As the petition grows, here’s what would happen if Carney actually booted the U.S. ambassador

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Less than a month ago, Green Party MP Elizabeth May sponsored a parliamentary petition calling for the removal of U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra, accusing him of undermining Canada-U.S. diplomatic relations and normalizing “51st state” language.

Growing slowly at first, the signatures have now climbed past 229,000, making headlines around the globe — a not-so-subtle reflection of the Canadian mood toward both Hoekstra and his boss, U.S. President Donald Trump.

For Anne Leahy, a former Canadian ambassador to Russia who was herself declared persona non grata by the Soviet Union in 1988, the petition’s message is that Hoekstra may be testing the limits of Canadian public tolerance.

“It has really sent a signal of alarm here that the ambassador may be coming a bit too close to what the general population deems acceptable,” said Leahy.

“The message, I think, has been received at the other end.”

Although the petition has caught fire, few actually believe Prime Minister Mark Carney will seek Hoekstra’s expulsion.

May said she would be “astonished” if Ottawa expelled Hoekstra.

Andrew Hale, fellow at Washington-based Advancing American Freedom, likewise does not expect Canada to do so, but argued that Washington should recall him.

“At this point, it needs to be the Trump administration to withdraw him,” he said, citing reports that Hoekstra cursed at David Paterson, Ontario’s representative in Washington, at an Ottawa event last year.

Hoekstra has not publicly responded to the petition. In an email, a U.S. embassy spokesperson said: “The Embassy is aware of this petition. We decline to comment further.”

Petition e-7531 was drafted by Calgary resident Leanne Walker, and it calls on Ottawa to declare Hoekstra persona non grata, request his removal and lodge a formal complaint with Washington. The proposal was drafted based on Hoekstra characterizing last year’s Canadian federal election as “anti-American,” calling “51st-state” a “term of endearment.

May said parliamentary rules prevent her, as the petition’s sponsor, from taking a position on its demands. Because the petition remains open until Nov. 18, May cannot present it to the House until after it closes. The government would then be required to respond in writing within 45 days of its presentation.

Trump has left more than half of the United States’ 195 ambassadorial posts vacant, raising the prospect that Ottawa could be left dealing with a chargé d’affaires for an extended period if Hoekstra were recalled or expelled.

If Hoekstra leaves, the embassy’s deputy chief of mission — a career State Department officer — would serve as chargé d’affaires. Hale said that could leave Ottawa without an envoy with the political access of a presidential appointee, particularly if Trump delayed naming a successor.

“That career diplomat would probably not have the access to key people in the Trump administration because they weren’t appointed by President Trump,” Hale said.

To his mind, anyone would be better in the position than Hoekstra, but he would like to see someone appointed who is a true expert in U.S.-Canada affairs.

“Given the damage that’s been done, you do need to have someone who is an expert on U.S.-Canada relations, who’s well-respected on both sides of the border, to take up that role,” said Hale.

Leahy questioned the goal of any expulsion.

“Other than the satisfaction of seeing results, superficially, I would not think that, looking at it the day after and the day after that … I’m not sure that there would be much to gain,” she said.

“Maybe one feels good by expelling an ambassador, but what happens the day after?” she added.

Instead, she suggests letting the petition speak for itself — by sending a public message — rather than risking even more tension in the Canada-U.S. relationship.

And that message, said Hale, is “that Pete Hoekstra is not the right person for this job.”

Hale said he viewed the petition as evidence that the bilateral relationship had deteriorated to a degree “far worse” than at any point in his lifetime.

But some, including Colin Robertson, a former Canadian diplomat and vice president of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, think the poor state of the relationship is all the more reason to leave Hoekstra where he is.

Asked whether Hoekstra’s conduct simply amounted to aggressive advocacy by a U.S. ambassador, Robertson said no.

“It goes way beyond that. It is Trumpian. We’ve never had an ambassador like Hoekstra,” he said.

Robertson previously described Hoekstra as a “ hard ass ” based on an encounter when Hoekstra was chair of the House Intelligence Committee.

But he also sees how Hoekstra can be useful.

He pointed to two core roles any ambassador should fill: representing and transmitting the foreign government’s message and, second, listening to the host country and sending that nuance and context back home.

On the first count, Robertson believes Hoekstra serves his purpose.

“I think he probably … can pick up the phone and get through to the chief of staff and cabinet officials,” he said.

But as for whether Hoekstra is listening to Canadians and relaying their views to the White House, Robertson is less convinced.

“What I don’t know is how much he’s transmitting our message,” he said. “I don’t see evidence of that.”

Still, he believes Hoekstra should remain in place as an ambassador who can reflect Trump’s views.

“I think it’s more important that we have him here so we know we have an accurate read whenever we need it on where the administration is coming from.”

National Post

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