Canadians will find themselves missing U.S. President George W. Bush if the next administration tinkers with the free trade deal, the American ambassador to Canada says.

Speaking at a Fraser Institute engagement in Montreal, David Wilkins said that the next president should check the facts and figures on the benefits of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

He said that person "will realize that it is so beneficial that they will not risk rescinding NAFTA or losing NAFTA and they'll continue to support NAFTA."

He said NAFTA has put food on the table for North American families, created a massive number of jobs and roughly tripled three-way trade.

"So, I understand Canadians being a little concerned when they hear talk about withdrawing from NAFTA."

Free trade became an issue during the Democratic primaries when Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama threatened to pull the United States out of the free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico unless it's renegotiated.

During a presidential debate earlier this month, Republican presidential candidate John McCain charged that Obama would "unilaterally renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement."

Obama countered that he supports free trade, but criticized Bush for an attitude that "any trade agreement is a good trade agreement."

"And NAFTA doesn't have, did not have, enforceable labour agreements and environmental agreements," Obama said. "And what I said was we should include those and make those enforceable."

Bush has been a staunch supporter of NAFTA, said Wilkins, who was appointed by Bush.

"Canadians just might discover that they will miss President George W. Bush," he said.