6 Things About NB’s Man in Washington
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The government of New Brunswick has hired former American ambassador to Canada David Wilkins as its new special envoy on the softwood trade issue.
As an advisor and lobbyist, Wilkins will help New Brunswick deal with the Trump Administration’s push to impose tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber, something that could significantly hurt the province’s mills.
So who is New Brunswick’s man in Washington?
- He was a Republican politician – Wilkins was first elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1980. He served as speaker for 11 years. He was thought to be a strong candidate for governor in 2010 but he decided against entering the race.
- He is a tennis player – Wilkins attended Clemson University on a tennis scholarship before going on to earn his law degree from the University of South Carolina.
- He was appointed ambassador by George W. Bush – Wilkins chaired the Bush-Cheney campaign in South Caroline in 2000 and 2004 and President Bush nominated him to be Ambassador to Canada in 2005. He left the position in January 2009.
- He knows the softwood lumber issue – During his tenure as ambassador, Wilkins helped resolve an earlier softwood lumber dispute.
- His focus is international law – Wilkins is a partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, with offices in South Carolina and Washington, and chairs the Public Policy and International Law practice group with a special focus on U.S.-Canada interests.
- He’s done this before – Wilkins and his law firm have been working with the government of Saskatchewan for several years, leading a lobbying effort with the American government including key figures in the Trump administration.