PAM FRAMPTON: Why it’s time to send the U.S. ambassador packing

U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra. Photo by David Bloom /PostmediaArticle contentYou can say one thing about Pete Hoekstra: when it comes to the part of his mandate as U.S. ambassador to Canada that says he must advance U.S. policy, he has attacked it with the utmost zeal.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentSo much so that at times, his remarks could have been uttered by the U.S. president himself.Article contentArticle contentDiplomats are supposed to protect the interests of the state they represent — of course. But before Hoekstra took up the post, we were used to U.S. representatives who were, well, more diplomatic.Article contentArticle contentHoekstra, on the other hand, is like Trump’s personal pit bull.Article content“Not taking the president of the United States serious — do that at your own risk,” Hoekstra told Global News after Trump took to social media to complain about wildfire smoke in Canada that was drifting into the U.S.Article content“Canada has refused to engage in basic Forest Management and Debris Removal, knowing that such refusal will lead to exactly this result,” Trump wrote on July 17, using his typically erratic capitalization and revealing his penchant for using all caps for emphasis.Article content“This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying.”Article contentGlobal News reported that Hoekstra reiterated Trump’s message, albeit in a mercifully more concise fashion: “The president is saying, ‘Yeah, I’m holding Canada accountable. We need to fix this.’”Article contentHoekstra also reportedly divulged that there are discussions ongoing in the U.S. about having Canadian officials appear before Congress and state legislatures to explain the “unique challenges of fighting large fires in remote areas of Canada.”Article contentArticle contentHad it not occurred to American lawmakers that they might try to gain a little insight into the issue before complaining and threatening additional tariffs?Article contentArticle contentApparently not.Article contentIsn’t he a diplomat?Article contentIn June, Hoekstra caused a stir when he shared a social media post from Trump gloating about Canada’s economy entering a technical recession.Article content“51st state!” the president wrote, echoing his oft-uttered threat to annex our sovereign nation.Article contentWhen pressed by reporters about why he had reposted such aggressive commentary, Hoekstra’s defence was to go on the offence — just as Trump regularly does — and attack the press.Article content“If actually you had a media that did its job,” he told reporters, channelling Trump’s habitual condescension, “you would find out that as the president’s representative to Canada, I present the president’s views, the United States’ views, to Canada.”