Justin Trudeau – What Canadians are saying about Joe Biden’s upcoming presidency and the inauguration

The inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris takes place on the U.S. Capitol Wednesday.

Biden might be sworn in because the 46th president, whereas Harris might be sworn in as the primary lady to ever maintain the nation’s second strongest place.

The inauguration is a ceremony held to mark the beginning of a brand new presidential time period. Attributable to COVID restrictions, the ceremony might be wanting very completely different, with attendance capped.

U.S president Donald Trump might be absent from the celebration, breaking the custom for the outgoing president to attend, however he’s not the primary U.S. President to skip it.

Canadians might be holding watch on this historic second south of the border and right here’s what they should say about Biden and the inauguration:

Fen Osler Hampson, in Public Coverage, says Biden the internationalist is sweet information, however for Biden the protectionist Democrat, Ottawa might want to argue nicely for a powerful, united North America.

“Ottawa may like Biden the internationalist, however there may be much less to love in Biden the old style Democrat. It would require creativeness and daring management to have interaction his new administration at a time of main disaster.” he writes.“Merely put, we must be daring and suppose massive with Biden on an bold post-pandemic financial restoration and prosperity plan, one which the US works on along with its North American companions.

Columnist Chris Varcoe within the Calgary Herald feedback on what Biden’s plans to scrap the undertaking would imply for Canada, posing a difficulty for Trudeau’s pro-pipeline stance.

He says the 2 pipelines have change into thorns within the mammoth $119-billion (U.S.) vitality buying and selling relationship between our two international locations.

“Joe Biden will change into president subsequent week and shove the US in a decidedly completely different path on vitality and environmental points,” he says.

Ottawa Citizen columnist, Wyatt James Schierman seemed with optimism in the direction of the Biden inaugration, saying that after Trump‘s insults and erratic behaviour, Canada can count on higher from Biden.

“After his Wednesday inauguration, a part of Joe Biden’s presidential mandate might be bettering relations with a few of the U.S.’s closest associates and allies, a lot of whom have been vilified by Donald Trump and his dutiful minions.

Chief amongst people who routinely confronted the president’s wrath was Canada. For the previous 4 years, Canadian officers have typically been the scapegoat of alternative for Trump’s gang,” Schierman writes.

Tom Mulcair within the Montreal Gazeette says Joe Biden will power Canada’s hand on local weather.

“Biden’s plan contains the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta to Nebraska, one thing he’s opposed since his time as Barack Obama’s vice-president. But it surely’s not that one pen stroke Canadians must be concentrating on. As a substitute, we must be keenly conscious that as Biden prepares to signal the Paris Accord, he seems to have each intention of really assembly its necessities, not simply speaking about it, as we do,” he says.

In an opinion column for the CBC, former Canadian diplomat and VP on the Canadian World Affairs Institute Colin Robertson wrote about how Canada can leverage Biden‘s agenda as a part of a authorities relations reset.

“For Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s first assembly with Biden after his inauguration, the federal government must look intently at that agenda. Reasonably than specializing in the perennial irritants, it ought to determine the place Canada can provide assist and options, as a result of we share many of those challenges,” Robertson wrote.

Erika Beauchesne, in Public Coverage, writes that Canada’s Liberals ought to observe Biden’s lead and make good on promise to tax the extraordinarily rich and plug holes within the tax system.

“Below Donald Trump’s presidency, Canada’s Liberal authorities has benefited from the general public relations benefit of showing extra progressive in comparison with its Republican neighbour subsequent door. When U.S. President-elect Joe Biden takes workplace this month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau can not rely on wanting good against this. His authorities might want to step up efforts at tackling inequality by the tax system and convey about actual progressive change.”

Annamie Paul, Inexperienced Occasion Chief, congratulated Americans on the inauguration of Biden and Harris, and appeared optimistic in creating social and environmental reform.

“Canada-U.S bilateral agreements should set the world standard for the protection of workers’ rights and the environment” stated Paul. “There’s nice hope that the Biden-Harris administration will usher in a brand new period of U.S dedication to multilateralism”.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated Biden ahead of the inauguration Tuesday.

“Tomorrow, Canadians and other people all over the world might be watching the swearing in of President-Elect Biden and Vice-President-Elect Harris. This second will mark a brand new chapter within the unbelievable relationship between our two international locations.” This comes after Biden introduced he had plans to scrap the Keystone pipeline.

Trudeau additionally acknowledged that he’s persevering with to advocate in favour of the Keystone pipeline undertaking, “ensuring Canada’s views are heard.”

“We have had a transparent and constant place supporting this undertaking for years. Our authorities is ensuring that Canada’s views are heard and thought of by the incoming administration on the highest ranges.”