The Globe and Mail - 27.03.2020

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T

here were shouts of “shame, shame” on this

day in 1998 after Health Minister Allan Rock

announced details of a compensation pack-

age for thousands of people who had con-

tracted hepatitis C through contaminated blood

and blood products. The federal and provincial gov-

ernments together were offering $1.1-billion for

those infected between 1986 and 1990. Rock ex-

plained that a test for hepatitis C was available dur-

ing this period, but Canadian authorities had decid-

ed not to use it because it was too expensive. The

hecklers were incensed because people who had

contracted the disease before 1986 or after 1990 were

left out of the deal. These “forgotten victims” went

on to lobby for years, until the federal government

announced in 2006 that it would pay them $1-bil-

lion in compensation. In his landmark report on the

tainted-blood scandal in 1997, Justice Horace Krever

had insisted that all the victims should be compen-

sated equally, regardless of when they were infected.

The report also noted the danger of failing to act ex-

peditiously in the face of a serious threat. Health of-

ficials “refrained from taking essential preventive

measures until causation had been proved with sci-

entific certainty. The result was a national public

health disaster.”DANIELLEADAMS

MARCH27,

GOVERNMENTSAYSITWILL

COMPENSATESOMEVICTIMS

OFHEPC-TAINTEDBLOOD

TOMHANSON/THECANADIANPRESS

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[NOTETOREADERS ]

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JOHANNA

SCHNELLER

BIGGERPICTURE

GARY

MASON

OPINION

DAVID

ROSENBERG

OPINION

Canada’s interim ambassador to

the United States is taking over

at this country’s most important

diplomatic mission.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

announced Thursday that Kir-

sten Hillman, a career diplomat,

will become the new Canadian

envoy to Washington. Ms. Hill-

man was deputy envoy along-

side ambassador David Mac-

Naughton during the difficult

trade negotiations that led to the

conclusion of the U.S.-Mexico-

Canada Agreement (USMCA).

“When we worked together to

negotiate the new NAFTA, I saw

Ms. Hillman’s ability to stand up

for Canadians and fight for their

interests,” Mr. Trudeau said in a

statement. “She combines excep-

tional knowledge and skills, and

is a gifted diplomat.”

Mr. MacNaughton stepped

down as Canada’s envoy to

Washington in September, and

Ms. Hillman has carried out the

official duties as acting ambassa-

dor.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrys-

tia Freeland, who worked closely

with Ms. Hillman during the

trade talks, described the new

ambassador as “calm, competent

and wise.”

“In challenging times, as we

battle a pandemic unlike any we

have seen in our lifetimes ... Ms.

Hillman is exactly the person

Canada needs as point person in

Washington right now. Her work

on trade, on the new NAFTA, as

acting ambassador and most re-

cently on our cross-border re-

sponse to COVID-19 makes her

the obvious, outstanding candi-

date for this role,” Ms. Freeland

said.

Mr. MacNaughton, a confidant

of Mr. Trudeau, has praised Ms.

Hillman for her abilities as a ne-

gotiator and for helping to shape

the Canadian strategy for the

trade talks, including outreach

efforts to the U.S. business com-

munity, Congressand governors

in 35 northern states for which

Canada is the largest foreign

market for U.S.-made goods and

services.

Kelly Craft, the former U.S.

ambassador to Canada and now

the U.S. envoy to the United Na-

tions, has also spoken highly of

Ms. Hillman for her negotiating

skills during the often conten-

tious trade talks. In her new role,

Ms. Hillman must handle Cana-

da’s efforts to fight the COVID-

pandemic, including the tempo-

rary border agreement reached

between Canada and the U.S. last

week, which she helped nego-

tiate.

Former Canadian ambassador

to Washington Michael Kergin,

who is also a career diplomat,

said another important issue is

the outcome of the presidential

election.

The most important job for

the new ambassador will be to

forge relationships with which-

ever party wins the November

presidential election. “If Demo-

crats were to win, which is a big

question mark, you have to get

to know the new team and brief

them up on Canadian issues,” he

said. “If it is the Trump team

coming back – or what passes for

a Trump team – that obviously is

getting to know them and main-

taining relations with them.”

Mr. Kergin said the new am-

bassador will also have to man-

age the Trudeau government’s

decision on whether to allow

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. to

participate in Canada’s 5G cellu-

lar networks. The United States

has threatened to curb intelli-

gence sharing with Western

countries that allow Huawei

technology in their next-genera-

tion networks.

The key role of a Canadian

ambassador is to develop rela-

tionships with the White House

National Security Council, State

Department, Pentagon, Congress

and U.S.governors, while rela-

tions with the U.S. president are

left to the prime minister, he

said.

Ms. Hillman has represented

Canada as lead counsel before

panels and the Appellate Body of

the World Trade Organization,

and managed Canada’s interna-

tional investor-state arbitration

under the North American free-

trade agreement.

Before joining Global Affairs

Canada, Ms. Hillman practised

law in Montreal and in Ottawa at

the Federal Department of Jus-

tice.

Careerdiplomatappointedambassador

toU.S.aftertemporarilyfillingrole

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