The West Block – Episode 20, Season 12 – National

THE WEST BLOCK

Episode 20, Season 12

Sunday, February 5, 2023

Host: Mercedes Stephenson

Guests:

David Cohen, U.S. Ambassador to Canada

David Lametti, Justice Minister and Attorney General

Location:

Ottawa, ON

Mercedes Stephenson: A Chinese spy balloon sailing through Canadian airspace and over the U.S.

Plus, under pressure: The Liberals change tactics on some really big issues.

I’m Mercedes Stephenson. Welcome to The West Block.

The U.S. ambassador weighs in on the diplomatic incident between the U.S. and China, after a Chinese surveillance balloon was spotted floating over the U.S. last week.

David Cohen, U.S. Ambassador to Canada: “They are a legitimate threat to the United States and Canada.”

Mercedes Stephenson: And the federal justice minister on bail for violent repeat offenders, concerns about medical assistance and dying (MAiD) for the mentally ill, and a political climb down on gun legislation.

Late last week, a Chinese surveillance balloon was spotted hovering over the United States. It also spent time in Canadian airspace. This incident has increased tensions between the U.S. and China, and of course, it has all of us thinking about North American defence and security, especially ahead of the president’s visit next month.

I am joined to talk about this by the United States ambassador to Canada, David Cohen. It’s always such a pleasure to see you, ambassador.

David Cohen, U.S. Ambassador to Canada: Well it’s great to be with you and make great this is my first visit in the studio. Not my first visit with you and it’s great to be here.

Mercedes Stephenson: Well, it’s a first visit on a pretty exciting weekend with everything that’s happening with this balloon.  I know that you were briefed on intelligence and security. You’re a close friend of the president. Canadians are looking at this and they’re concerned and so are Americans. What can you tell us about the incident in terms of the significance that the Chinese are actually flying a balloon over North America with intelligence gathering capabilities?

David Cohen, U.S. Ambassador to Canada: So I think it’s a reminder of the need for us to be vigilant, the need for us to fund an adequate defence, the need for us to have an adequate technological defence. I think it’s a reminder of the importance of NORAD to continental defence for both Canada and the United States. On the other hand, let’s not jump out of…