The world has vastly changed and, at times, is a difficult place to navigate, and because of those evolving changes the U.K.’s high commissioner to Canada, Susan le Jeune d’Allegeershecque, says it is time to have a conversation about a host of issues.
She was in St. John’s to attend the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council’s (APEC) Business Outlook Conference held Tuesday at the Delta. The theme of this year’s conference is Navigating Choppy Waters: Trump, Tariffs and New Trade Deals.
“There is so much uncertainty on international relations. You have North Korea, the Middle East, Spain, Britain, the U.S. and Venezuela. There is difficulty everywhere,” le Jeune d’Allegeershecque said.
“There are so many things we take for granted. Things like free trade, something we all got used to, and now people are questioning it, people that believe protectionism is the way to go.”
Focusing on essentials has never been more important, according to le Jeune d’Allegeershecque, lessons garnered through her more than three decades of diplomatic service.
In addition to serving as the U.K.’s high commissioner to Canada, le Jeune d’Allegeershecque has been Her Majesty’s ambassador to Austria and the U.K.’s permanent representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Vienna from 2012-16, and consul general and counsellor for change management at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., from 2005-07.
She has also served in diplomatic roles in Singapore, Venezuela and Columbia during her years working in the diplomatic service, which she joined in 1985.
“There are people out there who say we don’t need diplomacy because we have the internet,” le Jeune d’Allegeershecque said.
“Diplomacy has never been more important. That is something I learned while working on the nuclear deal with Iran as part of my UN job in Vienna. You will never get the perfect deal, but from dealing with the Iranians, sometimes you have to take the best deal you can get,” she added.
U.K. looking ahead
The future is not all about trade, as there are many other issues that must be discussed.
Nuclear issues, airports and aviation security are among them.
“Just as an example, we need to have an agreement in place where when we leave the EU, flights won’t be able to take off from our airports and land in Canada,” she said.
Then there are other issues such as climate change, international terrorism and cybercrime to deal with, among a host of others.
“When you have foreign governments interfering in elections, not just in the United States, something that was unheard of five years ago, it makes it tough.
“It is difficult for all of us to always do the right things. But if there is enough of us on this side of the fence moving in the right direction, we can make the world a better place.”
Canada has world appeal
The things we take for granted in this province and across the country, many people around the world would love to be part of, le Jeune d’Allegeershecque said.
“The British think this country is exceptional. People want to talk and listen to your prime minister. They think he is a cool PM.
“He is open, welcoming and transparent. Even my 22-year-old son thinks he’s cool — because he is legalizing marijuana. … I told him not in my house,” she said with a chuckle.
But as the U.K. goes through a major change heading toward departing the European Union in 2019, it has become evident the United Kingdom will need some new and enhanced dance partners to move into the next stage of its history.
“The U.K. will be a different world in 2019. For the past 40 years we have been part of the EU and it is my job to implement that decision,” she said.
“We have to see what we want and how we position ourselves in the future.”
She sees partnerships with Canada as a whole and with Newfoundland and Labrador as critical to establishing the U.K.’s needs worldwide.
Trade has been governed by the U.K.’s membership in the EU, and unravelling that agreement is nothing less than “gargantuan,” she said.
Moving toward that and accentuating agreements that are currently in place, Justin Trudeau and Britain’s Theresa May have put a set of ambitious actions in play.
Discussions and agreements between the two have included how to exact government reform, economic trade, gender parity aimed at ending huge wage gaps for women doing the same job as men and future trade agreements between Canada and the U.K.
“I am astonished how close our interests are,” le Jeune d’Allegeershecque said.
“Just looking at economic growth, yours is the same as what my government is approaching in terms of a strategic plan and potential growth.”
She said the U.K. has a similar issue of an aging population and health issues, the same as residents of this province are facing.
“It’s amazing how close we are on many of these things.”
Building on that foundation is a task that will be a good working relationship that will see both governments continue to look forward and build on the tariff-free agreements currently in place between the two nations, she said.
Under its mandate, the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) will create jobs, strengthen economic relations and boost Canada’s trade with the world’s second-largest market.
“People don’t realize how fantastic a deal this is,” she said.
“It is very, very important in a positioning context and framework for trade and innovation in both directions. We have to highlight these opportunities. The EU is big and complex and under this agreement, it is a massive opportunity. Businesses are not aware yet how fantastic an opportunity this is.”
