WASHINGTON (CP) - "Some major U.S. businesses are worried that North American co-operation is falling off the agenda, even as leaders of the three countries get ready to meet in Quebec in August.
Uncertainty about progress on a host of cross-border initiatives is rattling some nerves in American boardrooms before President George W. Bush joins Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexico's Felipe Calderon for an annual get-together."
Some quotes from the above-mentioned WADITBs :
"There has to be a plan to implement this, a road map. They asked the
business community to do a lot. We're not seeing any results."
"If we end up with nothing, why would I want to bring my chairman into an embarrassing meeting?"
"Either they demonstrate some progress, change the agenda or the
leaders don't meet."
I'm sorry, what was that last bit again?
"Either they demonstrate some progress, change the agenda or the leaders
don't meet."
Yes, that's what I thought you said.
Then there's Ron Covais. You remember Ron Covais, don't you? President of Lockheed Martin Americas, former Pentagon adviser to Dick Cheney, chair of the North American Competitiveness Council and the not-so-secret-after-all Banff meeting, and author of these happy remarks as reported in Macleans last year :Ron Covais is in a hurry. Covais figures they've got less than two years of
political will to make it happen. That's when the Bush administration exits, and
"The clock will stop if the Harper minority government falls or a new
governmentis elected."
"The guidance from the ministers was, 'tell us what we need to do and we'll
make it happen."
This is how the future of North America now promises to be written: not in
a sweeping trade agreement on which elections will turn, but by the accretion of hundreds of incremental changes implemented by executive agencies, bureaucracies and regulators. "We've decided not to recommend any things that would require legislative changes," says Covais. "Because we won't get anywhere."
Ron isn't too happy with the slow rate of progress either:
"We're asking for a status update" from top bureaucrats, he said. "By mid-June, we have to have at least a sense of where we're at."
Or what, asshole? You'll withdraw your support for all that non-legislative change? Punish us by taking water and oil off the agenda? Toss the keys to the kingdoms and go home? What exactly?
Luckily, Canadian Council of Chief Executives chief quisling and NAU cheerleader Tom d'Aquino is right there to reassure Colonel Sanders that the Canadian chickens really really support whatever the hell it is the colonel wants this time :
"The view from Canada is that all the fretting is unnecessary, said Thomas
d'Aquino. "I would like to see more speed," but there's already been a lot of
movement, he said."
And he has a remedy :
"One problem, he said, is that the leaders haven't been out publicly
defending the SPP, "even though armies are working on it. We are urging our governments to do that."
Bring it, Tom. Bring it.
We'd love to hear Harper defend being called to account by your US corporate buddies.
Bonus : If you click the Macleans link above for the Ron Covais quotes, you'll also find some bonus bitching from Dr. Ron Pastor, author of "Toward A North American Community" and member of the board of directors for the North American Forum on Integration, that group shilling the NAU to students.
H/T Mes Amis for the CP link
Cross-posted at Creekside
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