U.S. will ‘suffer much more’: Chrétien on possible trade war | CTV Question Period

of a trade war with our biggest trading partner us president-elect Donald Trump is doubling down on his so-called joke to Annex Canada and make it a 51st US state threatening to use what he calls economic Force to make that happen why are we supporting a country 200 billion plus a year uh our military is at their disposal all of these other things they should be a state that's why I told Trudeau when he came down are you also considering military force to Annex an inquire Canada no economic Force those remarks that the president-elect wants to

use economic Force to Annex Canada led to this response by outgoing prime minister Justin Trudeau that's not going to happen uh Canadians are incredibly proud of being Canadian what I think is happening in this is President Trump who's a very skillful negotiator is uh getting people to be somewhat distracted by that uh by that conversation to take away from the conversation around 25% tariffs those 25% tariffs could wreak havoc on Canada's economy and risk millions of jobs with me now to talk more about that is the former prime minister of Canada the right honorable Jean

cran Mr ketchen welcome back to our Studios and in uh happy birthday to you as well oh thank you very much you know I'm only 91 so I'm a kid you are you because I had I lost a sister she was 100 and a brother 99 wow and another brother 95 so you're not about to get rid of me I was going to say I'll have years more of being able to interview I look forward to it I I wanted to start off uh on on a little bit more of a serious note when it

comes to what's happening South at the border and in particular incoming president uh Donald Trump's threats on a number of different levels first of course around tariffs but lately and and more specifically this week even calling on annexing Canada Canada becoming the 51st straight State rather through economic coercion or or economic Force what has been going through your head as you watch him make those comments you know it's not new that the am look at Canada we even had a war in 1812 and we burned the White House so you know I don't take that

seriously because I don't think it will happen it's not in the interest of America not to have a good neighbor like Canada nor and for Mr Trump he does not realize that if Canada had been part of the us a few weeks ago he would have never become president because the Canadian would not have voted for him and he would have lost clearly the Congress because there's only two or three seat kedan are not right wiers Al Trump you know the Canadians love our values they love our mentality they love the kind of society we

have much more generous tolerance society and uh we don't have ghos like they have and that type of problem they have we have less poor and of course less Rich than they have and Canadian are very proud and I read not long ago there was a poll taken around the globe and Canada is still the best destination they were asking the people if you are to start again your life where would you like to do that and the majority were for Canada wee of America so aside from him talking about us as a state or

annexation he has made a very specific threat about imposing 25% tariffs a a blanket tariff on all Canadian Imports if you were you know you served not only as prime minister but but Finance Minister if you were still in either of those roles how worried would you be about the prospect of a trade war between these two we always had that type of problem when I was prime minister when I was Minister of Finance when I was minister of trade I dealt you know I was dealing with the Americans in 1968 when I was minister

of Northern Affairs and I had problem between Yukan and Alaska so you know there is always some problems we always resolve them easily and uh you know he apparently he said this morning that he does not need our electricity fine if he want us to cut off electricity he will have to walk up the Trum Tower with candles to go to this office you know because the state of New York rely a lot on electricity coming from Canada mainly from Ido Quebec so it's not realistic you know he he loves to be in the news

and the News give him a lot of space but the reality is a reality and my view is I'm not losing sleep over that because they will probably suffer much more than we'll do if we have that type of War you think that's true I oh yes my understanding is that you know even in those visits to Mara Lago for example what the people around Trump in his administration have communicated to our federal government is yes both sides will hurt in a trade War but their their belief is that Canada's economy will be more impacted

and I think economists they not to say the contrary when they want to negotiate M but I know that you know we're in a better position because what they buy from us they really need it uh we can go elsewhere in Florida if you want we can get orange juice and a lot of product from other nations but the electricity is not coming by truck or Pipeline and the type of all they buy from Alberta if they don't buy it from Alberta they would have to buy it from venezuel because it's a special type of

oil they buy mostly from us and they cannot replace it by something else and it is all our oil in their calculation is part of the security of supply and their security rules uh for for them they consider that they will have access to their soil as long as they need it so taking into account what you've said so far how do you think the Canadian government and politicians really at all levels of all parties like what do you think the response should be like to navigate through this you know so far so good we're

not losing our cool I remember when I said no to the war in Iraq to everybody were in were excited I remain C and nothing happened there is no retaliation at all as I said because what they're buying from us they need it and for me it's uh you know it is a we so far you know prime minister prime minister spoke he spoke in United States at CNN and he made it clear that Canada is not for sale and Canadian are proud to be Canadian and we don't want to become Americans and the premieres

did that especially Mr Ford was very good on that and for me uh you know we should not lose our cool I've been in that game for a few years and I think that to remain calm and face it seriously and now they will have a meeting of all the premier with the Prime Minister and the prime minister is the prime minister you know I had myself announced that I was not to run anymore when I said no to the war in Iraq and they took me seriously because not a soldier went there so you

don't think our positioning or or his positioning even is weakened by the fact that he's you know as of March 9th or so not going to be a prime minister can die tomorrow and we will Canada will keep going so for me I'm not too excited about it I mentioned prime minister Trudeau in his positioning right now uh there's only a you know a small group of people in this country who know what it's like to figure out when is the right time to go do you feel that prime minister Trudeau made the right decision

and do you think he waited too long of what to leave oh but that is his choice and his situation but you have to leave at one time and he decided to leave at this time and it was his privilege he could have stayed of course he was facing some turbulence and it's happening all the time you know in politics is like that I used to say that the opposition are you know the opponent the enemies very often are in your back so but you know he had serve well for three three term he was

great for the Liberal Party he took us in third position and he won the election with us for us and he's been two minority government and his third minority government he's done something that nobody else have ever been able to do usually a minority government never survived more than two years and a half now he's in his fourth years it's Unique but time has come in his judgment to go and he's gone and we'll have another one eventually within apparently the nine of March yeah within a very short period of time uh and he's he

has certainly taken the party through three elections successfully but for the last year the party has considerably trailed the conservatives in public opinion polling do you think given what we do know about how short the races and how soon an election might happen that the next leader will be able to mount a a challenge really to to the conservatives you know just to show to you a volatile is sometime the situation in the election of 1993 you know Maron when he quit he was more unpopular than trudo today and he resigned I was 22 23

ahead of him Kim kampbell came two three weeks after she became the Prime Minister she was ahead of me by 10 or 15 points so there was a turnaround in a month of 35% but she ultimately lost and after that she faced me and whoop you know she finish with she lost her seat and she finished only with two seats and all that happened in the period of six months you know everybody was surprised that when she finished with she lost her seat finish with two seat and they had 12% of the vote something like

that so you know thing can change quickly do you think that the party should in this next election move more to the center there's a lot of MPS talking about that I'm sure they will why is why are you because I've talked to all the candidates and it is a fundamental condition for the party to come back to be the radical Center as I used to say because it is what has been the Liberal Party All Along when I was leader I was traveling the world and they would ask me because if you're in Europe

a liberal tend to be center right but strong on human rights and and in United States is the left so they will ask me Mr K what is a liberal in Canada and I would say when in Canada the left says of you you're a right- Winger and when the people on the right says you're a left Winger you're a good Canadian liberal CR the radical Center and I think the party is coming back there I'm sure I will leave it on that note Mr kchen Happy Birthday once again and thank you for your time

mer buku thank you very much