Canada needs a leader who is willing to shelve crass election strategies and recognize the moment we’re in. Pictured: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Photo Credit: Justin Trudeau/X.
The war of words between political leaders over the future of Canada-U.S. relations continues to escalate.
In a speech worthy of any Liberal campaign stop, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered what he must have thought was a vote-moving, progressive speech for the ages.
At an Equal Voice gala event in Ottawa designed to inspire female leadership and participation in the political process, Trudeau took the time to opine about how, instead of making progress, women’s rights are backsliding.
The example used to demonstrate this point? In his words, “–and yet, just a few weeks ago, the United States voted for a second time to not elect its first woman president.”
Talk about a vapid, contrived statement.
The prepared quip was tone deaf at best and damning at worst. That these remarks came at a time of heightened tension with a hostile administration just a month away from taking office seems to have blown past whoever is responsible in the Prime Minister’s Office for keeping common sense in check.
Canadian media were quick to pick up on the speech, followed shortly by a series of headlines from American outlets, including Fox News and TMZ.
Elon Musk, President-elect Donald Trump’s newest right-hand man, was also quick to put his views out on X, referring to Trudeau “[as] such an insufferable tool.”
Just as predicted, Trudeau has his sights set so squarely on shoring up what remains of his voter base that he is putting his own electoral interests above those of the country. Juxtapose this behaviour with that of Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has notably been leading the charge on shoring up defences against U.S. protectionist measures, and the tonality couldn’t be more different between the two leaders.
Notably, Ontario could very well be in the throes of an election during the first quarter of the new year. Unlike Trudeau, Ford views his path to re-election through the lens of protecting jobs and sheltering the provincial economy in the face of threats from the U.S. He has taken it upon himself to present himself as a serious negotiator who may be able to move the needle on the Canada-U.S. file.
Ford’s positioning is not without risk. He has threatened to cut off the energy supply to border states like Michigan, New York, and through to Wisconsin. Statements like this don’t fly under the radar, and Ford’s posturing will no doubt find the ire of the incoming Trump administration.
But something needs to be done. Retaliatory measures need to be inventoried and put on the public record in advance of an executive order being put on the table by Trump. Provinces like Ontario do have leverage at their disposal.
This isn’t 2017, and the odds of Canada getting through this next stretch of trade negotiations unscathed are lessening by the day. More than ever, Canada needs a prime minister who is willing to shelve crass election strategies and recognize the moment we find ourselves in. Until then, Canadians should count themselves lucky that premiers are stepping up and attempting to fill the very glaring gap in leadership we saw on display this week.
Josie Sabatino is a Senior Consultant at Summa Strategies, focused on providing strategic insight and helping clients meet their objectives in an ever changing and complex political and regulatory environment. Prior to joining Summa, Josie spent nearly a decade in political communications and most recently served as the Director of Communications to the Hon. Erin O’Toole, former Leader of the Official Opposition.
