(Canadian Press)
U.S. senators praised
South Carolina politician David Wilkins on Wednesday as just the kind of diplomat to help ease "strained" relations with Canada at a critical time when the United States is trying to rally allies.
At a Senate committee hearing on his nomination as ambassador to Canada, Wilkins, 58, mentioned security and trade issues - like softwood lumber and beef - as his priorities. He said he'd push Canada
to implement the so-called smart border accord signed in 2001 to "make our borders more secure than they are now."
But he took pains to steer clear of controversy, saying Canada's decision
to stay out of the U.S. missile defence project won't hurt relations.
Wilkins also said a plan requiring passports for frequent visitors crossing the border is too severe - a position shared by many
in both countries.
Calling Canada a "steadfast ally in the war on terror," Wilkins made note of Canadians' hospitality toward U.S. airline passengers stranded after the attacks on Sept. 11,
2001, and Ottawa's continuing role in Afghanistan.
"I'm going to take it one day at a time," Wilkins said later when asked about the blunt style of his predecessor, Paul Cellucci. "I
don't have any plan to be less or more outspoken as anybody else ... I'm going to be myself and try to do the best job I can to represent my country in Canada."
Wilkins, who speaks with a thick
southern drawl, still faces a Senate confirmation vote.
Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota, who presided at the hearing of the Foreign Relations Committee, wants to expedite the process, saying it
would be "impossible to over-estimate" the importance of the Canada-U.S. relationship.
He urged Wilkins to take advantage of ties that are "significantly better" under Prime
Minister Paul Martin than the government of Jean Chretien.
"Sometimes we take for granted that which we use the most and is most familiar to us," said Coleman. "At times, I think we take
this relationship for granted but it's critically important."
South Carolina Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint referred to troubles between the two countries as they recommended Wilkins, who
has served in their state's legislature for 25 years and as speaker for more than a decade.
"We're at war," said Graham. "We've got strained relations with Canada. We need to send someone
to Canada who can bring out the best in who we are."
Wilkins "understands politics is about the possible. He's a very hopeful person," Graham said.
DeMint said Canada is "a
friend and an ally but they're an ally with strained relations ... We need a true diplomat and I think we have one."
Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island said he couldn't think of a "more
qualified or decent person" to represent the United States "at this challenging moment when we must rally all our allies."
Described by colleagues as a "middle-of-the-road
conservative" with a lot of people skills, Wilkins ran both of President George W. Bush's election campaigns in South Carolina. He is a major Republican fundraiser who is also close to the president's
father, George H.W. Bush.
"I consider it one of the great honours of my life to call the president my friend," Wilkins said.
But Wilkins has little experience with Canada, having
visited just once on vacation in the 1970s with his wife, Susan, when he was stationed with the U.S. army reserve in Indiana.
He said he's preparing for his job by "reading a lot of materials and
getting briefed by a lot of smart people in the State Department."
"I think having spent years in a legislative arena where you have to find consensus, where you have to give and take, where
you have to move people toward a common goal, is beneficial in any job."
Wilkins, accompanied by his wife and one of his sons, Robert, emphasized the joint goals of Canada and the U.S. in a short
speech.
"The bottom line is neither country can truly be secure without the other. The fates, the prosperity, of our two people are deeply intertwined," he said.
"Sept. 11, 2001,
shattered many illusions about the security of our nation but it also strengthened the resolve of the United States and Canada to work together in the global war on terrorism."
Canada's rejection
of the U.S. missile defence scheme won't be a problem, said Wilkins, because the country is still a key player in Norad, the North American Aerospace Defence Command.
"Obviously, the U.S. would
have preferred for them to participate. By the same token, we also understand it's their decision."
He said frequent cross-border travellers should be able to use some kind of personal
identification card instead of passports. The passport idea, announced this spring by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, has been unpopular on both sides of the border. |
