Prime Minister Mark Carney rightly walked away from a bad deal that he knew Canadians wouldn’t buy, write Kevin Lynch and Paul Deegan in Policy Magazine.
Sovereignty – not trade – was on the table when American demands included dictating Canadian cultural and digital policy, eroding French language rights, enshrining privileged access to Canadian critical minerals and oil, and demanding an effective veto over future trade agreements that Canada might wish to sign.
In withdrawing from the negotiations, Carney has made it crystal clear that Canada will not capitulate to predatory hegemons. Sovereignty is much more than dollars and cents. It is our culture and identity. It is who we are as a proud and free people.
But this isn’t just about us. It’s also about Americans understanding that these senseless attacks on Canada by the Trump Administration hurt their economy, reduce their security, and undermine their country’s place in the world.
Carney called it months ago: We cannot capitulate to hegemons. Speaking directly to Americans should be part of our offence to protect our sovereignty. We have always been and will continue to be maîtres chez nous.