[BRIEF NOTE] NAFTA's point is ... ?

[rfmcdonald]

The latest show of arrogance by an American ambassador in Ottawa has thankfully provoked a unified response by the federal government.

Federal cabinet ministers remained defiant and unwavering Friday in their tough stand against Washington over the softwood lumber dispute, dismissing a call from the U.S. ambassador to stop their "emotional" comments.

Industry Minister David Emerson said David Wilkins comments, said in a newspaper interview, are hypocritical because they suggest Canada hasn't been serious about negotiating.

The minister said Canadians may need to start gearing up for a trade war with the United States.

"Candidly, Canadians have to decide as a small trading economy, are we going to stand together?' Emerson said at that start of a federal cabinet meeting in Winnipeg.

"Are we going to be stronger than the sum of our parts or are we going to be endlessly bickering amongst ourselves and allowing the bully to basically mop the floor with us?'

A question: What good is a trade agreement that one side doesn't feel bound by?