President Barack Obama delivers stirring speech in Parliament

barack

welcome to Canada thank you very much thank you very much thank you very much thank you very much thank you very much thank you please please everyone else thank you very much thank you good evening bonjour mr prime minister mr speaker members of the house members of the senate distinguished guests people of canada thank you for this extraordinary welcome that tempts me to shut up and walk away because it doesn't get any better than this obviously I'm grateful for the warm welcome I'm extraordinarily grateful for the close working relationship and friendship with your outstanding prime minister justin trudeau and his extraordinary wife sophie, but I think It's fair to say that much of this greeting is simply a reflection of the extraordinary alliance and deep friendship between Canadians and Americans, Justin, thank you for your very kind words and for the new energy and hope that your leadership has brought to your nation, As well as the alliance, my time in office may be coming to an end, but I know that Canada and the world will benefit from his leadership for years to come.

Come on, Canada was the first country I visited as

president

. It was in February. It was colder. I was younger. Michelle now refers to my hair as the great white north and on that visit I walked through Byward Market. I tried a beaver tail, that is. better than it looks and I was struck then, as I am again today, by the warmth of Canadians. I couldn't be more honored to join you in this historic hall, this cathedral of freedom, and we Americans, we can't say it enough, we couldn't ask for it. a better friend or ally than canada, we couldn't do it, it comes true and we don't take it for granted, that doesn't mean we don't have our differences, as I understand it, one of the reasons the queen chose this site for

parliament

was that it was a safe distance from the American border and I admit that in the War of 1812 American troops did some damage to Toronto.

I suspect there were some people here who didn't care when the British returned the favor and burned down the White House in In more recent times, however, the only forces crossing our borders are armies of tourists, business people and families who are shopping, doing business and visiting loved ones. Our only battles take place inside the hockey rink, even there there is an uneasy peace that remains as Americans. We too celebrate the life of Mr. Hockey himself, the late great Gordy Howe, just as Canadians can salute American teams for winning more Stanley Cups in the NHL. I told them I should have stopped after the applause, but in a world where too many borders are a source. of conflict, our two countries are linked by the world's longest peace border, and what makes our relations so unique is not just proximity, but our enduring commitment to a set of values, a spirit that Justin alluded to says: no matter who we are, where we come from what our last names are what faith we practice here we can make our lives what we want was the network of pioneers and seekers who pushed westward across a prohibitive border the dreams of generations of immigrant refugees who were welcomed on these shores in the hope of fugitive slaves who headed north on an underground railroad deep in our history of struggle said dr. martin luther king jr. canada was the north star the path of freedom unites us we are also united by the service of those who defended us field of flanders the beaches of normandy the skies of the balkans and more recently in the mountains of afghanistan and the training bases in iraq and their sacrifice is reflected in the silent rows of arlington and in the peace tower above us and today we honor those who gave their lives for all of us we are also united by the institutions we have built to keep the peace the united nations to advance our collective aspirations a nato alliance to ensure our security norad where americans and canadians watch side by side and follow the senate on christmas eve we are united by a vast trade network that transports goods from one end to the other of this continent and we are united by ties of friendship and family, in my case a prominent brother-in-law from Burlington had to give recognition to Burlington.

Our relationship is so notable precisely because it seems so ordinary, which is why Americans are often surprised when our favorite American actor or singer turns out to be Canadian. The point is that we see ourselves in each other and our lives are richer in the future. As President I have deepened the ties between our countries and thanks to the progress we have made in recent years I can stand before you and tell you that the enduring partnership between Canada and the United States is stronger than ever and that we are more closely aligned than ever and However, we meet at a crucial time for our nations and for the world.

From this vibrant capital we can look out on a world that has benefited enormously from the international order we helped build together, but we can see that same order increasingly strained by the accelerating forces of change, the world is in almost every way less violent than ever. but remains divided by old divisions and new hatreds the world is more connected than ever but even as it spreads knowledge and the possibility of greater understanding between peoples it also strengthens the terrorists who spread hatred and death, most recently in Orlando and Istanbul. The world is more prosperous than ever, but along with globalization and technological marvels, we are also seeing rising inequality and wage stagnation in advanced economies, leaving too many workers behind. and communities fear diminishing prospects not only for themselves but, more importantly, for their children, and in the face of such growing uncertainty it is not enough to look at aggregate growth rates or stock prices or the pace of digital innovation.

If the benefits of globalization accrue only to those at the top, if our democracies seem incapable of ensuring broad-based growth and opportunity for all, then people will retreat out of anger or fear, and politicians, some sincere and others entirely cynical, we will take advantage of that anger to turn it into fear. Returning to bygone days of order, predictability and national glory, arguing that we must rebuild walls and disconnect from a chaotic world or get rid of the supposed evils caused by immigrants, all to regain control of our lives, we saw some of these currents I worked last week on the UK referendum to lead the European Union despite some of the initial reactions.

I trust that the process can be managed in a prudent and orderly manner. I hope our friends on both sides of the channel develop a workable plan. about how to move forward and I am equally confident that the transatlantic values ​​we all share as market-based liberal democracies are deeper and stronger than any isolated event, but while the circumstances of Brexit may be unique to the UK, the frustrations that people felt It is not the short-term consequences of Brexit that can be sensibly managed, but the long-term trends of inequality and dislocation and the resulting social division. They cannot be ignored.

How we respond to the forces of globalization and technological change will determine the durability of Brexit. an international order that ensures security and prosperity for future generations, and fortunately, the partnership between the United States and Canada shows the way forward so that our history and our work together speak to a common set of values ​​to build on. proven values, values ​​that his The Prime Minister spoke in his introduction of values ​​of pluralism and tolerance, rule of law, openness, global engagement, trade and cooperation, along with equal opportunity and investment in our people at home, as he once said Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, after all, a country is not something you build. like the pharaohs build the pyramids and then leave them there to defy eternity a country is something that is built every day from certain basic shared values ​​what is true for countries is true for the world and that is what I want to talk about today How to strengthen our institutions to promote these commitments in a rapidly changing world Let me start with our shared economic vision in everything we do Our commitment to opportunities for all our people has to be at the center of our work We are very fortunate because our Los countries are very well positioned to succeed in the 21st century.

Our two nations know firsthand the amazing power of free markets and innovation. Canadians helped run some of Silicon Valley's most innovative companies. Our students study at each other's world-class universities. We invest in research and development and make decisions based on science and evidence and it works, it is what has created these extraordinary economies of ours, but if the financial crisis and the recent recession taught us anything it is that economies do better when everyone They have a chance to be successful for a long time, it was thought for a long time. that countries had to choose between economic growth or economic inclusion, but it turns out that it is a false choice if a CEO earns more in a day than a typical employee earns in a year, that type of inequality is not only bad for the morality and business.

It's bad for the economy that the worker is not a very good customer for businesses if a young man in Ohio can't pay his student loans or a young woman in Ontario can't pay her bills, that has ramifications for our economy. It reduces the possibilities for growth, so we need growth that is broad-based and lifts everyone up, including tax policies that benefit working families and strong safety nets for those who fall on hard times, as John Kennedy Alvarez once said, The common denominator of progress is our people, it's not numbers, it's not abstractions, it's how people are doing now, of course, many of those who share this progressive and inclusive vision can now be heard arguing that investments in our people, protection of our workers, fair tax policies, these things are not enough for them, globalization is inherently rigged towards the top one percent and therefore what is needed is the end of trade agreements and various institutions and international agreements that integrate national economies and I understand that vision and know why it is tempting, it seems as if we draw a line around our borders than give ourselves more control, particularly when the benefits of trade and economic integration are sometimes difficult to see or easy to take for granted and very specific disturbances are obvious and real;

There is only one problem: restrict trade or give in to protectionism in this 21st century economy. it won't work it won't work even if we wanted to we can't isolate ourselves from the rest of the world the day after brexit people looked around and said oh how is this going to work? the drag of economic weakness in Europe and China. and other countries is having on our own economies right now speaks to the degree to which we depend our economies depend our jobs our businesses depend on the sale of goods and services around the world very few of our domestic industries can cut what is now truly a global supply chain and therefore for those of us who truly believe that our economies have to work for everyone, the answer is not to try to distance ourselves from our interconnected world, but rather to engage with the rest of the world to shape the rules so that they are good for our workers and good for our businesses and the experience between our two nations points to how the United States and Canada have the largest bilateral trade and investment relationship in the world and we are stronger for it means a company in Quebec means a The company in Quebec can create jobs in North Carolina and the startup in Toronto can attract investments from Texas.

The problem now is that some economies in many of the world's fastest-growing regions, particularly in the Asia Pacific region, do not always play by the same rules. They impose unfair tariffs or suppress workers' rights or maintain low environmental standards that make it difficult for our companies to compete fairly and with the trans-Pacific partnership we have the ability to not only open these markets to American and Canadian products and eliminate thousands of these unfair tariffs which, by the way, we have to do because they are already being sold here under the existing rules, but we are not selling as much as we should there, but it also gives us the opportunity to increase the protection of workers and the environment and promote thehuman rights, including strict prohibitions against human trafficking and child labor, and that way our workers compete on a level playing field and our companies are less likely to pursue a race to the bottom, and when combined with greater investments in education of our own people and skills, training, infrastructure, research, development and connectivity, then we can stimulate the kind of sustained growth that makes us all better off, the point is that we must look forward, I will look back and more commerce and more people.

Connections with people can also help break down old divisions. I thank Canada for its indispensable role in hosting our negotiations with the Cuban government and supporting our efforts to put aside half a century of failed policies to begin a new chapter with the Cuban people. Many Canadians like to go to Cuba perhaps because they haven't had Americans crowding the streets and beaches, but that is changing and as more Americans engage with the Cuban people, it will mean more economic opportunities and more hope for ordinary Cubans and currents. We also agree. Americans and Canadians that rich countries like ours cannot reach our full potential while others remain mired in poverty, that is not going to change either in this interconnected world, that if there is poverty, disease and conflict in other parts of the world, it spreads as much as we would like to pretend that we can block it so that, with our commitment to the new sustainable development goals, we have a chance to end the atrocity of extreme poverty, we can bring morewe can bring more electricity to Africa so that students can study at night and businesses can stay open we can banish the scourge of malaria and Zika we can achieve our goal of the first AIDS-free generation we can do it that is within our reach and we can help those who are working to replace corruption with institutions transparent and responsible that serve their people as leaders in global development.

The United States and Canada understand that development is not charity, it is an investment in our future prosperity because such investments and policies don't just help poor countries. They will create billions of customers for American and Canadian products and make the spread of deadly epidemics to our shores less likely and stabilize parts of the world that threaten the safety of our people. States and Canada believe that our own security, and not just prosperity, is enhanced when we defend the rights of all nations and peoples to live in security and peace, and even when there are times when unilateral action is necessary to defend our People, we believe that in a world where wars between great powers are much less likely but transnational threats such as terrorism have no borders, our security advances better when nations work together, we believe that disputes that arise between nations should be resolved, whenever possible. possible, peacefully with diplomacy that international organizations must be supported that multilateralism is not a bad word and we are certainly safer when we remain united against the terrorist networks and ideologies that have reached the doors of this room;

We honor all those taken from us by violent extremists, including Canadians John Ritzel and Robert Hall with Canada's additional contributions, including the training of Iraqi forces, our coalition is on the offensive throughout Iraq, throughout Syria, and we will destroy the terrorist group isil, we will destroy them, we will continue to assist local forces and share intelligence from Afghanistan to the philippines so that we can comprehensively fight terrorist networks and, in contrast to the hatred and nihilism of terrorists, we will work with partners of around the world, including particularly Muslim communities, to offer a better vision and path of development, opportunities and tolerance because they are and must be our partners in this effort, meanwhile, when nations violate international rules and norms such as Russia's aggression Against Ukraine, the United States and Canada remain united with our allies in defense of our collective security and doing so requires a variety of tools such as economic sanctions, but it also requires that we keep our forces ready for 21st century missions and invest in new capabilities and, As your ally and your friend, let me tell you that we will be safer when every NATO member, including Canada, contributes fully to our common security. because the canadian armed forces are really good and if I can borrow a phrase the world needs more canada nato needs more canada we need you we need you just as we unite in our common defense we must also work together diplomatically particularly to avoid war and The results Diplomacy is rarely quick, but it turns out that even the most difficult conflicts can be resolved here in our own hemisphere.

In just the last few weeks, after half a century of war, Colombia is poised for historic peace and the nations of South America North the nations. North America will be an important partner for Colombia in the future, including working to eliminate landmines around the world. Canadian and American diplomats working together can make a difference even in Syria, where the agony and suffering of the Syrian people tears at our hearts, both of our nations. We continue to be leaders in humanitarian aid to the Syrian people and although a true resolution to this conflict has so far eluded us, we know that the only solution to this civil war is a political solution so that the Syrian people can reclaim their country and live in peace. and Canadians and Americans are going to work as hard as we can to make that happen.

I must add that here in the Lester Pearson Nation we reaffirm our commitment to continue strengthening life-saving peacekeeping around the world. However, there is a threat that we cannot solve militarily nor can we solve it with a law and that is the threat of climate change. Now climate change is no longer an abstraction. It is not an issue that we can postpone for the future. It's happening now. It is happening here in our own countries. The United States and Canada are Arctic nations and last year, when I became the first US

president

to visit the Arctic, I was able to see the effects for myself.

The glaciers in my Canada, the entire basket of glaciers are melting at an alarming rate. The tundra is burning. The permafrost is melting. This is not a conspiracy. It's happening within a generation. Arctic sea ice may all but disappear in the summer, so skeptics and cynics may insist on denying what's right in front of our eyes, but the Alaska Natives I met, whose ancestral villages are sliding into the sea, don't. do. They have that luxury they know that climate change is real they know it is not a hoax and from Bangladesh to the Pacific islands rising sea levels are swallowing land and forcing people from their homes around the world stronger storms and More intense droughts will create humanitarian crises and risk more conflict, this is not just a moral issue, not just an economic issue, it is also an urgent issue of our national security and for too long we have heard that confronting climate change means destroying our own economies, but let me just say carbon emissions in the United States.

The states are back to where they were two decades ago, even as our economy has grown dramatically over the same period. Canada's oil country Alberta is working hard to reduce emissions while promoting growth, so if Canada can do it and the United States can. do it the whole world can unleash economic growth and protect our planet we can do this what are you doing? we can do this we are going to help lead the world to confront this threat and together in Paris we achieved the most ambitious agreement in history to fight climate change now, let's come into force this year with our agreement with Mexico that we announced today let's generate half of electricity on this continent from clean energy sources within a decade that is achievable let's partner in the arctic to help give its people the opportunity they deserve while preserving the only home they know and building on the idea that started in Montreal three decades ago, let's finally phase out dangerous HFC greenhouse gases, this is the only planet we have and this may be the last chance we have.

We have to save it and the United States and Canada are going to need to lead the way, we are going to have to lead the way just as we are united in our commitment to protect the planet, we are also united in our commitment to the dignity of every human being we believe in right of all people to participate in society we believe in the right of all people to be treated equally and have the same chances of success, that is in our DNA, the basic premise of our democracies, I believe we all can I agree agree that our democracies are far from perfect, they can be confusing and slow and can leave all sides of a debate dissatisfied.

Justin is just getting started, so in case you haven't figured it out, that's where these gray hairs come from, but more so. Like any other system of government, democracy allows our most precious rights to find their fullest expression, allowing us, through the hard and painstaking work of citizens, to continually improve our countries to solve new challenges and correct past mistakes and Prime Minister, what a powerful message of reconciliation. It was here and around the world that his government promised a new relationship with Canada's first nations. Democracy is not easy, it is difficult to live up to our ideals it can be difficult even in the best of times and it can be more difficult when the future seems uncertain or when in response to legitimate fears and frustrations there are those who offer an us against policy them the politics that scapegoats others the immigrant the refugee someone who seems different from us we have to call out this mentality what is a threat to the values ​​we profess the values ​​we seek to defend is because we respect all the people that the The world sees us as an example.

The colors of the rainbow flag have flown on Parliament Hill and have illuminated the White House. This is a testament to our progress but also to the work that remains to ensure true equality for our fellow citizens who are lesbian. , gay, bisexual or transgender, our Muslim friends and neighbors who run businesses and serve in our governments and in our armed forces and our friends with our children and play on our sports teams that we have. to confront the slander and hatred directed against those who look or worship differently that is our obligation that is who we are that is what makes America special that is what makes Canada special here here in Canada here In Canada, a woman has already risen to the highest office.

In the United States, for the first time, a woman is the presumptive candidate of a major party and perhaps president. I am biased on these issues, but our work will not be done until all women in our country truly receive equal pay and equal treatment. we have the same opportunities as men when our girls have the same opportunities as our boys, that's what we should be and let me say this because I don't feel particularly politically correct on this issue. I don't think these are American values. or Canadian values ​​or Western values ​​that I believe and Justin believes and I hope that you all believe that these are universal values ​​and we must be bold in defending them at home and around the world and not shy away from speaking out on behalf of these values ​​of pluralism. and tolerance and equality, I fear that we are sometimes timid in defending these values, which is why we will continue to defend those inalienable rights here in our own hemisphere in places like Cuba and Venezuela, but also in more distant lands for rights. of citizens in civil society to speak their minds and work for change for the rights of journalists to report the truth for the rights of people of all faiths to practice their religion freely those things are difficult but they are right, They are not always convenient but in the end they are true, it is this respect for the dignity of all people, especially the most vulnerable among us, that perhaps more than anything else unites our two countries.

Being Canadian, being American, it's not about how we look or where our families are. That's why it's about our commitment to a common creed and that's why together we must not hesitate to embrace our values ​​in the best way possible and that includes our history as a nation of immigrants and we mustcontinue to welcome people from around the world, the vitality of our economies is enhanced by the incorporation of hardworking new immigrants, but this is not just a question of economics when refugees escape barrel bombs and torture when migrants cross deserts and seas in search of a better life we ​​cannot simply look the other way, we certainly cannot label vulnerable people fleeing terrorism as potential terrorists we can we can insist that the process be orderly we can insist that our security be preserved Borders mean something but in times like this we are called to see ourselves in others because we were all once strangers if you were not a stranger your grandparents were strangers your great-grandparents were strangers not everyone had their papers ready they struggled with language they faced discrimination had cultural norms that didn't fit at some point somewhere your family was a stranger and so the mothers, the fathers, the children that we see today are us and we can't abandon them so as Americans and Canadians we will continue to welcome the refugees and we can ensure that we do so in a way that maintains our safety.

We can and we will do both We can and we will do both We are increasing our support to Central America so that fewer families and children attempt the dangerous journey north This fall at the United Nations we will host a global refugee summit because in the face of this crisis, more Nations need to step up and fulfill our basic obligations to our fellow human beings and it will be difficult and budgets are tight and there are legitimate issues and not everyone is going to get help, but we can try with people of good will. and compassion show us the way greek islanders take their families to the coast and germans hand out suites to immigrants and railway stations a synagogue in virginia inviting syrian refugees to dinner and here in canada the world has inspired as Canadians across the country have opened their hearts and homes and we have seen citizens weaving cloth to keep refugees warm in the winter and we have seen their prime minister welcome new arrivals to the airport and extend hand of the French and say that they are now safe at home and we see the refugees who feel they have a special duty to give back and seize the opportunity of a new life, like the girl who fled Afghanistan by donkey, camel and plane reaction and that she remembers being received in this country with friendly hands with the sound of Robin. singing and today he serves in this chamber and in the cabinet because Canada is his home, so a country is not something that is built like the pharaohs built the pyramids, a country is something that is built every day from certain basic values shared, how true that is.

How blessed we are to have had people before us, day by day, brick by brick, to build these extraordinary countries of ours. How fortunate, how privileged we are to have the opportunity to now build this world anew ourselves. What a blessing, and as we move forward together in that. On the path to freedom, let us be true to the values ​​that make us who we are, Canadians and Americans, allies and friends now and always. Thank you so much. Thank you so much.