Ottawa knew the U.S. midterms were coming. Now Democrats control Congress, Trump’s tariffs are under attack, and Mark Carney still hasn’t signed away Canada’s bargaining power.
Interesting discussion Fred. I'm of the opinion that making any side deals with Trump is not in Canada's best interest. I think the better approach would be to get CUSMA nailed down. It will take longer, but will be better in the long run.
Good article Fred. Like my gramma always said “everything comes out in the wash”. Does this apply here? I don’t know, but like you I do appreciate Carney’s pace.
Great article, Fred. The elephant in the Canadian room, IMHO, is simply this: What would PP have done in this situation? I suspect that he would have let his Maple MAGA tendencies take over. He can continue to be the attack dog that's been part of his persona for years, but when push comes to shove, my feeling is that he would have accepted a bad deal from Trump at the outset.
His latest attacks on Melanie Joly are the latest example of PP's mindset. He can talk tough, but many of us believe he would have capitulated already by accepting a bad deal.
We are so fortunate that we have a PM who has a laser focus on the long game. Yes, our economy is taking a beating, but one cannot fault Carney or Joly for this unfortunate situation. Also, Fred, you're certainly correct that the Democrats' sweeping victories won't suddenly end the tariffs. We've got two more years of chaos and bluster from Trump, and we need to be patient.
Only fools rush in. We are on the right path, with the correct strategy for now. The affected sectors of auto, steel, aluminum and forestry must be supported vigorously by the government.
Carney’s strategy since “Liberation Day” has considered the No Deal alternative. I’m certain that Trump’s fake August 2026 deadline activated the execution of that possible option with LeBlanc and Charette fully understanding and engaged ready to invoke a walkout given the Trump team’s continued unreasonable demands.
Another important thing we should remember is those tariffs go right into the government pot and so I wonder who has control of Trump's pot. The money for all his golden life has to be coming from somewhere, and it's not from his personal pot???
A small side commentary to the "targeted counter-tariffs" that Canada did. Trump et al. screamed that this was "political interference", with their then-upcoming midterm elections happening. Loosely, it is -- though in the context of appropriate trade actions (which means it doesn't count as political interference in its own right).
But the important takeaway here is that the USA does this sort of thing themselves all the time: the original tariffs on Canadian products were just as targeted -- Quebec, Ontario, and BC in particular (with Alberta and Saskatchewan largely left with little direct attack -- well, until the counter-to-our-counter tariffs at least).
So, were they just looking for an excuse to blame us (to counter their own people's view of the tariffs being bad for USA)? Or were they simply upset because of Carney's patience and calm(er) demeanour in dealing with this? In modern history, I think this is the first time that a significant partner has stood up to them in meaningful ways beyond simple rhetoric.
Interesting discussion Fred. I'm of the opinion that making any side deals with Trump is not in Canada's best interest. I think the better approach would be to get CUSMA nailed down. It will take longer, but will be better in the long run.
Good article Fred. Like my gramma always said “everything comes out in the wash”. Does this apply here? I don’t know, but like you I do appreciate Carney’s pace.
A complex dance, I trust Carney at this point
🇨🇦on Canada’s behalf someone is playing 5D chess🇨🇦
Can we PLEASE start with the premise
UNTIL THEY RESPECT CUSMA, which expires in 2036, no point in sitting down!
Great article, Fred. The elephant in the Canadian room, IMHO, is simply this: What would PP have done in this situation? I suspect that he would have let his Maple MAGA tendencies take over. He can continue to be the attack dog that's been part of his persona for years, but when push comes to shove, my feeling is that he would have accepted a bad deal from Trump at the outset.
His latest attacks on Melanie Joly are the latest example of PP's mindset. He can talk tough, but many of us believe he would have capitulated already by accepting a bad deal.
We are so fortunate that we have a PM who has a laser focus on the long game. Yes, our economy is taking a beating, but one cannot fault Carney or Joly for this unfortunate situation. Also, Fred, you're certainly correct that the Democrats' sweeping victories won't suddenly end the tariffs. We've got two more years of chaos and bluster from Trump, and we need to be patient.
Only fools rush in. We are on the right path, with the correct strategy for now. The affected sectors of auto, steel, aluminum and forestry must be supported vigorously by the government.
Carney’s strategy since “Liberation Day” has considered the No Deal alternative. I’m certain that Trump’s fake August 2026 deadline activated the execution of that possible option with LeBlanc and Charette fully understanding and engaged ready to invoke a walkout given the Trump team’s continued unreasonable demands.
Trouble really is that the Republicans haven’t learned one thing from the mid-terms.
Carney Economic direction will take us Decades to realize….a National policy well over due and missed by previous governments!
We along with similarly thinking nations my finally get americans to understand the reality of trade and consideration of world order?
Another important thing we should remember is those tariffs go right into the government pot and so I wonder who has control of Trump's pot. The money for all his golden life has to be coming from somewhere, and it's not from his personal pot???
Really well laid out, Fred.
I sure hope the political strategists read your work!
A small side commentary to the "targeted counter-tariffs" that Canada did. Trump et al. screamed that this was "political interference", with their then-upcoming midterm elections happening. Loosely, it is -- though in the context of appropriate trade actions (which means it doesn't count as political interference in its own right).
But the important takeaway here is that the USA does this sort of thing themselves all the time: the original tariffs on Canadian products were just as targeted -- Quebec, Ontario, and BC in particular (with Alberta and Saskatchewan largely left with little direct attack -- well, until the counter-to-our-counter tariffs at least).
So, were they just looking for an excuse to blame us (to counter their own people's view of the tariffs being bad for USA)? Or were they simply upset because of Carney's patience and calm(er) demeanour in dealing with this? In modern history, I think this is the first time that a significant partner has stood up to them in meaningful ways beyond simple rhetoric.