The federal Conservatives' Canada-U.S. relations critic was quick to criticize federal Liberal policy on the trade front during a visit to Prince George on Tuesday.
"Mexico's done a deal with president Trump now, the EU is in the process of doing a deal with president Trump, Australia did a deal on steel with president Trump," Randy Hoback said as he spoke to local media. "So it's not that you can't do a deal with president Trump, you just have to handle it properly.
"We knew we had some challenges when he decided to rip up and re-do NAFTA, we knew that they had some issues with NAFTA. In fact, a lot of the issues they had with NAFTA we also had - the dumping of Chinese steel, for example, environmental concerns in Mexico, for example.
"Those are things that we could've agree on at day one and worked together with the Americans to solve."
Instead, Holback said the prime minister chose to take a different route and push for measures that historically have not belonged in trade agreements, referring to Justin Trudeau's calls for gender equality, indigenous rights and labour protections.
As a consequence, the MP for Prince Albert, Saskatchewan said Canada has been left on the sidelines while Mexico and the U.S. work out a deal, "and now they're giving the piece of paper over to the prime minister and saying 'ok, now you've got a choice, you can sign it or not."
"That is no way to be involved in a negotiation, that just shows the incompetence of this government."
The Canadian Press reported Tuesday that Canada and the U.S. agreed that one of NAFTA's most significant hurdles -- defining the content rules of North American autos -- may have been resolved by Monday's side deal between the Trump administration and Mexico.
However, serious differences remain on other issues, including agriculture, how to settle disputes, and a U.S. proposal for a sunset clause.
Accompanied by Cariboo-Prince George MP Todd Doherty, Hoback was in Prince George meeting with members of the city's business community as part of the Conservatives' Defend Local Jobs campaign.
