George H.W. Bush: “I believe that we ought to look at the whole picture. And I believe that that enormous trading relationship has been…”

“I believe that we ought to look at the whole picture. And I believe that that enormous trading relationship has been marred by a very few number of disputes. And I can understand it when people feel very strongly on a deal, whether it's lumber or whether it's autos or whatever else it is that's contentious. I'm inclined to look at the whole picture and see it relatively free of dispute. But when there is a dispute, I can understand the passions being very high. We've got to try to avoid the disputes before they take place, and when they do take place, each side has every right to take it to adjudication. So I'm not going to try to characterize it, but when the Prime Minister feels strongly about something like that and tells me of his strong feeling, clearly I want to do what I can, working with our bureaucracy, see that any feeling of harassment is eliminated. We'll work to eliminate these, get rid of the disputes before they happen. But then, if they have to happen because we have diverse interests, we'll try to peacefully and harmoniously settle them. So that's the way--I can understand the passions on issues on both sides of the border. But I believe that we can, with this spirit that the Prime Minister has outlined here, minimize the chance for future disputes arising, and that's what I think is coming out of this meeting. So when he presents me with strong feeling, the view of Canada on some very contentious issue, I don't take offense; I say, ``Hey, let's try to work it out.'' And similarly, I expect that when we go forward with something we feel very strongly about, and there are recent cases there, the Prime Minister says, ``Well, let's see whether we can't resolve that.'' Sometimes they have difficulties in Canada. They have provincial governments; they have central government, and we try to be understanding of that. So I don't want to be standing here next to a good friend of the United States of America and a good free trader in some contentious mode. The meeting, albeit Brian Mulroney presents his case very forcefully--but I would simply say the meeting, as far as I'm concerned, some of it is let's find ways to avoid the disputes before they get to the point where one side or another feels harassment. The Prime Minister. David [David Halton, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation], final question.”