The world has changed. We have learned that under Donald Trump neither Canada nor Europe can any longer depend on our closest ally. We can watch as the American president flexes his economic and military power against nations in the western hemisphere that Mark Carney’s drive to create new trading partners across the world will be Canada’s saving grace. Our biggest trading power has become more dangerous.
In hindsight, after becoming Prime Minister, Carney’s first foreign trip was to Europe to expand our diversification of suppliers. It was important that he drew together Canada’s premiers to remove trading barriers between provinces that expanded the reach of Canadian manufacturers.
And when Donald Trump created new tariffs on Canadian goods and threatened to do away with the CUSMA free trade deal, Carney remained calm and kept the deal in place. It will be renegotiated this year, and the negotiations will be critical. But Carney has recognized that having all your eggs in one basket is not good for Canada.
As Australia and Britain are learning that relying on U.S. technology for their new nuclear power submarines has its drawbacks. The U.S. continues to control the technology. Canada is learning that by buying the F-35 jet from the U.S., all upgrades to technology and repairs will be maintained in the US.
Canada is now looking to Sweden for replacement of its F-18 fighter jets and has Germany and South Korea competing to supply our navy with new submarines. We are learning that we do not have to have only one military supplier of arms and equipment and that we need to expand our own arms development in Canada.
With the first shipments of LNG from Kitimat, Canada has opened new markets to Asia. We are already shipping crude oil to China and India and that can be expanded by doubling the capacity of the pipeline to Burnaby and building additional pipelines to salt water. We are learning that we cannot be dependent on a single nation to buy our raw products. The taking of oil in Venezuela by the impetuous U.S. president reminds us that we must look for alternative markets.
It is not surprising that on his visit to China, the prime minister was able through trade again to open markets for canola and dried legumes that had been closed. It is a boon to Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba where canola is a major crop. The removal of tariffs on seafood products shipped to Chain will benefit both east and west coast fishermen. And the carrot of persuading Korean and Chinese nations to manufacture vehicles in Ontario will help the auto industry.
And persuading the nation of Qatar to invest in energy projects in Canada will strengthen our nation.
Trumps focus on gaining Greenland has shown us that the world order has changed. Canada must respond to those changes. We are quickly learning that we may become isolated, and it is important that we develop new alliances with new trading partners to maintain our sovereignty.
