When Parliament Resumes We'll Find Out How Big A Splinter Softwood Can Be

"It was important economically, but even more important symbolically. Canadians used this issue to prove to themselves that Americans never play by the rules." With Liberals and the NDP threatening to vote against ratifying the agreement when Parliament resumes, Giffin maintains that it's crucial for Canada to "get past it," and to resume a less narrowly defined, less bilateral approach to cross-border relations. "This relationship should not be reduced to just an economic dialogue about how much we sell each other across the 49th parallel," insists Giffin. "And Canada has much more leverage, is a much more valuable partner to the U.S. when it has a broader, more multilateral context." He says one of the ongoing problems between the two nations is Canadians suffer from a "Goldilocks conundrum." "You want relations to be not too hot, not too cold. And that can cause real timidity and fear of taking initiative for leaders. That in turn impacts their effectiveness," Giffin says. "There are a whole lot of things to talk about besides softwood lumber. And it's really time to move on to another agenda instead of staying locked on this one," he adds. "Just imagine how much can be accomplished when every bilateral meeting doesn't get hijacked by softwood." http://www.canada.com/topics/news/politics/story.html?id=1911311f-00f5-42dd-a3b8-cedaf673a921&k=3837

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