US embassy cable - 05OTTAWA3121

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 OTTAWA 003121 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KSPR, KPAO, AMGT, PREL, PGOV, CA 
SUBJECT: MISSION CANADA 1ST QUARTER 2006 90-DAY GOALS 
 
REF: STATE 183776 
 
1. (SBU) Summary - Two issues will dominate our relationship 
with Canada over the next 90 days -- softwood lumber and 
climate change.  The frustration and anger over softwood, 
whipped up in the current political climate, is palpable and 
continues to push out all else on our agenda.  Our 
contribution here will be mostly one of trying to minimize 
the fallout by working hard behind the scenes to lower the 
rhetoric and try to get the two sides back to the table.  On 
climate change we have a positive story to tell which is 
increasingly recognized:  even though we did not sign Kyoto, 
we have been making progress, better than even Canada, on 
reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  This should help create a 
public climate more conducive to a productive outcome at the 
international meeting on climate change in Montreal in early 
December.  In addition, we will develop an action plan to 
improve law enforcement information sharing, stand up our 
readiness on potential avian flu outbreak and engage Foreign 
Affairs Canada on several administrative reciprocity issues. 
And to top it all off, we look forward to the visit to Ottawa 
by the Secretary of State.  End summary. 
 
Review of last quarter 
---------------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) Managing the public dimension over Devil's Lake 
became easier once CEQ Chairman Connaughton was able to 
broker an approach with the Canadian, North Dakota and 
Manitoba governments on how to resolve the issue over the 
outlet.  This helped relieve the political and public 
pressure here and has since allowed officials at CEQ and in 
the Privy Council to continue to hammer out an agreement. 
Ambassador's high-profile praise for the process helped 
reduce level of rhetoric.  In addition, post supported the 
successful pilot shiprider exercise which should pave the way 
for  longer term law enforcement interoperability measures. 
Internally, we completed our first newsletter for American 
citizens designed to encourage registration, improved 
interagency electronic communication within the Mission and 
stepped up our emergency preparedness. 
 
3.  (SBU)  Hurricane Katrina unexpectedly drew Mission 
resources to coordinate offers of assistance and gave us an 
opportunity to express appreciation for Canadian support in a 
public climate soured by softwood lumber.  In addition, the 
Toronto Consulate was able to draw on its crisis management 
training in its response to the Air France crash.  Finally, 
post organized a 9/11 commemoration ceremony which Prime 
Minister Martin attended to unveil a plaque outside the 
Embassy. 
 
1st Quarter 2006 Goals 
---------------------- 
 
4.  (SBU)  Goal 1 - Softwood lumber.  To lower the rhetoric 
in Canada over this trade dispute and minimize the 
possibility that this spills out into other areas. 
 
Background - Softwood lumber disputes between Canada and the 
U.S. go back to the 1700s.  The current one began after an 
agreement lapsed in 2001, and has remained in the background 
while Canadians focused their attention on beef and water 
disputes in the last year.  As those were cleared up, a NAFTA 
extraordinary panel ruled against us in August, and we 
responded with a technical, legalistic argument which 
prompted the current wave of indignation that we are 
disregarding dispute mechanisms and undermining NAFTA.  In a 
political climate approaching elections, this becomes an easy 
issue to stand up tough to the U.S. 
 
Activities: 
 
--Straightforward traditional diplomacy of engaging Canadians 
in government and business circles privately, emphasizing the 
danger of raising this issue too high.  Already, publicly 
there are calls from reputable opinion leaders to withdraw 
from NAFTA. 
 
-- Publicly stress the benefits of NAFTA and U.S. commitment 
to NAFTA and the global free trading system and a successful 
conclusion to the WTO meetings in Hong Kong. 
 
--Pass information back to Washington elements regarding 
evolving Canadian positions. 
 
5.  (SBU) Goal 2 - Climate change.  To have the backdrop in 
Canada/Montreal for the COP-11 meeting receptive to U.S. 
perspectives on climate change by highlighting U.S. efforts, 
concentrate actions, projects to address climate change and 
engaging Canadian leadership, special interest groups and the 
broad public on this issue. 
Background - Canada is proudly hosting the first climate 
change summit of the Conference of the Parties (COP-11) since 
the Kyoto protocol was ratified and put in place.  Canada has 
told us they would like a constructive conference which 
begins to look at post-Kyoto arrangements.  We want to draw 
attention to a positive record on climate change action and 
results despite our not signing Kyoto.  U/S Dobriansky will 
be leading the U.S. delegation to this conference, and we 
will provide public affairs and administrative support for 
the delegation. 
 
Activities: 
 
--Organize public affairs opportunities for U/S Dobriansky, 
OES climate change envoy Watson and other USG officials. 
 
--Pursue an aggressive outreach strategy with Ambassador and 
Mission officers through media and speaking opportunities for 
expert and non-expert audiences. 
 
--Identify and visit U.S.-Canada collaborative research 
centers, projects and initiatives which reduce greenhouse gas 
emissions. 
 
--Design and support a public affairs strategy for actual 
conference. 
 
6.  (SBU)  Goal 3 - Information sharing.  To develop and 
begin implementing a Mission-wide plan to improve law 
enforcement information sharing in a post-Arar atmosphere. 
 
Background - Our Mission Performance Plan highlights the 
critical importance of a fluid information flow with Canada, 
at a time when the impact of the Arar Commission has become 
noticeably counterproductive to effective and efficient law 
enforcement cooperation.  The final report from the 
Commission is not due out until early next year, but we will 
seek to advance several initiatives over the next few months 
to improve information sharing. 
 
Activities: 
 
--Embassy law enforcement group will convene and develop an 
action plan over the next 90 days to prepare for Arar 
Commission report release and to advance several 
long-standing initiatives which would enhance our ability to 
share information with the Canadians more fluidly, such as 
(a) promoting the amendment to the Proceeds of Crime 
investigation which would facilitate sharing financial 
seizure info at the boarder, (b) completing next steps 
towards permanent shiprider agreement, and (c) promoting 
exchange of officers in DHS and PSECP operations centers. 
 
7. (SBU) Goal 4 - Emergency preparedness - Avian flu.  To 
identify and implement appropriate steps and measures to 
enhance our preparedness to respond to possible avian flu 
outbreak. 
 
Background - State 183776 provides guidance for posts about 
preparing for possibility of outbreak of avian flu pandemic. 
Embassy and Consulates in Canada present a unique challenge 
in that none of our posts have medical officers, and we rely 
heavily on local medical services available. 
 
Activities: 
 
--Embassy and all Consulates convene EACs to develop action 
plans for implementation reftel recommendations. 
 
--Arrange video conference with State Med to discuss options. 
 
--Reach out to Canadian medical and public health authorities 
to monitor situation, identify points of contact and discuss 
strategies in the event of outbreak. 
 
8.  (SBU)  Goal 5 - Reciprocity on management issues.  To get 
Canada to appreciate imbalance in reciprocity issues for 
taxes and spouse employment and then to loosen restrictions. 
 
Background - Post will engage Foreign Affairs Canada to point 
out issues of tax relief and spouse employment where this 
Embassy receives less favorable treatment than Canada's 
Embassy and diplomats in the U.S. 
 
Mission issues include the fact that Canada doesn't grant the 
Mission itself exemption from all taxes, only diplomats, so 
we submit our official tax returns in an employee's name. 
We'll also want to get the other consulates to try for an 
exemption from municipal property taxes on our rented 
properties. 
The main individual tax goal would be point of sale relief 
for GST as well as PST.  A second could be a simpler system 
for refunding taxes other than the cut and paste we now do. 
These issues have been addressed many times without success. 
 
Activities: 
 
--Review and create inventory of existing tax issues; consult 
with State Department OFM. 
 
--Engage Foreign Affairs Protocol and U.S. Divisions, working 
also through Consular Corps and Deans. 
 
--Prepare inventory of spousal employment issues and share 
with Foreign Affairs Canada and State Department to raise 
awareness in both capitals of difficulties spouses face here. 
 
 
 
 
 
Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa 
 
WILKINS