Full text: U.S. ambassador Pete Hoekstra talks about future of U.S.-Canada relations

Calgary Herald

2 days ago

On June 3, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra spoke at an event organized by the Empire Club of Canada. Below is his full speech, followed by an interview with Lisa Raitt, vice chair of Global Investment Banking at CIBC Capital Markets.
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Thank you. It's great for Diane and I to join you today. Thank you to many of you who expressed a warm welcome. Diana and I have felt nothing but a warm welcome since we arrived in Canada five, I think, five weeks ago. Not that anybody is counting, but we have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. We thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity that you provided with me being the ambassador to go to Mackinac Island for three — for three days — last week. Those of you who have been to Mackinac Island, I think you can appreciate how beautiful that is, especially when the weather is nice. For those of you that haven't been: Please go. It is an awesome place. But the great thing today is, for me, as an immigrant to America, is to make America's case to you, to talk about what's going on and why it is so important, not only for us as American citizens, but for you as Canadian citizens, and the deep relationship and the friendship that we have shared for so long.
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People call Donald Trump a transformational president, especially in this second term. You know, I couldn't agree more. I got my start in politics in 1993, and I learned a little bit about transformational politics —about the — with the last transformational figure in American politics. Some of you may remember. Some of you weren't even born in 1993, but Newt Gingrich, who became the Speaker of the House. I ran against a Republican incumbent as a Republican in a primary in 1992 I was working in the private sector. I was having a great career, and one night, I woke up and I rolled over to Diana, I said, you know, I think I'm going to run for Congress. And she said, 'Go back to sleep and you'll feel better in the morning.' Well, you know, I didn't feel any better in the morning. And I started talking to some friends and some people that I really trusted, and I'd say, 'I think I'm running for Congress.' And they'd start laughing, and they said, 'You've never talked about politics.' And then I told them why I thought I might be qualified, and that I've never done anything political, and they said, 'Maybe that's what we need right now.'
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So in 1992, I ran against a 26-year Republican incumbent. If you know anything about politics in America, winning and unseating an incumbent is almost impossible. I spent about $50,000, he spent three quarters of a million. On election night, I had 48 per cent. You think that's bad? No, it's good. We had a third candidate in the race. He had 42, so I went on in a solid Republican district, to become the next congressman. Got to Washington, and one day, Newt Gingrich called me in my office. They were thrilled. Freshman Republican, you're in the minority, you don't count. But Newt Gingrich is calling, and I go and I see Newt, and Newt says, 'Pete, what do you do every day?' That's kind of like, 'Well, excuse me, Newt, I'm a congressman. I vote. I go to committee hearings. I meet with constituents.' And he says, 'I want you to stop all of that. Don't do any of that.' He says, 'You're a marketing guy. I need you to work with me on a project so that, in 1995, when you come back, Republicans will hold the gavel. We will be in the majority.' So I became involved working with Newt on the Contract with America. The rest is history. Transformational.