Prime Minister Stephen Harper quietly took a meeting last month with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, a likely candidate for the Republican presidential nomination and a bête noire to American progressives for his anti-union policies and vocal opposition to same-sex marriage.
Walker visited Ottawa in mid-June on a six-day trade mission through Canada that also took him to Montreal and Quebec City, where he met with Premier Philippe Couillard.
The Prime Minister’s Office made no mention of Walker’s visit in Ottawa, issuing neither a press release nor media advisory. The only notice of the meeting came in a press release from Walker’s office that was picked up by a few political blogs in the U.S.
“Prime Minister Harper regularly meets with Governors and Congressional leaders to advance Canada’s economic and security interests and promote Canada as a low-tax, balanced budget, and free trade jurisdiction for jobs and growth,” PMO spokesman Stephen Lecce said in an emailed statement.
Lecce would not say who attended the meeting or what specifically was discussed.
Government House Leader Peter Van Loan also met with with Walker in Ottawa.
Walker drew fire later in June when he called the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision legalizing same-sex marriage “a grave mistake” and said he would like to see a constitutional amendment to give the states jurisdiction over who can legally marry. Democrats said Walker’s remarks encouraged bigotry.
Walker rose to national prominence in his first term as governor with a 2011 battle against Wisconsin’s public sector unions over collective bargaining rights, a fight that triggered a recall election, which he won.
Walker, now in his second term as governor, is expected to announce next week that he is joining a field of 14 other candidates seeking the Republican nomination for the 2016 presidential election.
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Senator Marco Rubio, also of Florida, are considered the two front-runners in the race.
