Address by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien
to Duke University

December 3, 2000
Durham, North Carolina

I am honoured by your warm welcome. And delighted to pay a return visit to Governor Hunt and Dr. Keohane. And to see a very great friend of Canada, Ambassador Giffin.

I am especially pleased to be here because Duke is such a hot bed of interest in the study of Canada. I know that your Canadian Studies program is one of the most important and active programs in the country. And I am told that Duke has produced more Ph.D.'s in Canadian Studies than all other US colleges combined.

Canada and the United States are close members of what I like to call the Gran Familia of the Americas. At the same time, Canada and the southern states sometimes seem like long-lost cousins. Separated not only by distance, but by a shared lack of awareness of each other.

Duke and North Carolina very much embody the tremendous vitality... dynamism and sophistication of the ‘New South.’ A south blessed with a proud sense of history and tradition. That has found new strength and prosperity by embracing new ideas and the new economy. In my time here, I look forward to getting to know you a little better.

For my part, I would like to use my address to give you a taste of Canada. A nation that is enjoying what the Financial Times of London has called the second miracle economy of North America. A Canada that is catching the wave of the new economy.

A Canada built on many of the same deeply-held values that have made our nations such close friends and global partners. But also a country built on distinctive values and approaches to governing that have given us a unique identity in North America and the world.

Democracy and freedom are our common cause.

In recent months, all of the nations of North America have carried out the most basic civic act that defines any democracy: the holding of elections. President Fox of Mexico was inaugurated last Friday. A few days ago, Canadians honoured me with a third mandate as their Prime Minister. So I am not only happy to be here, I am very lucky to be here. President Clinton warmly congratulated me on my victory. And expressed a little envy at the fact that our system allows me to seek a third term.

On behalf of the people of Canada, I would like to express our deep, deep appreciation for the friendship that President Clinton has shown Canada over the past 8 years and the leadership that he has shown on the world stage. Time and again: in the Middle East, in Haiti, in Ireland, he has worked to build harmony and trust in places that have known only discord and suspicion.

Tonight, I would like to salute him personally as a friend and a statesman of the first rank.

Ladies and gentlemen, the friendship between Canada and the United States is also a partnership, not only for freedom but for peace and prosperity. One that finds expression in countless ways.

In the way we help each other in times of trouble. In the more than 200 million crossings of the 49th parallel that take place every year. In our championing of open markets for trade and investment around the world. And in the more than one billion dollars in business that we do together -- every single day.

Thirty-eight states, including North Carolina, have Canada as their largest customer. Indeed, Canada is, by far, the largest export market for North Carolina, accounting for more than one quarter of your exports, more than your next three largest markets combined.

We are continuing to develop effective partnerships to deal with the pressures that rapid globalization is putting on our open relationship.

The flow of goods, people, capital and technology between us has expanded beyond all expectations since NAFTA. Putting enormous pressure on border infrastructure, regulations and our way of doing business. That is why President Clinton and I created the Canada-US Partnership (CUSP) to seek a vision of a modern border.

A smooth and accessible border is critical to North Carolina. So many of your exports travel by land. Efficiency is a key component of productivity. Without good infrastructure, streamlined clearance procedures and rapid transit, these products lose their competitiveness. CUSP will make its first report to the President and myself before the end of this year. I will make the report a priority for our government.

We must also deal with the repulsive traffic in people, illegal drugs, internet crime, international terrorism and goods that harm our shared environment.

And we must increasingly look to partnerships that are continental in scope. That draw on the ideas and growing strength of Mexico in meeting our common challenges. The election of President Fox is dramatic evidence that Mexico is going through profound political, economic and social change. I have no doubt the he will be a powerful force for democracy, human rights and sustainable development in the hemisphere and around the world.

In that spirit, we should address how our three countries can foster continental "green" corridors. The growing North American economy will require new transportation corridors to carry the powerful and growing flow of goods and services. But at the same time, we must ensure that these corridors are established as "green corridors". They should become examples of environmental best-practices. Encouraging the development and use of fuels, practices and technology that are friendly to our physical environment.

Ladies and gentlemen, the 49th parallel is much more than the most open border in the world. It marks a continental divide. A friendly divide to be sure. But one that marks some fundamental differences. Differences that our intense closeness has not weakened or diluted.

Nor will it in the future.

We share values and goals. But our means of achieving them are different. As in the US, individual rights are important in Canada. Very important. I was the Justice Minister who helped enshrine a Charter of Rights and Freedoms in the Canadian Constitution. One of the proudest moments in my public life. But we have also sought to balance those rights with the responsibilities of citizenship. Responsibilities to one another and to the wider community.

This balanced approach is often called the Third Way. But, at the risk of sounding boastful, I call it the "Canadian Way."

It is a distinct Canadian model. Accommodation of cultures. Recognition of diversity. A partnership between citizens and state. A balance that promotes individual freedom and economic prosperity, while, at the same time, sharing risks and benefits. A recognition that creating opportunity and prosperity are not enough. They must be shared.

It is based on the shared belief that government is a means of serving the broader public interest. That it is a force for good in society.

The success we have achieved as a nation has come not only from strong growth but from an abiding commitment to strong values. Caring and compassion. An insistence that there be an equitable sharing of the benefits of economic growth.

Our recent election reinforced the strong support of Canadians for an active government that, in a balanced way, fosters economic growth and social justice and broadens economic opportunity.

Our government, for instance, has balanced the budget and initiated the largest tax cut in Canadian history. But we have also made strategic investments to build the foundation of the new economy of the 21st century. Investments in health care, education, innovation and to give our people a fast lane on the information highway. Making such investments, within our means, in innovation, science, research and development will continue to be a top priority in our new mandate.

Canada has also been active in promoting cultural diversity. We know and respect the American Melting Pot experience. But our federation and our country came out of the founding partnership of the English and French cultures. And we have created instruments and programs that nurture the many other cultures that, over the years, have enriched our national life.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a measure of the maturity of our friendship that Canada and the United States have respected each other's unique approaches to national development. Given the widespread concern expressed these days that globalization will lead to a homogenized global culture, the experience of Canada and the United States should be a source of some comfort.

As I said at the outset, I look upon our nations as more than good neighbours and good friends. As members of the Gran Familia of the Americas. Continuing to build this sense of family is a central Canadian objective as host to the first Summit of the Americas of the new millennium in Quebec City next April.

We have an ambitious agenda for the Hemisphere, including: a Free Trade Area of the Americas by 2005; deepening the roots of democracy and the rule of law; and, ensuring that all of our peoples have access to the universe of new opportunities created by the Internet.

Together and individually, Canada and the United States have an important role to play in defining the future progress of the Americas.

It is our shared values and strengths and the respect we have for our differences, that make us ideal partners in hemispheric development.

Together, we can stride into the new century, confident of ourselves, confident of our principles and confident of our friendship.

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