The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that Bank of Nova Scotia chief executive officer Scott Thomson expects uncertainty prompted by political leadership changes in the United States and Mexico -- key markets at the heart of his plan to revamp the bank -- will pass quickly, giving way to strong economic growth potential in North America. The Globe's Stefanie Marotta writes that a year into Mr. Thomson's strategic plan to rejig Scotiabank's businesses, the lender's future in part hinges on its ability to reallocate money to its North American businesses, where it believes it has bigger opportunities for growth resulting from increased trade between the countries. While discussing the bank's fourth-quarter earnings results Tuesday, the CEO said the economic and government changes in the lender's most important markets should not affect the bank's plan in the years ahead. Last month, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump said he would impose 25-per-cent tariffs on all products from Canada and Mexico, which would stunt trade across North America. "We believe policy will ultimately support a co-operative environment that encourages capital investment and continued regional growth," Mr. Thomson said during the call.