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John Ivison: 'Dangerous politics': Trump suspends joint defence board with Canada

'This is politically motivated and fits perfectly into the ongoing tactics of the current administration to undermine Canada in as many ways as possible'

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The moment when Canada moved from Britain’s orbit into America’s can be dated precisely to Aug. 17, 1940.

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That was the day when Canadian prime minister William Mackenzie King and U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Ogdensburg Agreement that defined the principle of the joint defence of North America.

John Ivison: 'Dangerous politics': Trump suspends joint defence board with Canada Back to video

The agreement, drafted in pencil and without consultation with either cabinet, established the Permanent Joint Board of Defence that has been in place ever since.

Or at least it was in place until Monday, when the U.S. Under-secretary of War, Elbridge Colby, announced the Trump administration has decided to “pause” its involvement and “reassess” its value because “Canada has failed to make credible progress on its defence commitments.”

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The board was conceived by Mackenzie King and Roosevelt as a real joint defence commitment.........

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