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B.C. Premier Christy Clark congratulates Trump on victory

B.C. Premier Christy Clark says the province will try to grow its relationship with the United States on issues such as free trade and a new softwood lumber agreement, following the election of Donald Trump in the United States.
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Premier Clark: “The United States is a close friend and partner of British Columbia" | Photo: Times Colonist files

B.C. Premier Christy Clark says the province will try to grow its relationship with the United States on issues such as free trade and a new softwood lumber agreement, following the election of Donald Trump in the United States.

Trump claimed his election victory as America’s 45th president early today, after beating Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

After he won, Trump urged Americans to “come together as one united people,” after a deeply divisive campaign.

Clark issued a statement this morning congratulating Trump, as well as Gov. Jay Inslee in Washington state, Senator Lisa Murkowski in Alaska and everyone else who pursued elected office.

“The United States is a close friend and partner of British Columbia,” said Clark. “Alongside the Government of Canada, we will work diligently and with determination to ensure we protect and grow the relationship that is crucial to working families in our province on issues like free trade and a new softwood-lumber agreement.”

Clark said it’s important to recognize Clinton’s historic run.

“For the first time, a woman has contested the presidency for one of the two major political parties — a significant and important signal to the millions of women and girls around the globe who saw it happen, in real time.”

Just last month, Clark said “everybody” should condemn the sexist and degrading comments by Trump because treating women as if they were the property of men can’t go unchallenged in modern society.

“There is no way to defend what Donald Trump has said,” Clark told the Vancouver Sun in mid-October.

Trump faced criticism for his demeaning remarks about the appearances and weight of women, and taped comments that he believes he can grab and kiss women at will because he’s a celebrity. Several women spoke out claiming he has assaulted them.

Clark feared that someone like Trump could “normalize” such sexist speech by dismissing it as “just locker-room talk.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also offered his congratulations to Trump today.

Trudeau said Canada looks forward to working “very closely” with Trump, his administration and with the U.S. Congress in the coming years.

“Canada has no closer friend, partner, and ally than the United States,” Trudeau said, in a statement issued Wednesday morning.

“We look forward to working very closely with president-elect Trump, his administration and with the United States Congress in the years ahead, including on issues such as trade, investment, and international peace and security.”

Trudeau said the relationship between Canada and the U.S. serves as a model for the world.

Janni Aragon, director of technology-integrated learning at the University of Victoria, said Tuesday night’s result is a backlash — or whitelash as it has been called — of “angry voters.”

Aragon has taught several political science and women’s studies courses while at UVic, including American politics, gender and politics, feminist theory, gender and international relations.

Aragon, who lived in southern California prior to immigrating to Victoria 12 years ago, said it would be too simplistic to say this is only the result of sexism or racism or changes to voting rights or ignorance.

Trump garnered votes from “a coalition of wealthy voters, white rural voters, white voters in general, not educated and educated, evangelicals who support the Republican pro-life platform, social conservatives,” said Aragon.

“He was able to coalesce that array of groups and that made the difference,” said Aragon

Clinton was also affected by her baggage with former U.S. president Bill Clinton, her speaking fees, use of her private email server while secretary of state and the perception of her as a political insider, said Aragon.

Still, Aragon said as a Democrat she can’t help intellectually wonder “how one of most qualified presidential candidates in my lifetime lost to the least qualified candidate in history — or in the top 10 of least qualified.”

Clinton had more than 30 years experience, vast experience as a lawyer, a former first lady of a governor and president, senator and secretary of state, she said.

“This woman has the chops and political experience and to have a rich white guy touted as the outsider is shocking.”

“He spoke to a larger demographic of electoral college voters in the strategic states that he needed,” Aragon said.

“It’s going to be a really interesting first two years to see what exactly happens and how electorate responds,” said Aragon. “I feel bruised and stunned, and I’m going to grab the popcorn and watch.”

Reviewing reaction on social media to Trump’s presidential win, Aragon said it’s a scary time for a lot of marginalized people in the United States, seeing posts from Muslim women fearful to wear the hijab or worrying about their safety in public as a minority.

Jean McRae, executive director of the Victoria Intercultural Association, said Trump’s election, after comments that Mexicans are rapists and drug dealers and Muslims should be banned from the U.S., sends a frightening message that equates immigrants with crime and terrorism.

“So to have someone who is president of the United States talk about banning whole groups of people, talk about refugees as if they are a threat instead of what they really are, groups of people who are grateful to be in this country and work hard to make a life for their family in a peaceful environment, all of those things are very worrying,” McRae said.

There are clear parallels to the Brexit referendum in the U.K., where far-right politician Nigel Farage capitalized on immigration fears to successfully campaign for the country’s divorce from the European Union. The success of Trump’s divisive campaign could embolden other populist, nationalist politicians in France and the Netherlands.

“We might want to say to ourselves, ‘it’s not our country across the border,’ but the U.S. is our largest trading partner, and as the big superpower to the south of us, it has a large influence on Canadians,” McRae said.

Kellie Leitch, who is running to lead the Conservative Party of Canada, wrote on Facebook that Trump’s victory sends an “exciting message that needs to be delivered in Canada as well.”

McRae said Canada and the U.S. are nations built on immigration, which has been both culturally and economically beneficial. However, a “close the gate behind us” mentality is a “powerful narrative that is increasingly being heard,” she said.

“The rhetoric really gives permission to bully, to name-call to the extent of violent action, which nobody wants.”

- with files from Katie DeRosa

Times Colonist