Wayne Gretzky’s axiom that his success relied more on anticipating where the puck was going than following it around applies as much to politics as it does to shinny. As events unfold in a turbulent world, calculating what will happen next may help our leaders and our nation to be better prepared to respond. If our prime minister and his cabinet continue to react to situations in real time, they might keep up with the changing conditions for a while. Eventually, their ability to do so will degrade, and the nation and its citizens will experience the downside of a government ill-prepared and playing catch-up with the issues left on the doorstep.
Mark Carney, Justin Trudeau’s successor as Prime Minister of Canada, faces this dilemma on several fronts. At home, the desperate need to increase worker productivity and develop our natural resources demands that he take action. The desire to transition to green energy or alternative fuel sources never stood a chance. The growing demand for efficient and super-effective energy has always pointed to fossil fuels in Canada. It did when Trudeau’s father was trying to nationalize energy production out west, and it did when his son tried to cap oil wells and keep Alberta’s gold in the ground. Carney has said a lot about building pipelines, but some in his cabinet have yet to receive the message. His public duels with Danielle Smith, Alberta’s pesky premier, have simmered down, but they, too, cast doubt on where Carney sees the energy puck headed. Carney must soon identify the resistors in his caucus, remove them from their portfolios or face an uncertain future of on-again, off-again deals with the West and its leaders. With bombings and uncertainty in the Middle East, Canadian oil would be a welcome commodity in the world’s markets. Our American friends would be very pleased to see the black gold flowing south, and the outcome for the Canadian economy would be nothing less than remarkable. Can Carney find the energy puck in time?
Immigration policy has been a disaster for several years, thanks to the Trudeau-Singh marriage and the effort to welcome anyone wishing to climb on board the good ship Canada. How anyone thought that leaving the border door open, without locks, closures, or gates, served the country well leaves the mind spinning. Carney, unfortunately, has left this unaddressed. His calm demeanour, a welcome reprieve from the combustible president to the south, has given him space to finesse the issue, deal with the matter, and pose potential solutions. The figures show that rather than dealing, he has been dithering. The influx of people into Canada continues to overwhelm our hospitals and healthcare, our schools and daycares, and our housing and social assistance programs. Again, Carney may be on record as suggesting he wants those numbers down, but are his ministers listening? Where do they think the immigration puck is going? If Canadians don’t see a correction in this number soon, they will conclude that their leaders have simply abandoned them to whatever solutions the citizens can decide upon. The discredited assumption that all prospective immigrants to Canada are upstanding citizens has resurfaced, affecting the government, police, and average Canadians in most of our large urban areas. “Free Palestine” protests serve as antisemitic rants for masked thugs who have no interest in Canadian law, history, or culture. They consume police time, interrupt traffic, and disrupt businesses from conducting commerce. Can Carney identify the immigration puck’s destiny soon enough?
How about relations with the United States, our closest neighbour and largest trading partner? Undoubtedly, many of President Donald Trump’s comments were not helpful to any hope of the Liberals being replaced. However, Carney responded immediately with firm statements about the United States and their president. Did he understand where the U.S.-Canada puck was going? From how quickly he has been backpedalling, attempting to make covert deals, and re-engaging with Trump, it appears he misunderstood and mishandled the American file. Elbows up and a lot of tough talk may come across well in a campaign or from hundreds of kilometres away. When it comes time to meet with the President, work out a deal, or depend on American protection, that talk can sound cheap. To his credit, Carney saw the puck leaving Canada’s end, but he will continue to need to work with the Trump administration, seal the border, and step up as requested. He has promised to meet the NATO military expenditure targets immediately. How about acknowledging that we have to reduce immigration to do so? Countries concerned with deficits and debts typically begin spending cuts with the most readily available targets. The immigration puck demands good relations with the Americans, stronger immigration enforcement, increased military outlays, and a more frugal budget. Carney claims Canadians don’t need a budget until the fall. To understand the new government’s focus, we require an immediate statement of priorities. Carney’s pointless pursuit of the U.S.-Canada puck will end only when he reveals his financial commitments. If Canada plans to increase military spending to fiver per cent, then negotiating a critical minerals deal should be on the table. How about working out a new trade deal and ensure American investment arrives before the bills mount?
The unstable events in the Middle East feed concerns across the globe. Canadians know that trouble has been brewing for some time. The situation in Gaza heightened awareness, but the Liberal Party of Canada’s lust for Arab votes, anti-Israeli supporters, and forever power has blinded them to the dangers that pursuing these policies means for Canadian law and order. In a series of unprecedented protests in major cities, we have already seen the trouble of allowing people to bring their grudges, animosities, and vengeance to our shores. Where is the Middle East puck headed? A two-state solutions sound good. Carney and his government mouth words of solidarity with the idea. Are they prepared to understand the Gazan problem as one rooted in Hamas and the terrorist network they have created? Throw in the Iranian regime, the regional rivalries, a violent history and the ingredients for combustion are well stocked. This puck may pose the most difficult one of all for Carney to locate, never mind design a solution. The challenge on this file may stand or fall on policies and decisions external to what Canada does. The prime minister will have to keep a close eye on this puck, so it does not slip under him or by him. In that case, Canada would be vulnerable to domestic issues, transportation setbacks, and an economic crisis.
Carney’s ability to mirror Wayne Gretzky’s legendary hockey skills—observing, anticipating, and reacting politically—is uncertain. His success in doing so, however, will determine whether his tenure’s accomplishments meet the moment.
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.
