President Donald Trump’s pick to represent the United States in Ottawa says Canada is an independent country—and a valuable member of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network. (The Logic)

Talking point: Republican Pete Hoekstra, a former U.S. House representative for Michigan and founding member of the Tea Party Caucus, faced questions Thursday about his nomination as the U.S. envoy to its northern neighbour. “Canada is a sovereign state,” he said when asked by Delaware Democrat Sen. Chris Coons whether he agreed with that fact. Hoekstra, who chaired the House Intelligence Committee when George W. Bush was in the White House, said he hopes the U.S. can strengthen its strong alliance with Canada on national security, including as part of the Five Eyes. “It would help if Canada met its NATO commitment,” he said. The military alliance set a target to have members spend two per cent of their GDP per year on defence by 2024.