Thank you so much. Good evening. Bonjour.
Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. Speaker, members of the House, members of the Senate, distinguished guests, people of Canada -- thank you for this extraordinary welcome, which temps me to just shut up and leave. Because it can't get any better than this. Obviously I'm grateful for the warm welcome. I'm extraordinarily grateful for the close working relationship and friendship with your outstanding Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and his extraordinary wife, Sophie.
But I think it's fair to say that much of this greeting is simply a reflection of the extraordinary alliance and deep friendship between Canadians and Americans.
Justin, thank you for your very kind words, and for the new energy and hope that your leadership has brought to your nation as well as to the alliance. My time in office may be nearing an end, but I know that Canada -- and the world -- will benefit from your leadership for years to come.
So Canada was the very first country that I visited as President. It was
in February. It was colder. I was younger. Michelle
now refers to my hair as the Great White North. And on that visit,
I strolled around the ByWard Market, tried a “beaver tail” -- which is
better than it sounds. And I was struck then, as I am again today,
by the warmth of the Canadians. I could not be more honored to be
joining you in this historic hall -- this cathedral of freedom. And we
Americans can never say it enough -- we could not ask for a better
friend or ally than Canada. We could not. It’s true. It is true.
And we do not take it for granted.
That does not mean we don't have our differences. As I understand it,
one of the reasons the Queen chose this site for Parliament was that it
was a safe distance from America’s border. And I admit, in the War
of 1812, American troops did some damage to Toronto. I suspect that
there were some people up here who didn’t mind when the British returned
the favor and burned down the White House.
In more recent times, however, the only forces crossing our borders are
the armies of tourists and businesspeople and families who are shopping
and doing business and visiting loved ones. Our only battles take place
inside the hockey rink. Even there, there’s an uneasy peace that is
maintained. As Americans, we, too, celebrate the life of Mr. Hockey
himself, the late, great Gordie Howe. Just as Canadians can salute
American teams for winning more Stanley Cups in the NHL.
Audience: Ooooh --
President Obama: I told you I should have stopped after the applause.
But in a world where too many borders are a source of conflict, our two
countries are joined by the longest border of peace on Earth. And
what makes our relationship so unique is not just proximity. It’s our
enduring commitment to a set of values -- a spirit, alluded to by
Justin, that says no matter who we are, where we come from, what our
last names are, what faith we practice, here we can make of our lives
what we will.
It was the grit of pioneers and prospectors who pushed West across a
forbidding frontier. The dreams of generations -- immigrants, refugees
-- that we’ve welcomed to these shores. The hope of run-away slaves who
went north on an underground railroad. “Deep in our history of
struggle,” said Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Canada was the north star…
The freedom road links us together.”
We’re bound as well by the service of those who’ve defended us -- at
Flanders Field, the beaches of Normandy, in the skies of the Balkans,
and more recently, in the mountains of Afghanistan, and training bases
in Iraq. Their sacrifice is reflected in the silent rows of Arlington
and in the Peace Tower above us. Today we honor those who gave their
lives for all of us.
We’re linked together, as well, by the institutions that we’ve built to
keep the peace: A United Nations to advance our collective aspirations.
A NATO alliance to ensure our security. NORAD, where Americans and
Canadians stand watch side by side -- and track Santa on Christmas Eve.
We’re linked by a vast web of commerce that carries goods from one end
of this continent to another. And we're linked by the ties of friendship
and family -- in my case, an outstanding brother-in-law in Burlington.
Had to give Burlington a shout out. Our relationship is so
remarkable precisely because it seems so unremarkable -- which is why
Americans often are surprised when our favorite American actor or singer
turns out to be Canadian! The point is we see ourselves in each
other, and our lives are richer for it.
As President, I’ve deepened the ties between our countries. And because
of the progress we’ve made in recent years, I can stand before you and
say that the enduring partnership between Canada and the United States
is as strong as it has ever been, and we are more closely aligned than
ever before.
And yet, we meet at a pivotal moment for our nations and for the globe.
From this vibrant capital, we can look upon a world that has benefited
enormously from the international order that we helped to build
together’ but we can see that same order increasingly strained by the
accelerating forces of change. The world is by most every measure less
violent than ever before; but it remains riven by old divisions and
fresh hatreds. The world is more connected than ever before; but even as
it spreads knowledge and the possibility of greater understanding
between peoples, it also empowers terrorists who spread hatred and death
-- most recently in Orlando and Istanbul.
The world is more prosperous than ever before, but alongside
globalization and technological wonders we also see a rise in inequality
and wage stagnation across the advanced economies, leaving too many
workers and communities fearful of diminishing prospects, not just for
themselves, but more importantly, for their children.
And in the face of such rising uncertainty, it is not enough to look at
aggregate growth rates, or stock prices, or the pace of digital
innovation. If the benefits of globalization accrue only to those at the
very top, if our democracies seem incapable of assuring broad-based
growth and opportunity for everyone, then people will push back, out of
anger or out of fear. And politicians -- some sincere, and some entirely
cynical -- will tap that anger and fear, harkening back to bygone days
of order and predictability and national glory, arguing that we must
rebuild walls and disengage from a chaotic world, or rid ourselves of
the supposed ills brought on by immigrants -- all in order to regain
control of our lives.
We saw some of these currents at work this past week in the United
Kingdom’s referendum to leave the European Union. Despite some of the
initial reactions, I am confident that the process can be managed in a
prudent, orderly way. I expect that our friends on both sides of the
Channel will develop a workable plan for how to move forward. And I’m
equally confident that the Transatlantic values that we all share as
liberal, market-based democracies are deeper and stronger than any
single event.
But while the circumstances of Brexit may be unique to the United
Kingdom, the frustrations people felt are not. The short-term fallout of
Brexit can be sensibly managed, but the long-term trends of inequality
and dislocation and the resulting social division -- those can't be
ignored. How we respond to the forces of globalization and technological
change will determine the durability of an international order that
ensures security and prosperity for future generations.
And fortunately, the partnership between the United States and Canada
shows the path we need to travel. For our history and our work together
speak to a common set of values to build on --proven values, values that
your Prime Minister spoke of in his introduction -- values of pluralism
and tolerance, rule of law, openness; global engagement and commerce and
cooperation, coupled with equal opportunity and an investment in our
people at home. As Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau once said, “A country,
after all, is not something you build as the pharaohs build the
pyramids, and then leave standing there to defy eternity. A country is
something that is built every day out of certain basic shared values.”
What is true of countries is true of the world. And that's what I want
to talk about today -- how to strengthen our institutions to advance
these commitments in a rapidly changing world.
Let me start with our shared economic vision. In all we do, our
commitment to opportunity for all of our people has to be at the
centerpiece of our work. We are so fortunate because both of our
countries are so well-positioned to succeed in the 21st century. Our two
nations know firsthand the awesome power of free markets and innovation.
Canadians help run some of Silicon Valley’s most innovative companies.
Our students study at each other’s world-class universities. We invest
in research and development, and make decisions based on science and
evidence. And it works. It's what’s created these extraordinary
economies of ours.
But if the financial crisis and recent recession taught us anything,
it’s that economies do better when everyone has a chance to succeed. For
a long time, it was thought that countries had to choose between
economic growth or economic inclusion. But it turns out that’s a false
choice. If a CEO makes more in a day than a typical employee makes in a
year, that kind of inequality is not just bad for morale in the company,
it turns out it’s bad for the economy -- that worker is not a very good
customer for business.
If a young man in Ohio can’t pay his student loans, or a young woman in
Ontario can’t pay her bills, that has ramifications for our economy. It
tamps down the possibilities of growth. So we need growth that is broad
and that lifts everybody up -- including tax policies that do right by
working families, and robust safety nets for those who fall on hard
times. As John Kenneth Galbraith once said, “the common denominator of
progress” is our people. It's not numbers, it's not abstractions, it's
how are our people doing.
Of course, many who share this progressive, inclusive vision can be
heard now arguing that investments in our people, protection for our
workers, fair tax policies, these things are not enough. For them,
globalization is inherently rigged towards the top one percent, and
therefore, what’s needed is an end to trade agreements and various
international institutions and arrangements that integrate national
economies.
And I understand that vision. I know why it's tempting. It seems as if
we draw a line around our borders that it will give us more control,
particularly when the benefits of trade and economic integration are
sometimes hard to see or easy to take for granted, and very specific
dislocations are obvious and real.
There’s just one problem: Restricting trade or giving in to
protectionism in this 21st century economy will not work. It will
not work. Even if we wanted to, we can't seal ourselves off from the
rest of the world. The day after Brexit, people looked around and said,
oh! How is this going to work? The drag that economic weakness in Europe
and China and other countries is having on our own economies right now
speaks to the degree to which we depend -- our economies depend, our
jobs, our businesses depend -- on selling goods and services around the
world.
Very few of our domestic industries can sever what is now truly a global
supply chain. And so, for those of us who truly believe that our
economies have to work for everybody, the answer is not to try and pull
back from our interconnected world; it is rather to engage with the rest
of the world, to shape the rules so they’re good for our workers and
good for our businesses.
And the experience between our two nations points the way. The United
States and Canada have the largest bilateral trade and investment
relationship in the world -- and we are stronger for it. It means
a company in Quebec can create jobs in North Carolina. And a start-up in
Toronto can attract investment from Texas. Now, the problem is that some
economies in many of the fastest-growing regions of the world --
particularly the Asia Pacific region -- don’t always abide by the same
rules. They impose unfair tariffs; or they suppress workers’ rights; or
they maintain low environmental standards that make it hard for our
businesses to compete fairly.
With the Trans-Pacific Partnership, we have the ability to not only open
up these markets to U.S. and Canadian products and eliminate thousands
of these unfair tariffs -- which, by the way, we need to do because
they’re already selling here under existing rules, but we're not selling
as much as we should over there -- but it also affords us the
opportunity to increase protections for workers and the environment, and
promote human rights, including strong prohibitions against human
trafficking and child labor. And that way our workers are competing on a
level playing field, and our businesses are less prone to pursue a race
to the bottom. And when combined with increased investments in our own
people’s education, and skills and training, and infrastructure and
research and development and connectivity, then we can spur the kind of
sustained growth that makes all of us better off. All of us.
The point is we need to look forward, not look backward. And more trade
and more people-to-people ties can also help break down old divides. I
thank Canada for its indispensable role in hosting our negotiations with
the Cuban government, and supporting our efforts to set aside half a
century of failed policies to begin a new chapter with the Cuban people.
I know a lot of Canadians like going to Cuba -- maybe because there
haven’t been Americans crowding the streets and the beaches. But that’s
changing. And as more Americans engage with the Cuban people, it
will mean more economic opportunity and more hope for ordinary Cubans.
We also agree, us Americans and Canadians, that wealthy countries like
ours cannot reach our full potential while others remain mired in
poverty. That, too, is not going to change in this interconnected world;
that if there is poverty and disease and conflict in other parts of the
world, it spills over, as much as we’d like to pretend that we can block
it out.
So, with our commitment to new Sustainable Development Goals, we have
the chance to end the outrage of extreme poverty. We can bring
more electricity to Africa, so that students can study at night and
businesses can stay open. We can banish the scourge of malaria and Zika.
We can realize our goal of the first AIDS-free generation. We can
do that. It's within our grasp. And we can help those who are working to
replace corruption with transparent, accountable institutions that serve
their people.
As leaders in global development, the United States and Canada
understand that development is not charity -- it’s an investment in our
future prosperity. Because not only do such investments and
policies help poor countries, they’re going to create billions of
customers for U.S. and Canadian products, and they’ll make less likely
the spread of deadly epidemics to our shores, and they’ll stabilize
parts of the word that threaten the security of our people.
In fact, both the United States and Canada believe our own security --
and not just prosperity -- is enhanced when we stand up for the rights
of all nations and peoples to live in security and peace. and even
as there are times when unilateral action is necessary to defend our
people, we believe that in a world where wars between great powers are
far less likely but transnational threats like terrorism know no
boundaries, our security is best advanced when nations work together. We
believe that disputes that do arise between nations should be, wherever
possible, resolved peacefully, with diplomacy; that international
organizations should be supported; that multilateralism is not a dirty
word.
And certainly, we’re more secure when we stand united against terrorist
networks and ideologies that have reached to the very doorstep of this
hall. We honor all those taken from us by violent extremists, including
Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall. With Canada’s additional
contributions, including training Iraqi forces, our coalition is on the
offensive across Iraq, across Syria. And we will destroy the terrorist
group ISIL. We will destroy them.
We’ll continue helping local forces and sharing intelligence, from
Afghanistan to the Philippines, so that we're pushing back
comprehensively against terrorist networks. And in contrast to the
hatred and the nihilism of terrorists, we’ll work with partners around
the world, including, particularly, Muslim communities, to offer a
better vision and a path of development, and opportunity, and tolerance.
Because they are, and must be, our partners in this effort.
Meanwhile, when nations violate international rules and norms -- such as
Russia’s aggression against Ukraine -- the United States and Canada
stand united, along with our allies, in defense of our collective
security. Doing so requires a range of tools, like economic
sanctions, but it also requires that we keep our forces ready for 21st
century missions, and invest in new capabilities. As your ally and as
your friend, let me say that we’ll be more secure when every NATO
member, including Canada, contributes its full share to our common
security. Because the Canadian armed forces are really good -- and
if I can borrow a phrase, the world needs more Canada. NATO needs more
Canada. We need you. We need you.
Just as we join together in our common defense, so must we work together
diplomatically, particularly to avert war. Diplomacy results are rarely
quick, but it turns out even the most intractable conflicts can be
resolved. Here in our own hemisphere, just in the last few weeks, after
half a century of war, Colombia is poised to achieve an historic peace.
And the nations of North America will be an important partner to
Colombia going forward, including working to remove landmines.
Around the world, Canadian and American diplomats working together can
make a difference. Even in Syria, where the agony and the suffering of
the Syrian people tears at our hearts, our two nations continue to be
leaders in humanitarian aid to the Syrian people. And although a true
resolution of this conflict so far has eluded us, we know that the only
solution to this civil war is a political solution, so that the Syrian
people can reclaim their country and live in peace. And Canadians and
Americans are going to work as hard as we can to make that happen.
I should add that here in the nation of Lester Pearson, we reaffirm our
commitment to keep strengthening the peacekeeping that saves lives
around the world.
There is one threat, however, that we cannot solve militarily, nor can
we solve alone -- and that is the threat of climate change. Now, climate
change is no longer an abstraction. It's not an issue we can put off for
the future. It is happening now. It is happening here, in our own
countries. The United States and Canada are both Arctic nations, and
last year, when I became the first U.S. President to visit the Arctic, I
could see the effects myself. Glaciers -- like Canada’s Athabasca
Glacier -- are melting at alarming rates. Tundra is burning. Permafrost
is thawing. This is not a conspiracy. It's happening. Within a
generation, Arctic sea ice may all but disappear in the summer.
And so skeptics and cynics can insist on denying what’s right in front
of our eyes. But the Alaska Natives that I met, whose ancestral villages
are sliding into the sea -- they don't have that luxury. They know
climate change is real. They know it is not a hoax. And from Bangladesh
to the Pacific islands, rising seas are swallowing land and forcing
people from their homes. Around the world, stronger storms and more
intense droughts will create humanitarian crises and risk more conflict.
This is not just a moral issue, not just a economic issue, it is also an
urgent matter of our national security.
And for too long, we’ve heard that confronting climate change means
destroying our own economies. But let me just say, carbon emissions in
the United States are back to where they were two decades ago, even as
we’ve grown our economy dramatically over the same period. Alberta, the
oil country of Canada, is working hard to reduce emissions while still
promoting growth.
So if Canada can do it, and the United States can do it, the whole world
can unleash economic growth and protect our planet. We can do this.
We can do it. We can do this. We can help lead the world to meet this
threat.
Already, together in Paris, we achieved the most ambitious agreement in
history to fight climate change. Now let’s bring it into force this
year. With our agreement with Mexico that we announced today,
let’s generate half the electricity on this continent from clean energy
sources within a decade. That's achievable. Let’s partner in the
Arctic to help give its people the opportunity they deserve, while
conserving the only home they know. And building on the idea that began
in Montreal three decades ago, let’s finally phase down dangerous HFC
greenhouse gases. This is the only planet we’ve got. And this may be the
last shot we’ve got to save it. And America and Canada are going to need
to lead the way. We're going to have to lead the way.
Just as we are joined in our commitment to protecting the planet, we are
also joined in our commitment to the dignity of every human being. We
believe in the right of all people to participate in society. We believe
in the right of all people to be treated equally, to have an equal shot
at success. That is in our DNA, the basic premise of our democracies.
I think we can all agree that our democracies are far from perfect. They
can be messy, and they can be slow, and they can leave all sides of a
debate unsatisfied. Justin is just getting started. So in case you
hadn't figured that out, that's where this gray hair comes from.
But more than any other system of government, democracy allows our most
precious rights to find their fullest expression, enabling us, through
the hard, painstaking work of citizenship, to continually make our
countries better. To solve new challenges. To right past wrongs.
And, Prime Minister, what a powerful message of reconciliation it was --
here and around the world -- when your government pledged a new
relationship with Canada’s First Nations.
Democracy is not easy. It’s hard. Living up to our ideals can be
difficult even in the best of times. And it can be harder when the
future seems uncertain, or when, in response to legitimate fears and
frustrations, there are those who offer a politics of “us” versus
“them,” a politics that scapegoats others -- the immigrant, the refugee,
someone who seems different than us. We have to call this mentality what
it is -- a threat to the values that we profess, the values we seek to
defend.
It’s because we respect all people that the world looks to us as an
example. The colors of the rainbow flag have flown on Parliament Hill.
They have lit up the White House. That is a testament to our progress,
but also the work that remains to ensure true equality for our fellow
citizens who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
Our Muslim friends and neighbors who run businesses, and serve in our
governments and in our armed forces, and are friends with our children,
play on our sports teams -- we've got to stand up against the slander
and the hate leveled against those who look or worship differently.
That's our obligation. That's who we are. That's what makes America
special. That's what makes Canada special. Here. Here in Canada.
Here in Canada, a woman has already risen to the highest office in the
land. In America, for the first time, a woman is the presumptive nominee
of a major party and perhaps President. I have a bias on these
issues but our work won’t be finished until all women in our country are
truly equal -- paid equally, treated equally, given the same
opportunities as men, when our girls have the same opportunities as our
boys. That's who we need to be.
And let me say this -- because I don't feel particularly politically
correct on this issue -- I don't believe that these are American values
or Canadian values or Western values. I believe, and Justin believes,
and I hope all of you believe, these are universal values. And we must
be bold in their defense, at home and around the world. And not
shy away from speaking up on behalf of these values of pluralism and
tolerance and equality.
I fear sometimes that we are timid in defense of these values. That’s
why I will continue to stand up for those inalienable rights, here in
our own hemisphere -- in places like Cuba and Venezuela -- but also in
more distant lands. For the rights of citizens in civil society to speak
their mind and work for change. For the right of journalists to report
the truth. For the right of people of all faiths to practice their
religion freely. Those things are hard, but they’re right. They’re not
always convenient, but they’re true.
In the end, it is this respect for the dignity of all people, especially
the most vulnerable among us, that perhaps more than anything else binds
our two countries together. Being Canadian, being American is not about
what we look like or where our families came from. It is about our
commitment to a common creed. And that’s why, together, we must not
waver in embracing our values, our best selves. And that includes our
history as a nation of immigrants, and we must continue to welcome
people from around the world.
The vibrancy of our economies are enhanced by the addition of new,
striving immigrants. But this is not just a matter of economics. When
refugees escape barrel bombs and torture, and migrants cross deserts and
seas seeking a better life, we cannot simply look the other way. We
certainly can't label as possible terrorists vulnerable people who are
fleeing terrorists.
We can insist that the process is orderly. We can insist that our
security is preserved. Borders mean something. But in moments like this,
we are called upon to see ourselves in others, because we were all once
strangers. If you weren't a stranger, your grandparents were strangers.
Your great-grandparents were strangers. They didn’t all have their
papers ready. They fumbled with language faced discrimination, had
cultural norms that didn’t fit. At some point, somewhere, your family
was an outsider. So the mothers, the fathers, the children we see today
-- they’re us. We can’t forsake them.
So, as Americans and Canadians, we will continue to welcome refugees,
and we can ensure that we're doing so in a way that maintains our
security. We can and we will do both. We can and we will do both.
We’re increasing our support to Central America, so that fewer families
and children attempt the dangerous journey north. This fall at the
United Nations, we’ll host a global summit on refugees, because in the
face of this crisis, more nations need to step up and meet our basic
obligations to our fellow human beings. And it will be difficult, and
budgets are tight, and there are legitimate issues and not everybody is
going to be helped. But we can try. People of goodwill and compassion
show us the way.
Greek islanders pulling families to shore. And Germans handing out
sweets to migrants at railway stations. A synagogue in Virginia inviting
Syrian refugees to dinner. And here, in Canada, the world has been
inspired as Canadians across this country have opened up their hearts
and their homes. And we’ve watched citizens knitting tuques to keep
refugees warm in the winter. And we’ve seen your Prime Minister
welcome new arrivals at the airport, and extend the hand of friendship
and say, “You’re safe at home now.”
And we see the refugees who feel that they have a special duty to give
back, and seize the opportunities of a new life. Like the girl who fled
Afghanistan by donkey and camel and jet plane, and who remembers being
greeted in this country by helping hands and the sound of robins
singing. And today, she serves in this chamber, and in the cabinet,
because Canada is her home.
A country “is not something you build as the pharaohs built the
pyramids…a country is something that is built every day out of certain
basic shared values.” How true that is. How blessed we are to have had
people before us, day by day, brick by brick, build these extraordinary
countries of ours. How fortunate, how privileged we are to have the
opportunity to now, ourselves, build this world anew. What a blessing.
And as we go forward together, on that freedom road, let’s stay true to
the values that make us who we are -- Canadians and Americans, allies
and friends, now and forever.
Thank you very much. Merci beaucoup. Thank you.
Book/CDs by Michael E. Eidenmuller, Published by
McGraw-Hill (2008)
Original Text Source:
WhiteHouse.gov
Original Audio Source:
Obamawhitehouse.archives.gov
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