Register for complimentary tickets and post-show reception at the Newseum:

http://www2.macleans.ca/in-conversation-with-macleans/

il Kerlikowske is U.S. President Obama’s director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy—more commonly known as the U.S. “drug czar.” His long career in law enforcement included serving as police chief in two border cities: Buffalo and Seattle.

Q: In the November elections, two states—Washington and Colorado—voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use. President Obama has said that the U.S. government has “bigger fish to fry” than to go after recreational users in states where it is legal. Where do things stand with regard to producers and distributors of marijuana, which is still illegal under federal law?

A: You’ll continue to see enforcement against distributors and large-scale growers as the Justice Department has outlined. They will use their limited resources on those groups and not on going after individual users.

Q: You’ve written on the White House website that “coming out of the election, we are in the midst of a national conversation on marijuana.” Is the U.S. headed for a patchwork of policies, state by state?

A: I think a patchwork of policies would create real difficulties. We still have federal law that places marijuana as being illegal. The administration has not done a particularly good job of, one, talking about marijuana as a public health issue, and number two, talking about what can be done and where we should be headed on our drug policy.

Q: There was such an evolution on gay marriage within this administration that it’s hard not to think that something might change on marijuana.

A: I don’t look at marijuana as a human right, or a civil right, or even in the same venue as gay marriage. This is a public health issue. There are significant health concerns around marijuana from all the science, not ideology. I don’t see the legalization of drugs and making them widely available as a good thing, and I don’t think locking everyone up is a good thing either.

Q: When you took office in 2009 you said you wanted the Obama administration to drop the term “war on drugs.” Why?

A: It was mostly elected officials who would use “war on drugs.” But my colleagues—prosecutors, police chiefs, sheriffs, never really talked about it as a war on drugs—they would use the term “you can’t arrest your way out of this problem.” The “war on drugs” is a good bumper sticker, but we know that the drug problem is unbelievably complex. There is no bumper-sticker answer.

Q: Have you done more to deal with the medical side?

A: We helped shift federal funding so that more money has flowed into drug treatment and prevention programs. We have tried using the bully pulpit of the White House to talk about the disease of addiction and to talk about it in a public health model.

Q: What shaped your view in that direction?

A: I had been a narcotics detective and then a police chief in two large cities that had, like most of our large cities, a drug problem. We would regurgitate the same people through the system. They’d be arrested for crimes, but they’d have a drug problem. They’d go off to jail and then they’d be back. Often without treatment, without after-care, and unsurprisingly they’d be back into crime.

Q: So why not just treat drugs as a medical issue, the way alcohol abuse is treated. Why not just drop the criminalization?

A: We arrest about 2.4 million people in this country a year for alcohol. We arrest less than 700,000 people for marijuana—and for all drugs, only 1.3 million. Alcohol is perfectly legal. So making drugs available without any sanction would only lead to more abuse.

Q: You’re talking about drunk driving arrests?

A: This is drunk driving and, where it’s still illegal, public drunkenness or intoxication, and violations of liquor laws. Often when people talk about legalization of drugs, they say that should only apply to people aged 21 and over. Well, if you look at the number of youth arrested for alcohol, it’s significant. The other part is if people go into drug treatment—and the research bears this out clearly—if they knock on the door and say, look, I have a drug problem and I need help, or if they go in with handcuffs on—the outcomes are pretty similar. The criminal justice system, if it has the right resources, can be incredibly helpful at getting people into treatment.

Q: In Canada, a large party of Liberal party delegates voted in favour of marijuana legalization. The party issued a report speculating that thousands of Canadians could find employment related to marijuana and pot tourism—as Americans would flock north. What do you make of that?

A: Well, I think of the experience of the Netherlands—they’ve had marijuana cafés for decades and in the last few years the government decided to close hundreds. One of the primary reasons they cite is marijuana tourism—people coming in from Germany, Belgium and other places have caused crime problems and other difficulties.

Q: One area where you’d like Canada to get on the same page with the U.S. is prescription painkillers, specifically OxyContin, or a generic version that has been approved for sale in Canada. What is it you’d like to see the Canadian government do?

A: [Impose] the requirement that with opioid painkillers, only tamper-resistant or abuse-resistant formulas could be on the market. Those that are not tamper-resistant can be easily abused: they can be crushed and snorted, they can be crushed and diluted with water and injected. That presents not only a great danger of overdose, but also increases the abuse because of the high that they get.

Q: Why is that an issue for the U.S.?

A: In the U.S., we really pushed our pharmaceutical industry to develop the abuse-resistant formulas. But if they are easily accessible in Canada, you will see them here. Our first seizure of these was in Milwaukee. So we are keeping a close eye to see if we see others.

Q: And they came from Canada?

A: We are almost certain that they did.

Q: The Canadian health minister, Leona Aglukkaq, has said the law does not allow her to ban an effective drug on the basis of misuse. Instead, she is requiring dealers to report unusual spikes in sales. She also says there is no scientific evidence that an alternative drug is tamper-resistant.

A: One thing that comes up is what is the definition of tamper-resistant. Frankly, if we see the kind that cannot be crushed, or if they are diluted in water they turn gelatinous, then we see that as particularly helpful.

Our Congress has made it very clear on these issues that if we feel we lack sufficient legislation, given what we’ve suffered from, the deaths—particularly in poverty-stricken areas of Appalachia—then we should ask for additional authorities.

Q: So are you suggesting our health minister should ask for legal changes?

A: What we’ve done is to say once the problem has been identified and been well-publicized, then our elected officials have been very helpful.

Q: So you’re suggesting she should do the same?

A: I think I’ll leave it at that.

Q: How extensive is the problem?

A: It continued to grow up until this last year at astronomical levels. More people dying of prescription drug abuse than heroin and cocaine combined. After marijuana, we see prescription drugs as the next most significant drug problem we have. It has covered every demographic, age, race, ethnicity, gender. And it’s a bit disproportionate in poor and rural areas.

Q: Why is that?

A: It was called “hillbilly heroin” for a while. A lot of people, especially if you work in agriculture or mining, could become injured and then receive these painkillers, and from there they could be widely abused. We spent four days in eastern Kentucky and West Virginia visiting rural areas.

Q: What did you see?

A: I visited a jail with 14 women in for drug issues—and 13 were there for prescription drugs. In these small rural areas, there wasn’t anyone who wasn’t affected in some way.

Q: You are also working on a northwest strategy for the border with Canada. Is more marijuana grown there?

A: That was the fact a few years ago. But now the U.S. is doing a great job of producing its own marijuana.

Q: How is your relationship with Canadian officials?

A: I’ve had a long relationship at high levels with Canadian authorities. The one area I disagree with is the safe-injection site in Vancouver. I toured that as police chief in Seattle. I took a vacation day, in fact. I understood the purpose was to reduce overdoses and fatalities, and I believe that was accomplished, but it gave me the clear impression of a government that had abandoned people. I walked block after block and saw people nodding off in doorways and on benches. Yes, they’d injected safely and hadn’t overdosed, but there was nothing else for them but to continue to get other drugs. I’m sure this will be a controversial statement. I’ve been told it’s changed. And I should go back and visit.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird was in Washington this week to attend the inauguration of President Barack Obama. As Americans gathered for the public ceremony and the black-tie galas, the minister attended the Canadian Embassy’s invitation-only inaugural “tailgate” party at its plum location on Pennsylvania Avenue, which featured Beavertails, Tim Hortons coffee and some of the best views in the U.S. capital.

Q: You’re here for the second inauguration of Barack Obama. Are you going to any balls?

A: No, I’m not. I’m not a ball guy.

Q: Can you imagine a million Canadians coming to Ottawa because a Prime Minister was taking the oath of office?

A: I was just telling someone that I remember when the Prime Minister was sworn in. I think we had cookies and coffee afterward. Then there was a dinner for the cabinet that evening, with the food prepared in the parliamentary restaurant. They certainly do things much grander here in the United States. The sense of national pride is exciting. One thing that is bittersweet for me is Hillary leaving. We had a great relationship

Q: But she may not be leaving leaving . . . .

A: I totally agree.

Q: What is your top task while you are here?

A: It’s an opportunity to meet with influential people, key decision-makers and the people who influence the key decision-makers, to advance Canada’s interests.

Q: Is there a top issue you are here to press?

A: The Keystone XL pipeline is a significant priority. It’s not about the West. It’s not about energy. It’s about the future prosperity of the Canadian economy.

Q: The U.S. is undergoing its own oil and gas boom. There are estimates that it’ll become the biggest global producer of oil by 2020. Does that reduce the appetite for Canadian energy?

A: Energy independence has been a key goal for the last six presidents. This project is ready to go today. It’s ready to create tens of thousands of jobs today. The U.S. has a huge and growing demand for oil and energy—and I think Canada can play a key part in that.

Q: Many people had expected a decision on Keystone soon after the inauguration. But now the President has nominated Sen. John Kerry to replace Hillary Clinton. He is a big advocate for climate change policy and he is under pressure from environmentalists to reopen some of the State Department’s conclusions and environmental assessments. Could his appointment lead to additional delays?

A: I don’t know anyone who thought this would be approved in the first three weeks of 2013. We had a belief that a decision could come as early as the first quarter, but we don’t take that for granted. Obviously we want the presidential permit. We will be working hard with Sen. Kerry and the State Department and the White House on this.

Q: Will you meet with Sen. Kerry?

A: He is still Sen. Kerry. He has not been confirmed yet as Secretary of State. So he doesn’t meet with people in that role.

Q: The last time the Prime Minister spoke in Washington, he said that it’s in Canada’s national interest to diversify oil markets. But there is a lot of skepticism in Washington that a pipeline to the West Coast will get built. Will the U.S. remain the main market for this oil?

A: Frankly, it’s not an either/or—we need both. We need to increase our capacity to sell Canadian oil to the United States and we need to be able to open up Asian markets.

Q: Does it help that Republicans are so strongly behind the pipeline, or does that it make it more polarized and more difficult?

A: We appreciate the support, particularly of Senate Republicans. We’ve got a lot of Senate Democrats who are very supportive as well. It shouldn’t be a partisan issue. The key thing for us is to focus it on the pipeline. Canadian sovereignty—the issues on our side of the border—those issues should not be part of the decision.

Q: After Obama delayed the pipeline decision and then rejected the first route, [former ambassador to the U.S.] Derek Burney and [Carleton University professor] Fen Hampson wrote an article saying Obama was “losing Canada.” They said Canada-U.S. relations have “hit their lowest point in decades.” Do you think we’ll look back and say that this was when the two countries started to drift away from what had been a path to ever-closer integration?

A: No, absolutely not. The Prime Minister and the President have an excellent personal and professional relationship. Certainly I’ve enjoyed an excellent relationship with Hillary. The relationship is strong. The border security and regulatory co-operation deal announced in 2011 is an incredible accomplishment, and that came from the leadership of Prime Minister Harper. We were disappointed with the Keystone decision. But I think we’ll look back and think that was a delay rather than an obstacle.

Q: I’ve heard from energy analysts in Washington that it would be easier for the Obama administration to approve the pipeline if they could point to a Canadian strategy for meeting greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Do you see the government doing more on that?

A: That’s not part of the equation. The American regulatory consideration is of the pipeline, not of the source of the oil. I think we’ve embraced the same targets President Obama has with respect to climate change and greenhouse gas reduction. Canada is the first country with a clear plan to get out of dirty coal-fired electricity generation. That will have substantial positive impacts on reducing GHGs. We’ve worked very co-operatively with the Obama administration on tailpipe emissions. We continue to take it step by step, so I think they’ll find a country that is out to match their commitment to GHG reduction.

Q: Turning to the crisis in North and West Africa, do you believe that al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb’s expanding control of northern Mali presents a threat to Canada and Canadian interests?

A: I think the great struggle of our generation is the struggle against radical extremists and international terrorists wherever they are in the world. That’s not an issue exclusively about Mali’s neighbourhood. It’s an issue for all humanity.

Q: Do you think we should be doing more than lending a plane to France?

A: We don’t send Canadian Forces to tackle every threat. France requested one plane for one week. Our immediate response was yes. They made additional requests later in the week. We are reflecting on that. There can be a role for Canada diplomatically. There can be a role for Canada pushing Mali back onto a democratic track. There can be a role for Canada on humanitarian aid. We have provided in excess of $150 million in the last couple of years. There can be a role for us in supporting the African Union. We are reflecting on that right now.

Q: Critics in the U.S. say its relations with Israel have deteriorated. Where does that leave Canada?

A: I think irrespective of the relationship Israel has with the U.S., Canada is their best friend.

Q: There is this unresolved contradiction about whether or not the Prime Minister called Prime Minister Netanyahu to disagree over settlements. The Israeli PM says no. Is Canada’s voice not being heard on that?

A: I think Canada’s view on the expansion of settlements is well-known. At the same time, we are not taken to hectoring close allies.

Q: What is Canada’s role with regard to the Arab Spring?

A: I think we’ve engaged in a big way across North Africa and in some parts of the Middle East on this issue. We were actively engaged with Tunisia, we played a major role in Libya. We have been supporting civil society in Egypt, particularly around the issue of the role of women in the new Egypt and the role of religious minorities. We’d like to do more there. We’ve seen good reform in Jordan and in Morocco. We remain engaged.

Q: What is top of mind while you are here?

A: The situation in Syria continues to be big on the agenda. Of course, the Prime Minister has said this and I have said this: the biggest threat to international peace and security is Iran. It’s not just its nuclear program, it’s also its abhorrent human rights record—which is deteriorating—and its unconstructive engagement in the region, supporting Hezbollah and Hamas and Assad.

Q: Is there any point at which Canada would support the use of force against the nuclear program in Iran?

A: I think the entire civilized world has got to put all of our energy into a diplomatic solution. The sanctions, over the last four to six months, have begun to really bite the Iranian currency. Thus far we have not seen a change in attitude from the Supreme Leader. But we work closely with the U.S., the U.K., [British politician] Catherine Ashton and the P5+1 process. We maintain the toughest sanctions on Iran of any country, and we will continue to work with like-minded allies.

Q: But the U.S. position is that it’s not off the table, a military option.

A: I think President Obama has spoken very loudly and clearly on this issue, and the regime in Tehran should take note.

Q: And do we support that position?

A: I agree with President Obama’s position.

Danielle Droitsch is the director of the Canada Project for the Natural Resources Defense Council.  She monitors US energy policy as it relates to climate, oilsands, and clean energy, provide expertise to organizations in the US about Canadian energy policy.

You can contact Danielle Droitsch through the NRDC.

(Note: This interview was conducted when she was at her previous position, as the Washington, DC representative for the Pembina Institute, a Canadian think tank.)

What do you actually do in your job?

If you were to boil it down, I make information generated by Pembina relevant to a U.S. audience.  I am also responsible for drafting briefing notes and backgrounders on key issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, U.S./Canadian climate policy, clean energy policies and, most recently, First Nations health issues relating to oil sands. I meet with US decision-makers on a regular basis and we work as often as possible with other U.S. non-governmental organizations.

What is the hardest thing about your job? Keeping up with the day-to-day pace of Washington DC.

What do you most enjoy about it? I enjoy working with people who care about Canada’s environment.  I am particularly interested in learning about the solutions.   While these environmental issues all seem overwhelming, there are plenty of solutions that just don’t get discussed enough.

Where were you born and raised? Born in Washington, DC and raised in Arlington, Virginia.

What did you study? While I have studied history and law, you might say I seek to learn something new every day.

What was your first job and what path led you to your work today? My first job was as a reporter for an investigative newspaper in North Carolina.  I was tasked with a story on a pulp and paper mill that was discharging pollution into the Pigeon River that flows into Tennessee.  In short, North Carolina was getting the economic benefit from the mill while the other state was at the receiving end with the pollution.  And this had happened for 80 years largely because of a loophole with the Clean Water Act. I decided that rather than write about the story, I would join the fight to clean up this pulp and paper mill.  And, for the most part, we accomplished our goal.  And that was around the time I switched careers to stand up for environmental protection.

What is the best advice you received in the course of your career? Not sure who gave me the advice but it was great advice: Don’t take wooden nickels. I have never taken a wooden nickel, and I feel that this has been the secret to my success.

Also, I’ve been told to do what you love and what inspires you.  With a law degree, I certainly could have ended in a different place.  But from the moment I started to work as an environmentalist, I knew I had found my calling.  And that is what I have been doing for 20 years without any regret.

Looking back, what are you most proud of? Can I say that I am proud I found such a great husband?  My husband, a Canadian from Kitchener-Waterloo, is my top priority and my best friend.  He is really good looking and strong and intelligent and he is reading this as I type.

Family is really a major priority in my life.  My recent move back to Washington DC in 2010 was to be with my father who sustained a traumatic brain injury.  While it was hard for my husband and me to leave Canada, it was one of the best decisions we have ever made.

When and how do you start your day? I start my day at 7:00 am with the paper and walking my dog Elvis. And I love to listen to my podcasts from the CBC too.

Blogs or websites you find interesting or useful:

Solveclimatenews, American Rivers, New York Times, The Grist, NRDC, The Pembina Institute, Google – seriously, this site has everything!

Where are you most likely to be found when you’re not working? At a dog park trying to exhaust my dog, with my father taking a walk or talking politics, or with my husband cooking or out biking. Or sleeping.

If you had an alternative career, what would it be? A philanthropist with gobs of money to support all of the good work of these non-governmental organizations! A philanthropist who also has great shoes and a villa in France.

Favorite sports team? UT Football. Go Vols!

Who is your hero or heroine? Madeleine Albright.

Drink of choice? A good Belgian beer. White wine. Red wine. Gin & tonic. But not necessarily in that order.

Hobbies? Most notably I love outdoor sports and enjoy going to national parks both in Canada and the U.S.  My husband and I love to jump in our Volkswagon van (insert stereotype here) and trundle travel around with our dog.

What is one worthwhile book you read in the past year? Cutting for Stone.

What is one thing you’d like to learn more about? Raccoons.

What is your favorite place in Canada and your favorite place in the US? Favourite place in Canada is the Bow River watershed in Alberta particularly in Banff National Park at its headwaters. In the United States, it is the Appalachian Mountains mostly in West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

What is one thing you’d like to tell Canadians about the U.S., and/or one thing you’d tell Americans about Canada? I remind Canadians that the U.S. is a large country with hundreds of millions of people and not to paint it with one brush or to judge it based on what they hear in the media.  Believe it or not, I have found myself explaining Americans don’t all tote guns! Some of us prefer to carry knives.

With Americans, I start by explaining that Canada is not just like America despite what they might think.  I might say something about Canada’s wonderful healthcare system or how government systems are there to help people in need.  But I also like point out the history and culture of Canada is, in fact, not exactly like the United States.  In fact, Canada is a different country altogether! No kidding!

I have a great fondness for both countries.

***

Also Get to Know… David Archibald, Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, Connect2Canada, Perrin Beatty, David Biette, John Parisella, Sheldon Alberts, Danielle Droitsch, Lee-Anne Goodman, David Wilkins, Christy Cox, Chris Sands, Birgit Matthiesen,  Scotty Greenwood, Luiza Ch. Savage

***

You can follow me on Twitter under luizachsavage

She works in McKenna Long & Aldridge’s Washington, DC office as a senior managing director on the International Trade and Public Affairs Teams. She is also a Senior Advisor to the Canadian-American Business Council and a frequent commentator on US/Canadian relations.

You can contact Scotty Greenwood through McKenna Long.

What do you actually do in your job? I help companies cope with governments and help governments understand what the private sector really wants.

What is the hardest thing about your job? Not enough hours in the day.

What do you most enjoy about it? Really interesting clients with “bet the company” challenges.

Where were you born and raised? Born in Camp LeJune, NC (semper fi – to all you Marines out there), raised in Arlington, Virginia.

What did you study? I studied skiing, beer drinking and political science in college.

What was your first job and what path led you to your work today? First job out of college was interning for CEO of ‘88 Democratic National Convention in Atlanta.  First job before that was mucking stalls at a riding stables (same skill set for both jobs).

What is the best advice you received in the course of your career? Three things:  (1) Never decline to do a favor for someone’s kid or parent;  (2) Never write anything down that you don’t want on the front page of the Washington Post where your mother can read it;  (3)  What goes around comes around – so be good to people – especially when there is nothing in it for you.

Looking back, what are you most proud of? In life I am most proud of my three awesome kids and remarkable husband.  As for work, I think the coolest thing was playing a small role in helping elect the 42^nd President of the United States (in 1992 I was executive director of the Democratic Party of Georgia).

When and how do you start your day? Way too early – wake up call at 4:30 am for my swimmer daughter, followed by large amounts of coffee and NYT, Ipolitics and MorningScore

Blogs or websites you find interesting or useful: anything by chris brogan, also political bulletin and e &e news.

Where are you most likely to be found when you’re not working? hanging over the edge of a pool with a stop watch in hand

If you had an alternative career, what would it be? Olympic equestrian, national geographic videographer or Lady Gaga.

Favorite sports team? Besides whatever team my kids are on at any given time, I cheer for the DC teams – Nationals, Caps, Skins.  I also love anyone who plays against the Yankees.

Who is your hero or heroine? I look up to people who are graceful under pressure.  Some people you have never heard from Georgia politics like Valeria MacPhail who worked for Senator Sam Nunn and the great Mary Rose Taylor who single handedly brought the Margaret Mitchell House to life.  I also admire great American artists like Joel Shapiro, Ellsworth Kelly and a lesser known one – Kelly Wilkinson.

Drink of choice? Unsweet ice tea. Every day. All day.  Iced Green Tea even better.

Hobbies? Here comes the Vermont motif – skiing at Jay Peak, summers at Lake Memphramegog, hanging out with Howard Dean, and checking out every new flavor of Ben & Jerry’s …

What is one worthwhile book you read in the past year? Here are two – StartUp Nation by Saul Singer (a gift of AIPAC in advance of our trip to Israel) Obama’s Wars by Bob Woodward (in conjunction with Canadian American Business Council’s event with him in Vancouver)

What is one thing you’d like to learn more about? How it is that Jon Stewart is now the single most influential political commentator alive today (not that that’s a bad thing).

What is your favorite place in Canada and your favorite place in the US? Really tough call.  I’ll go with St Johns Newfoundland (in the summer when the ice bergs are floating by), and Santa Barbara, California (in the winter)

What is one thing you’d like to tell Canadians about the U.S., and/or one thing you’d tell Americans about Canada? Dear Canada – congrats on the Olympic hockey gold. I was at that game and even though I didn’t cheer for you … it was a great game.  Dear US – you better beat Canada next time!

***

Also Get to Know… David Archibald, Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, Connect2Canada, Perrin Beatty, David Biette, John Parisella, Sheldon Alberts, Danielle Droitsch, Lee-Anne Goodman, David Wilkins, Christy Cox, Chris Sands, Birgit Matthiesen,  Scotty Greenwood, Luiza Ch. Savage

***

You can follow me on Twitter under luizachsavage

Hillary Clinton’s coworkers welcome her back with a helmet [Mashable]

Clinton to testify on the Hill [ABC]

BORDER

US spent $18 billion on immigration enforcement last year [NY Times]

Guns, $7 million in Iraqi currency seized at border [Postmedia]

Border patrol agents accost photojournalist at protest [Watertown Daily News]

TRADE/ECONOMY

US and China leave feeble Europe in their wake [Reuters]

Baird says promotion of trade is crucial [Postmedia]

NAFTA surface trade jumps 7.9% [CCJ]

Press conference: next gen trade agreements jeopardize fisheries regulation [newswire,ca]

SECURITY

Obama defends Hagel as Defense pick [NY Times]

Tom Ridge supports Hagel [Politico]

Gay groups divided on Hagel [Politico]

Why Obama picked Hagel [Politico]

US legal officials split on how to prosecute terrorism detainees [NY Times]

Hints of Syrian chemical push set off global effort to stop it [NY Times]

Harper, head of African Union, to talk Mali crisis [CP]

ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT

Two arrested in Keystone XL protest [Houston Chronicle]

Activists storm TransCanada headquarters [Daily Caller]

Year ahead for Keystone: big unknown [insideclimatenews.org]

Exit of EPA boss a protest [NY Post]

Lisa Jackson quit EPA over Keystone: NYP [CP]

BTB Side by Side Analysis from CME

White House Releases Report on Beyond the Border and Regulatory Cooperation Council with Canada

WASHINGTON, DC – On December 7, 2011, President Obama and Prime Minister Harper of Canada met at the White House and announced two initiatives to ensure that the vital economic partnership that joins the United States and Canada continues to be the cornerstone of our economic competitiveness and security  — the Beyond the Border (BTB) Action Plan and the Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) Action Plan.  These Action Plans build on our well-established bilateral cooperation on trade, investment, emergency preparedness, and security.  They also describe specific initiatives with timelines for implementation that promote transparency, efficiency, and the free and secure flow of people and goods.

Today, we are jointly releasing two reports that summarize the significant progress made under these initiatives.  While our efforts are not complete, our two governments have worked together over the past year in a concerted way to advance our perimeter security and economic competitiveness, achieving results that will translate into a significant savings that will improve the lives of residents, visitors, and businesses in both our countries.

The Beyond the Border Report highlights a number of the objectives achieved over the past year, which both provide economic benefits and enhance security, including:

• ·         Mutual recognition of our respective air cargo security programs for passenger aircraft, eliminating the need for re-screening, increasing the number of flights that can travel and allowing airports to shorten the time between flights;

• ·         An operational model for a pilot program to inspect truck cargo well before the border, reducing wait times at the border, and resulting in increased throughput of goods each day; and;

• ·         Providing additional benefits to trusted travelers, including expedited passenger screening at U.S. airports for Canadian travelers, making it easier to travel to more than one U.S. destination, increasing the number of tourism dollars spent here.

The Regulatory Cooperation Council, in fulfilling its mandate to promote economic growth and job creation, has spurred unprecedented cooperation to provide benefits to our consumers, regulators, and businesses through increased regulatory transparency and coordination while maintaining high standards of public health and safety and environmental protection. The Council has achieved significant progress over the past year, including:

• ·         Pilot projects for simultaneous submissions to regulators in both countries for approval of crop protection products;

• ·         In the area of veterinary drugs, simultaneous reviews by U.S. and Canadian regulators for several drug submissions;

• ·         A pilot project for the joint inspection of non-U.S. and non-Canadian flagged vessels entering the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway, focusing on maritime security and pollution prevention, and monitoring living and working conditions for workers on these ships; and

• ·         A proposal to align U.S. and Canadian rules on tire safety and occupant restraint systems in frontal impact collisions.

For more than forty years, the increasing integration of the economies of the United States and Canada has been key to our two countries’ prosperity and security.  We intend to continue to work together under these initiatives through 2013, 2014, and beyond to reduce and eliminate barriers to trade and investment, securing our shared competitiveness for the 21st century.

Susan Rice pulls out, won’t replace Hillary Clinton [macleans.ca]

BORDER

Canada, US ink deal to share information on third-country nationals [iPolitics]

Name tags don’t endanger border officers, gov’t says [QMI]

Manitoba border agents off job over name-tag policy [CBC]

Alleged plot to kill Justin Bieber derailed by trip to Canadian border: police [CP]

TRADE/ECONOMY

U.S. retail sales inch up on cars, electronics [Washington Post]

Obama, Boehner to meet Thurs on fiscal cliff  [Washington Post]

 Canada rejects strong labour rights chapter in TPP [rabble.ca]

DEFENSE

Ottawa officially scraps F-35 purchase [Globe and Mail]

Rae says “reset” of F-35 process not enough [CTV]

Russian envoy says Syrian leader is losing control [NY Times]

Would a Sec of Defense Hagel oppose war with Iran? [Foreign Policy]

ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT

 5 major issues that Keystone XL review must include [Huffington Post]

Texas judge dissolves restraining order on Keystone XL [mysanantonio.com]

Forget Canada’s oil sands, turn to Bakken [Globe and Mail]

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Twitter: @luizachsavage