John Baird, Senior Business Advisor, Bennett Jones LLP, and former Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, recently joined REALPAC’s Director, Government Relations & Policy, Brooks Barnett, on REALtalk to share his thoughts around the recent U.S. Presidential Elections, the Trump phenomenon, Canada’s response to COVID-19, and global opportunities for Canada and Canadians.

John and Brooks discussed:

• Trump’s performance in the last four years


• The quality of the two candidates in the U.S. Presidential Elections


• The phenomena and populism of Trump


• The future of the U.S. Republican Party


• What to expect under a Biden/Harris presidency


• The impact of the elections on Canada/U.S. relations


• The Canadian government’s response to COVID-19


• The Canada/China relationship


• Opportunities for Canada, Canadians and the Canadian economy around the world

John Baird is a Senior Advisor at Bennett Jones LLP and a former Senior Cabinet Minister in the Government of Canada. An instrumental figure in bilateral trade and investment relationships, Mr. Baird has played a leading role in the Canada-China dialogue and worked to build ties with ASEAN countries. In addition, Mr. Baird has worked closely with international leaders to strengthen security and economic ties with the United States and Middle Eastern countries.

A native of Ottawa, Baird spent three terms as a Member of Parliament and four years as Foreign Minister. He also served as President of the Treasury Board, Minister of the Environment, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons. Prior to entering federal politics, Mr. Baird spent ten years in the Ontario Legislature where he served as Minister of Community and Social Services, Minister of Energy, and Government House Leader.

In addition to his work with Bennett Jones, Mr. Baird sits on the advisory board of Barrick Gold Corp., the corporate boards of Canadian Pacific, Canadian Forest Products (Canfor), the FWD Group and PineBridge Investments. He also serves as a Global Strategic Advisor to Hatch Ltd, a Canadian global multidisciplinary management, engineering and development consultancy, and is a Senior Advisor at Eurasia Group, a global political risk consultancy.