Last week’s spectacle in Washington, where all of Canada’s premiers were seen waiting outside the White House in hopes of securing an audience with a Trump official—the deputy chief of staff—was nothing short of embarrassing. Approaching the U.S. on bended knee is not a strategy for success. Our premiers should not position themselves as head waiters to President Donald Trump and his administration. The fact that they had to hire a Washington lobbyist at $85,000 per month to help secure meetings only highlights the profound lack of influence of our Canadian Embassy, ambassador, and the Trudeau Liberal government with our ‘greatest friend and trading partner.’ Having premiers standing around in such a manner only further diminishes our stature as a great country. However, it’s hard to blame the premiers—they are merely trying to protect their economies from being damaged by the Trump calamity.
It’s crucial for Canadians to acknowledge the role our own government has played in creating the vulnerabilities we face today. Since 2015, the ideologically-driven climate policies of the Trudeau government have shut down major projects and left Canada overly dependent on a single customer—the United States. Moreover, our internal trade barriers and a decade-long reliance on U.S. defense protection have only exacerbated our economic fragility.
Adding to the complexity is our immigration policy, which has seen an influx of millions of immigrants, students, and refugees since 2022. The government’s failure to manage this effectively, losing track of hundreds of thousands of individuals, is a significant oversight that cannot be ignored. And let’s not forget the governing Liberals and a vain prime minister who chose to prorogue Parliament to serve their own political interests as Canada is threatened with a generational crisis.
We must shift the narrative: Canada needs to assert its economic sovereignty rather than plead with the U.S. for relief from Trump’s tariffs and challenges. Instead, we need proactive strategies that both counter these threats and secure our national interests and independence. Canada must meet this challenge with a strategy rooted in strength and self-reliance. By adjusting our economic policies, securing our borders, and acknowledging our own missteps, we will send a powerful message to our southern neighbours and the world.
First and foremost, we should no longer provide our oil to American refineries at below global market prices. For too long, our oil industry has been at the mercy of our southern neighbours. By charging Americans global market prices, we can bolster our own economy while asserting our position as a key player in the energy sector. The same goes for our hydroelectric power. Provinces like Quebec provide electricity to New York and other states at rates that do not reflect the true value of this renewable energy. Doubling or even tripling these charges would send a clear message: Canada’s resources are not to be taken for granted. You want tariffs, we’ll give you tariffs!
It is in the national interest of Canada to secure our Arctic borders. The Arctic region is not only rich in untapped resources but also strategically significant. By asserting our sovereignty and ensuring that no country, including the U.S., can access these territories without our permission, we solidify our control over this vital region.
We must also reduce our dependency on the U.S. by forming stronger trade agreements with other global powers. Countries in the European Union and Asia present viable alternatives that can help stabilize our economy and broaden our market reach. Strengthening our transportation and technology infrastructure will make Canadian businesses more competitive globally. This includes completing major resource and pipeline projects that have been halted due to the Trudeau government’s obsession with climate extremism, process and bureaucratic red tape. Internal trade barriers between provinces continue to hinder Canada’s domestic economic growth. By eliminating these, we can create a more unified and robust domestic market that stands strong against external threats. Our border security must be tightened to prevent illegal crossings and to ensure that our immigration system is not overwhelmed. This includes addressing the Roxham Road situation and others to ensure we keep track of all immigrants and visa holders in the country.
Trump’s rhetoric serves as a stark reminder for Canada of the perils faced by a nation that neglects the defense of its people and borders. We must commit to an annual, unequivocal three percent defense expenditure to fulfill our obligations as a sovereign nation. For our own credibility and to solidify our standing on the global stage, we must meet all NORAD and NATO spending requirements as a first step to demonstrate to our allies that we are serious about our defense commitments.
In the past nine years, Canada has lost its influence globally as we hollowed out our economy domestically due to an ideologically inept tax-and-spend government obsessed with identity politics. Internationally, we failed to meet our bare minimum obligations to NATO, supported the war in Ukraine like a cheerleader while not providing the munitions to back up the rhetoric, poisoned the chalice in our relationship with both India and China and witnessed a PM with the temerity to lecture other world leaders who did not agree with his progressive agenda. All of this has left Canada in massive debt, more divided than ever, hobbled in the eyes of its adversaries and open to the clutches of a clever charlatan with an instinct to pounce on weak and meek opponents.
However, the good news is that President Trump has done Canada a great favour in calling us out on our hypocrisy, whether it be on defence, commercial, economic, social or political issues. He has made us look in the mirror and address what we have become under the strain of the hyper-partisan, vacuous and ideological rule of much of the past decade.
Canada can regain the respect and security we once had in the world by responding with strength, unity, and determination. Only then will we recover from the disastrous calamity brought upon us over the past eight years by the Trudeau government’s unbearable lightness of being.
