Justin Trudeau accused of 'sabotaging' trade deal with meeting no-show
The Post reported last week an announcement at APEC was 'unlikely,' according to a Liberal government official familiar with the matter
The strange journey of the resurrected Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal got a little stranger Friday, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau being accused of “sabotaging” the deal by missing a crucial meeting in Vietnam.
The newspaper The Australian published a story Friday about Canada’s no-show at the meeting, accompanied by a tweet saying Trudeau “infuriates world leaders, embarrasses host nation.” The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Canadian “sabotage,” was “shocking” to world leaders.
“It’s less than ideal to have every leader and trade minister from the other ten countries sitting around the table and not have Canada there. It’s not an ideal outcome,” Australian trade minister Steve Ciobo told the The Australian newspaper.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau infuriates world leaders, embarrasses host nation, after failing to show up to a crucial meeting to salvage the TPP #APEC2017 bit.ly/2yO5XKU
The news comes after conflicting reports in foreign media on Thursday about a deal being struck. Canadian officials and politicians moved quickly to quash those reports and have tried to throw cold water on the idea that Canada was ever ready to sign the trade deal this week.
Confusion reigned after that meeting, with the New Zealand trade minister saying “one country” had blocked the deal but that it wasn’t Canada. Even so, the Canadian appetite to put pen to paper hasn’t been apparent.
The National Post reported last week that an announcement at APEC was “unlikely,” according to a Liberal government official familiar with the matter.
Trudeau told travelling media on Wednesday that he refuses to be rushed into a deal and multiple ministers have echoed those comments.
One of Trudeau’s top advisors retweeted a Twitter user who said “it’s really hard to understand how anyone who listened to Canada” would believe the country would sign on to the trade deal this week.
Australian media has reported that a “substantial conclusion” on the deal has been reached and it just needs leaders to sign off on it.
Canada’s no-show has angered the Australian government, which was keen to announce a deal and sees it as an embarrassment to Vietnam, where the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit is being hosted this week, according to Australian media.
The deal, referred to as TP11 after the U.S. President Donald Trump pulled his country from talks, has regained new life recently, but it may complicate Canada’s ongoing renegotiations with the U.S. on NAFTA.
Australian media published photographs of an empty spot at the table. Canada flags sit on the desk and world leaders take up most of the other spots.
The empty seat where Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is missing from the Trans Pacific Partnership meeting at APEC in Vietnam. All other leaders waiting #APECVN2017 #TTP
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