OTTAWA -- Members of Parliament from all sides have unanimously agreed to invite Democratic president-elect Joe Biden and vice-president-elect Kamala Harris to visit Canada as soon as the COVID-19 pandemic has gotten under control in both countries.
The unanimous approval came Monday, to an NDP motion, advanced by New Democrat House Leader Peter Julian.
MPs have agreed that, “in recognition of the extraordinary relationship between Canada and the United States,” the pair is welcome to visit “at the earliest safe opportunity to do so.”
The motion includes an invitation for Biden to address Parliament. The last U.S. president to address Canadian parliamentarians was Barack Obama, in June 2016.
On Friday, Julian told CTVNews.ca his caucus decided to advance the motion in an effort to reset relations after four years of now-outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump.
“Coming through what was a chaotic four years… it's important to turn the page, extend that that hand and greeting to president-elect Biden and vice-president-elect Kamala Harris and to say to them: ‘We would love to hear from you, we want to build a stronger relationship between our two countries,’” Julian said.
Under current federal travel restrictions, the pair would have to be granted a special exemption to cross into Canada, and given the ongoing 14-day quarantine requirement for most Canadians returning from abroad, it’s unlikely Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be looking to head stateside any time soon.
Both Canada and the United States are seeing a consistent and troubling rise in new COVID-19 cases, but Julian said he is hopeful that by next spring with the potential deployment of a vaccine or vaccines, that the pandemic could be under control enough to allow for a state visit and parliamentary address.
