Thoughts on BC Politics and More

One of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first orders of business after securing a win during the spring federal election was to introduce a border security bill.  It was heralded by Liberals as a signature piece of legislation to help harden the 49th parallel and advance a trade deal with the White House. Fast-forward five months: Trade talks have soured and the bill has gone through the wringer when it comes to public criticism, been split in two and faced further calls for amendments ... CLICK HERE for the full story 

The divergence in opinion between the country’s political and business elite and grassroots citizens on how to protect Canadian identity and sovereignty appears wider now than at any point since the debates on constitutional reform in the early 1990s. Whereas the elites are seemingly content to once again “roll the dice” — in former prime minister Brian Mulroney’s infamous words — on the country’s future, it is everyday Canadians who are standing on guard for thee. This is why it is imperative that any new agreement with the United States — especially one about a “comprehensive economic and security partnership” — be put to a national referendum for approval. There is precedent ... CLICK HERE for the full story

U.S. President Donald Trump's successive announcements of deals setting baseline tariffs on the European Union and Japan are prompting questions about whether they're a road map for Canada to follow in trade talks. Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the bones of an agreement on Sunday. It sets across-the-board tariffs of 15 per cent on most European Union exports to the United States, along with a commitment by Europe to invest $600 billion US in the American economy and spend $750 billion on U.S. energy products — although there's plenty of fine print still to come. That makes it broadly comparable to the deal Trump announced last week with Japan: a 15 per cent across-the-board tariff and a Japanese commitment to invest $550 billion in the US ... ... because Canada is facing the threat of 35 per cent tariffs on some goods on the same date, does that mean Canada should be aiming for a similar agreement? ... CLICK HERE for the full story