The Carney Honeymoon is Over

Donald Trump resumed his attacks on Canadian sovereignty this past week, withdrawing from trade talks because someone apparently told him that Canada’s digital services tax were due to kick in. Trump bragged - once again - that Canada should be the 51st state, that the US needed nothing from us, as it held “all the cards,” and promised yet more tariffs against us.

One might have expected a Prime Minister who campaigned on the “Elbows Up” theme - and whose victory is largely attributed to the idea that he was best placed to stand up against Trump - would evince the resolve he promised during that campaign, ready with retaliatory measures and forging ahead with a bold vision to pivot us away from a fascist regime.

Instead we get cowardice and capitulation. News broke this evening that the federal government is rescinding the digital service tax in order to resume talks with the US.

Mark Carney has bowed to the pressure of an untrustworthy authoritarian moron who has repeatedly threatened Canada’s economy, who tore up the very trade deal he signed with us in his first term in office, all to negotiate another deal that no sober person would believe reliable or even worth attempting.

I’d have expected nothing less from Pierre Poilievre or Doug Ford. The bloom is off the rose.

Mark Carney promised to reinvigorate the economy, the military, and to diversify our trade relationships at record speed. The only thing he’s done so far in record speed is damage his own credibility.

We were living in a rare moment of patriotic fervor. Canadians were spoiling for a fight, ready to defend this country and its economy from a dangerous fascistic monster. Why we don’t seem to have leaders prepared to live up to the moment may be a question that haunts us in the months and years to come.