The pledge to bring home the CF-18 fighter jets deployed to the region by March 2016 was part of his election campaign, but Trudeau has not yet given a timescale when the actual withdrawal will begin. He has not yet given a timescale.
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“We are surely pleased to know that incoming Prime Minister Trudeau is among the vanguard of world leaders speaking out on climate change, which has such a profound effect on small island developing states”.
A 43-year-old former high school teacher, nightclub bouncer and snowboarding instructor who, until recently, sported long hair, Trudeau first captured national attention in 2000 with a moving eulogy at his father’s state funeral.
“We have stood shoulder to shoulder with Canadian armed forces…in Iraq and Afghanistan”, he added.
He also quipped that Mr Obama had “teased me about my lack of grey hair but said I’d probably get a few quite soon”.
Labelled a “climate laggard” by the United Nations, Canada under Harper became the first country to pull out of the landmark Kyoto Protocol in 2011, inflicting lasting damage on relations with allies in Europe among others.
Ties are also likely to improve over plans for the Keystone XL pipeline, which would send Canadian oil south across the border. He has wasted little time in signaling a shift in Canada’s foreign policy back to the left after a decisive victory Monday over his predecessor, Conservative leader Stephen Harper. Earlier this year, the Harper Government dissolved Parliament and passed the most regressive, anti-worker, anti-union piece of legislation, threatening to destroy collective bargaining rights for unions across Canada and attacking hard working middle class families.
The Liberals swept the Atlantic provinces and more than doubled their seat count in Quebec, where voters had spurned the party in recent elections.
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Obama wished Trudeau well and “looks forward to meeting with him in the near future”, U.S. officials said. We deeply value our time-tested partnership and common democratic heritage, and we will continue to draw upon that foundation to partner with Canada to promote our shared values globally.
