The member for Steinbach says he hopes that Donald Trump will maintain favorable trade relations between Canada and the United States. Trump was elected president on Tuesday.

Kelvin Goertzen says he, like most Canadians, paid close attention to the U.S. election, not only because it dominated headlines in the days leading up to it, but also because of its impact on Canada . Goertzen said he also has many American friends who are involved in politics at the elected level, noting that he observed how they were doing and reached out to them to get their perspective on things. .

Goertzen reminds us that the last time Trump was in office, he pledged to remake what was then called the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. He says NAFTA has had a positive impact on Manitoba and much of Canada. NAFTA has since been replaced by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA.

Goertzen says this will likely be subject to renegotiation again. However, he notes that Trump has talked a bit more about Buy America and keeping things more American. He notes that this may be concerning for Canada.

“But most presidents, and I think President Trump in his first term as well, realize very quickly that the Canadian and American economies are very closely linked,” he says. “And we don’t just trade things with each other, but we build things together and automobiles are the most obvious example of that.”

Goertzen says it is not easy to disconnect these elements and that it is important to maintain a trade relationship favorable to both countries.

“I hope he saw that in his first term as president and that’s my hope in terms of trade,” adds Goertzen.

Goertzen says Trump’s victory Tuesday could also be good for Manitoba, as it could see North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum end up in a strong position in the White House, potentially in a secretary-level position. cabinet.

“I think this would be beneficial to Manitoba because Mr. Burgum, who I have interacted with over the course of my career, understands the importance of trade between Canada and the United States, particularly between Manitoba and the United States, which would benefit us,” adds Goertzen.

According to him, ultimately, Canada will have to be very intentional in its relations with the United States and its elected officials.

“(They) are going to have to engage very, very strongly with their American counterparts, at the state level and in Washington, to remind Americans of the importance of our relationship economically and otherwise, as allies and friends “, he adds.

At the same time, Goertzen argues that even though Trump was president only four years ago, it would be wrong to suggest that there is less uncertainty about the type of leader he will be than if a first-time president were elected. Goertzen says that’s because the world has changed since his last term in government.

“We don’t know exactly how he reacts to these changes in the world, because he operates in a different environment, like that of every elected official for more than four years,” explains Goertzen. “Things change quickly in our world, so we don’t know exactly how he will react to things.”

Goertzen says the other difference is that when he was first elected, Trump was new to politics and new to Washington. He notes that it took him a while to figure out exactly what he wanted to do and how he wanted to do it. Goertzen says that because Trump understands Washington better today, he will likely be quicker to implement his agenda.

“I think we might see a quicker transition to the Trump agenda in the White House than the last time when they were still trying to figure out where the bathrooms were in the White House,” he says.

Goertzen says that because the Conservatives are not in power in Manitoba, he is personally less involved with his American counterparts than before. However, he points out that having been in politics for many years, he has made many strong connections south of the border and will meet with them again next month. He says it’s about maintaining those relationships and trying to exert influence where he can.

“Whatever the result (Tuesday), every elected official at all levels, whether municipal, provincial or federal, must find as many opportunities as possible to dialogue with their American counterparts,” suggests Goertzen. “To remind them and demonstrate to them the importance of our relationship on an economic and social level.”

Additionally, Goertzen says it’s important for Canadians to pray for wisdom and discernment, no matter which party is in power, no matter which side they support.