Sir, – The election of Donald Trump as president of the United States is an opportunity to re-evaluate our policy and commitments in North America. For far too long, we have been mesmerised by the US and failed to give Canada its proper priority. Canada has one of the largest economies in the world, is mainly English speaking and is our immediate neighbour to the west.
When I was appointed ambassador to Canada, the Canadian government readily listened to our requests for greater access for our young people to their labour market. The Canadian government worked with us in the International Monetary Fund to improve our loan terms. Unfortunately, the attitude of the US authorities to our entreaties for immigration reform and the infamous bailout was completely different and far less sympathetic.
Despite this, and Canada’s long history of assisting Ireland – whether during the Famine when the US essentially closed its ports to the Irish, or our joint efforts in the 1920s to establish independence for our two dominions, or its help to stop conscription in Northern Ireland during the second World War, or facilitating Ireland’s entry into the United Nations in 1955, or helping to stop Britain from taking retaliatory action against us for leaving the then British Commonwealth – Canada has been a steadfast friend of Ireland.
Yet there is very little appreciation in Ireland of Canada’s long record of helping this country. So let us stop moaning and being in despair about the Trump victory and look, like many liberal Americans, to the north of the American continent and focus a lot more of our efforts on our old reliable friend, Canada.
Canada is led today by a charismatic young leader, committed to upholding human rights and respect for international organisations. In short, Canada shares our values. – Yours, etc,
RAY BASSETT,
(Former Irish
ambassador
to Canada),
Castleknock, Dublin 15.