A former Canadian foreign affairs minister doesn’t like the country’s odds of reaching a new free trade deal with the United States by Friday.

“It seems like a bridge too far,” Peter MacKay, partner at Baker McKenzie, said in an interview with BNN Bloomberg Wednesday. “Minister Chrystia Freeland [is] looking very tentative, being very vague in terms of where Canada will come down on what seems to be a ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ type of offer.”

MacKay served as foreign affairs minister from 2006 to 2007 and defence minister from 2007 to 2013 under Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

“So, we’re in a corner,” MacKay added. “We’re in a tight spot and – to mix metaphors – when it comes to Mexico and [the] U.S., we’re already under the bus.”

MacKay said that while the U.S. and Mexico reaching common ground on automotive rules helps simplify the trade agreement, many critical issues remain unsolved from Canada’s perspective.

“Where Canada finds itself now is [negotiating on] things such as Chapter 19, which is a no-fly-zone from the very beginning, or so it would seem. Or it means concessions on supply management, which is also a hotly-contested political issue here in Canada,” MacKay said.

Canada’s supply management system – which sets controls for the nation’s dairy and poultry farmers – has already become a political lightning rod in the country’s second-largest province.

Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard warned that there would be “serious political consequences” if Canada dismantled the supply management system in order to clinch a NAFTA deal. When asked on Wednesday what he would do to protect supply management, Couillard quoted former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, saying: “Just watch me.”

MacKay said it’s not just Canada’s political issues that are applying pressure to this week’s negotiations.

“These are the political intangibles, and don’t think for a minute that there isn’t a lot of intangible political issues, live issues, in play in both Mexico and the United States,” MacKay said.

“There are primaries coming up, for which [U.S. President Donald Trump] is deeply vested, and needs to have support. It also is important to note that we have 90 days – should we reach an agreement by Friday – to get this through Congress … which would also play into the approval process of NAFTA.”

MacKay said he doesn’t see Canada and the U.S. finding the necessary common ground by week’s end.

“The clock is ticking,” he said. “I personally would be very surprised if we’re going to see any kind of a resolution of this by Friday.”