Premier Brad Wall had a cautious reaction to last Tuesday’s election results with Donald Trump poised to become president of the United States.
Wall issued a statement on his Facebook page in which he welcomed some of Trump’s stances, but expressed concerns about others, particularly on trade.
“Canada must now work with the new president in the best interests of both our great countries,” Wall stated. “President-elect Trump has made some election promises that could be positive for Canada, and others that are concerning.”
Wall welcomed Trump’s stance on the Keystone XL pipeline.
“He has indicated his support for the Keystone XL pipeline, and with Republican majorities in both the House and Senate, I am hopeful that this important project will move ahead quickly.”
But Trump’s pledges to scrap trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement concerned the premier.
“On the other hand, I hope he reconsiders his plan to end the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). I would urge Prime Minister Trudeau and our federal government to reach out to the new administration as soon as possible on these and other issues of importance to our two countries.”
On the carbon tax, Wall stated the result “means we will not be seeing a carbon tax in the U.S. anytime soon.”
“I would also note that a proposed carbon tax was on the ballot in one of the more liberal states, Washington state, and it was rejected by 58 per cent of the voters. So it makes no sense for our federal government to push ahead with imposing a national carbon tax, when our biggest trading partner – and our biggest competitor for investment and jobs – is not going to have one.”
