The reconvening of Parliament this past week (Sept. 15) reminds Canadians that democracy has consequences. When the country handed the keys back to the Liberal Party, it did not take place in a vacuum. Undoubtedly, the replacement of the government’s head matters. However, much of the infrastructure and the personnel left to oversee day-to-day operations remained unchanged, even if their titles had altered. With polls narrowing, but still showing a decided advantage to Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberals, what can we learn from these early days of the 45th Canadian Parliament?
DEPARTURES
Rumours abound that up to five of Carney’s team are planning to move on to other jobs. Chrystia Freeland has already announced she will become the special envoy to Ukraine, leaving her role as the Minister of Transport. She will not be resigning her seat, but she will curtail her presence in Parliament. Bill Blair will head to the United Kingdom and replace Ralph Goodale as Canada’s High Commissioner. Reportedly, Carney will assign Jonathan Wilkinson, another Trudeau alumnus, to Germany. Stephen Guilbeault, the embattled former environmental minister and current Quebec Lieutenant, will apparently resign after his pension vests on Oct. 19, and David Lametti, the former Justice Minister who held a job as a principal secretary in the Privy Council, will go to New York as Canada’s United Nations Ambassador. This turnover represents an attempt by Carney to reset his government and place in key positions those members who are loyal to him and prepared to fight for his agenda. The Liberal team from the Trudeau years falls too far left on the political spectrum to appreciate Carney’s priorities and present him with time-consuming hurdles he would prefer to avoid as he heads into a crucial period of governing.
WHEN?
Carney has to get a budget passed, and if too many of these players leave before that happens, he could find his government in a bind. Without a doubt, he seeks to make his administration different from Trudeau’s. He can no longer use a team that reminds voters of the Trudeau era. Liberals (and Conservatives) look after their friends, so Carney will use patronage appointments and whatever largesse is available to clean house and rearrange the people around the cabinet table. Every prime minister accumulates a certain amount of capital when elected. They can use that power to advance laws, sway discussions, and make reforms. Carney knows he has capital right now and can use it or lose it. Expect him to use it. Those rumoured to leave will not do so until Carney has secured his budget and can move ahead with other projects.
DEAL WITH TRUMP AND THE U.S.
The prime minister knows the importance of making a deal with the U.S. and Mexico. The United States wants a grand bargain. Carney knows that Canada already has a good deal compared to other countries, but how does he ensure Trump continues to favour Canada as he tariffs others? There have been no talks since late August, and even with elbows down, the Americans appear to be in no hurry. Carney will soon reveal himself. Does he want a great relationship with the U.S. and a booming economy, or does he intend to speak for a corporate world intent on climate taxes and promoting the goals of the globalists at the World Economic Forum? Figuring this out explains why he suits the Liberal Party, a group of individuals committed to avoiding any principles while solidly behind anything that would keep them in power.
INFLATION AND FOOD COSTS
Beyond the budget, taming inflation remains a significant challenge. Despite a potential gas price drop, tariffs on coffee, tea, nuts, and other common foods are negatively impacting Canadians. Beef presents specific problems. The North American drought has driven feed costs to $75 a day per steer. Herd sizes are as low as they have been in decades, and it could be 2027 before prices normalize. Purchasing foreign beef comes with downsides. Some of the packaging will say “ungraded,” meaning beef from a country like Mexico comes with no rating and rarely tastes as good as beef from Canada or the United States. The size of the American economy also works against Canada’s ability to compete. Wal-Mart can eat tariffs to keep prices stable, but the market in Canada cannot absorb increased prices the same way. Consumer demand in the U.S. provides greater opportunities and a wider inventory from which to make up losses. Going up against the American economy presents tremendous challenges that the Carney government only now grasps.
INTENTIONS VERSUS DEEDS
Repeatedly since he became Liberal leader and then won a mandate to run his own administration, Carney has promised a change of priorities. He has stated an obvious intention of returning Canada to a resource developer. Carney has expressed an interest in addressing the problem of illegal immigration or even reducing legal entries. He wants to beef up border security to prevent drugs or weapons from flowing over our border into the United States and vice versa. But FBI Director Kash Patel spoke to the latest problem Carney has encountered this week when he accused Canada of becoming a terror threat to America because we have not hired the officers we promised and shut down the entry of terror suspects from China, Russia, the Middle East, Africa, and Afghanistan. We have a reputation for allowing terrorists from groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, the Tamil Tigers, ISIS, or the Khalistani movement in too easily, relying on the U.S. border services. Expecting American officials to make a trade deal with Canada before we step up to seal our border beggars common sense. Jacob Mantle, Conservative MP from York-Durham, rose in parliament to ask the Public Safety Minister, Gary Anandasangaree, about the prime minister’s promise to hire 1,000 public safety officers. “How many officers have been hired and are deployed today? Jacques Ramsay, the parliamentary secretary, responded that they will hire 1,000 agents for the CSA and RCMP, as Anandasangaree was absent. Mantle’s follow-up showed they had hired zero, and he inquired again about when they would hire these promised officers. Ramsay again insisted that they would hire these officers, but he never gave a date or time. Until the Carney government makes good on its pledge to increase security, Canada’s economy will continue to suffer while the United States waits for promises to be kept.
One week into this new government, and the warning signs are flashing. Carney created serious expectations. Voters have been content to give him some time and space. The leash is tightening, and these same voters will soon hold this government to account. The government delayed the budget until November. Canadians’ patience runs deep, but Carney is putting it to the test.
Dave Redekop is a retired elementary resource teacher who worked part-time at the St. Catharines Courthouse as a Registrar until being appointed Executive Director at Redeemer Bible Church in October 2023. He has worked on political campaigns since high school and attended university in South Carolina for five years, earning a Master’s in American History with a specialization in Civil Rights. Dave loves reading biographies.
