and still is - which both sides would lose out on.

There is a difference.

Exactly.

Harper has been down in the U.S. trying to get this deal. Obama could still be overruled in a Senate vote. The Liberals and the BQ have been pushing for this exemption from the beginning.

Layton wanted to go for protectionism.

[Smallc]

Allowing large infrastructure and engineering companies in Ontario and Quebec access to the entire US market is going to hurt?

[Smallc]

The Liberals and the BQ have been pushing for this exemption from the beginning.

Now that certainly can't be denied.

[jdobbin]

If this deal actually comes about, Mr. Ignatieff will look pretty foolish (again). He called Harper's trip to Washington "Amateur Hour". The smartest man in the room.......but the room is empty.

Harper called the Buy American clause a minor irritant. It wasn't

I hope the agreement goes through but it is something that the BQ and Liberals have been asking for all this year.

And it might not survive a Senate vote. A similar attempt was made back In February.

Edited September 30, 2009 by jdobbin

[punked]

Exactly.

Harper has been down in the U.S. trying to get this deal. Obama could still be overruled in a Senate vote. The Liberals and the BQ have been pushing for this exemption from the beginning.

Layton wanted to go for protectionism.

There wouldn't be a Senate vote if Obama used discretionary powers to over turn it. It would be a Whitehouse decision.

[punked]

Allowing large infrastructure and engineering companies in Ontario and Quebec access to the entire US market is going to hurt?

They already have access to the US the problem is that now the US will be able to bid on a larger amount of Canadian contracts from provincial governments that usually go to those companies in On and Qu so they will have to compete more where they haven't had too.

[OddSox]

Harper called the Buy American clause a minor irritant. It wasn't

I hope the agreement goes through but it is something that the BQ and Liberals have been asking for all this year.

And it might not survive a Senate vote. A similar attempt was made back In February.

I believe everybody concerned on both sides was hoping it would be 'a minor irritant'.

No matter what happens, it's a significant step forward on the part of the provinces and may still serve to help improve inter-province trade within Canada, which has been lagging behind the spirit of NAFTA for many years.

In the long run, if successful, it will be a fine feather in Harper's cap! If not successful?

Edited September 30, 2009 by OddSox

[Slim MacSquinty]

Do you really think that a bunch of American Senators were worried about whether Kitchener would buy American widgets for a municipal project, hell half of them figure we live in Igloos and get our groceries by stalking it in the tundra. The other half probably rightly realize we'd have little impact on their economy either way.

Obama is doing Harper a favour based on good economic principles and something of a personal relationship, Layton, the BQ and the Liberals played no part other than providing background noise.

[jdobbin]

If successful in the long run, it will be a fine feather in Harper's cap! If not successful?

It depends on securing a true reciprocal agreement. That is Obama's only discretion.

Here is the problem: Ontario still have a a Buy Ontario plan.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/On...9618/story.html

The tricky business of going green in Ontario got more complex on Thursday as the McGuinty government introduced a mandatory ‘Buy Ontario’ component for new solar and wind projects.

The changes were part of a bundle of key new policies designed to spark home-grown green manufacturing, as well as the wide deployment of its products — everything from small, rooftop solar panels to industrial-sized wind farms.

I am already hearing this and other things across Canada as well as the U.S. could cause an exemption to be rejected if it is tried.

[OddSox]

It depends on securing a true reciprocal agreement. That is Obama's only discretion.

Here is the problem: Ontario still have a a Buy Ontario plan.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/On...9618/story.html

I am already hearing this and other things across Canada as well as the U.S. could cause an exemption to be rejected if it is tried.

Well, if it was easy it would have been done sooner. Besides, McGuinty is an embarrassment (until just recently, I lived in his riding for many years).