Listen Up! Some political observations | Commentary

When it comes to Canadian politics, this week was an interesting one. Pierre Poilievre swept to a by-election victory in Alberta and lost no time in attacking Prime Minister Mark Carney. Carney, on the other hand, agreed to lift substantial tariffs against the United States, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford lashed out at Donald Trump.

Let’s take Poilievre first. Now that he is returning to Parliament, Pierre Poilievre resumes his role as Leader of Canada’s Official Opposition. His job and that of his Conservative Party is to hold the government of Prime Minister Mark Carney accountable. That is a cornerstone of democratic governance. We all get that.

As well, Poilievre stands in favour of a number of initiatives that would serve Canadians well. These include proposing reforms to our immigration policies that encourage people who can make positive contributions to Canada to come here. He proposes tougher measures against crime, including stricter bail and parole eligibility with longer jail sentences for serious crimes. Conservatives also recognize the importance of fiscal responsibility as essential to good governance. 

However, as Confucius would say if he were here, we live in interesting times, not seen in Canada for decades. It is not business as usual. While it is important for the Official Opposition to hold the Carney Government’s feet to the fire, it is equally important to foster a collaborative approach when dealing with challenges that affect our economy and our sovereignty. 

Although Pierre Poilievre has said he agrees with this approach, his comments in the past few days make it very difficult to believe him. Rumours abound that he will be a different, less belligerent, and more approachable leader when he re-enters Parliament, but so far, there are no signs of that.

Poilievre blurted out that Mark Carney was a worse Prime Minister than Justin Trudeau. He must not yet have learned that the first rule of politics is to know how to count, because that is not what Canadians think. Polling statistics have confirmed that Canadians of all political stripes wanted Justin Trudeau gone, and many Canadians preferred Mark Carney. So, what does Poilievre gain by pursuing that line of attack? 

As well, Poilievre has said that Mark Carney’s decision to remove tariffs on American goods that comply with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement, that were imposed by the Trudeau government, displayed Canada’s “weakness” on the world stage. That statement is not only premature, it’s also totally inaccurate and a potential obstacle in negotiations with the United States.   

Of course, there is considerable confusion among Canadians regarding Mark Carney’s decision to eliminate some tariffs against the United States. Some will see it as Carney bending his knee and saying ‘Yes, Sir’ to President Donald Trump, particularly as there has been no mention from the Prime Minister as to whether there has been a quid pro quo from the United States.

To me, however, the call between Mark Carney and Donald Trump, a call initiated by Carney, is a sign that Carney is playing a longer game in an attempt to kick-start trade negotiations with the Trump Administration and thaw, at least to some degree, the relationship between Canada and the United States. 

It appears that this strategy may have had some effect because after the call, Donald Trump said that he and Carney were “working on something.”  He went on to say, “We want to be very good to Canada. I like Carney a lot. I think he is a good man and we had a very good talk yesterday. He (Carney) is removing tariffs which I thought was nice and we’re going to have another call soon.”

Of course, this is a long shot as one never knows what Donald Trump will do or say from one day to the next. But I do believe there is now a crack of light in the doorway that was not there a week ago, and that Carney’s apparent hope that he can widen it further is something that he should pursue. 

I do have an issue, though, with Mark Carney’s statement that, “Canada currently has the best trade deal with the United States. While it is different than we had before, it is still better than any other country.”  To that, I say, so what?

Why should we be satisfied with Canada having one of the best bad trade deals that Trump has managed to negotiate with other countries? Mark Carney himself has said that no deal is better than a bad deal. 

Canada needs a binding agreement with the United States that protects both its sovereignty and its economy. We must settle for nothing less than an agreement that is better than those of other countries. 

The telephone conversation between Carney and Trump signals that a fair agreement between Canada and the United States may still be possible, and we need to pursue that. However, given who we are dealing with, it remains uncertain if this can be achieved. 

For this reason, while he strives for success, Mark Carney must also prepare for failure. Canadians will expect a vigorous, retaliatory, elbows-up Plan B if negotiations with the Trump Administration fall apart. 

And finally, about Doug Ford. Clearly, what you see is what you get. He has made his fair share of mistakes, but people still like his down-to-earth approach to politics. He is one of the most popular provincial premiers in Canada, and in Ontario, he holds a lead of 52 per cent over other political parties.  

Ford is first and foremost a Canadian, and he shoots from the hip to defend this country. His label as Captain Canada is well earned. When it comes to trade negotiations and our sovereignty, Ford has played bad cop to Carney’s good cop, with some effectiveness. He has also played a key role in molding provinces into a united Team Canada. 

Ford calls it as he sees it. His latest defence of Canada this week being, “As the rest of the world kisses his (Trump’s) ass, we won’t because we are resilient.” A little on the crude side, but a sentiment many Canadians share. Flaws and all, Doug Ford is in the right place at the right time. 

It may be that, as Mark Carney pursues the almost impossible task of getting a fair deal with the Trump Administration, Doug Ford should tone it down a little. But it should give us some comfort that he has Canada’s back and makes no bones about it. 

Although coming to grips with the challenges Canada faces with the United States is dragging on far too long, I do believe there will be significant movement in the next few weeks, one way or another. 

Mark Carney must continue to seek a fair deal from Trump until he cannot, and then he must be ready to establish effective relations and alternate plans for Canada. Pierre Poilievre needs to avoid undermining Carney in his attempts to reach a settlement, and Doug Ford needs to continue to be a champion for Canada. 

All of that would be an important step forward.

Hugh Mackenzie

Hugh Mackenzie has held elected office as a trustee on the Muskoka Board of Education, a Huntsville councillor, a District councillor, and mayor of Huntsville. He has also served as chairman of the District of Muskoka and as chief of staff to former premier of Ontario, Frank Miller.

Hugh has also served on a number of provincial, federal and local boards, including chair of the Ontario Health Disciplines Board, vice-chair of the Ontario Family Health Network, vice-chair of the Ontario Election Finance Commission, and board member of Roy Thomson Hall, the National Theatre School of Canada, and the Anglican Church of Canada. Locally, he has served as president of the Huntsville Rotary Club, chair of Huntsville District Memorial Hospital, chair of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, president of Huntsville Festival of the Arts, and board member of Community Living Huntsville.

In business, Hugh Mackenzie has a background in radio and newspaper publishing. He was also a founding partner and CEO of Enterprise Canada, a national public affairs and strategic communications firm established in 1986.

Currently, Hugh is president of C3 Digital Media Inc., the parent company of Doppler Online, and he enjoys writing commentary for Huntsville Doppler.

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