March 26, 2025

Notes for remarks to the Rockcliffe Park Speakers Series

March 26, 2025

By Thomas d’Aquino

Donald Trump has declared an unjustified economic war against our country and has repeatedly expressed his desire to annex Canada as the 51^st state. Canadians have responded with defiance and a surge of patriotism unmatched since World War II.  The Canadian response has also been sensible: we have endeavoured to persuade Trump and his Administration to retreat from the tariff war he seeks to impose on America’s closest ally and friend; we have argued that the tariffs will destroy jobs and investment on both sides of the border; we have said clearly that proposed annexation is a pipe dream and that he should cease and desist his insulting and inflammatory language.  We have taken measures to strengthen our shared borders and aggressively counter the small quantities of fentanyl that cross into the United States from Canada.  Trump has both ignored our concerns and our actions.  In self-defence, the Canadian government has readied its own tariff counter measures. Canada’s provinces have also acted to protect Canadian interests. Unless this trade war is rolled back, and soon, painful times are ahead for Canada.

If only all this were simply a nightmare, I’m sure we are asking ourselves.  On Christmas night, fearing the worst of what Trump might unleash following his inauguration, I wrote the President a letter seeking to appeal to his better angels. I spoke of the historic friendship of our two nations, of our shared geography, of cross-border family ties, of our cooperation in peace and war, of our shared commitment to democratic values. I quoted from the book of Leviticus “though shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”  My words fell on deaf ears.  Publicly, he has doubled down with insults, mistruths and escalating threats. This is the hard reality we face today.

The threat to Canada is existential.  How do we defeat this threat?  Here are some of my ideas.

1. Accept that we are at war and adopt a wartime mentality. This requires the closest possible cooperation among Canada’s governments and an all-hands-on-deck engagement on the part of business, labour and community leaders. The struggle will be long and costly.  Sacrifices will have to be made.  Canadian unity is the most precious asset we have. Any break in that unity could be fatal.  In the days ahead, our unity will be tested. Trump will readily take advantage of any weakness.

2. An option that should be on the table following the general election currently underway, is the formation of “Grand Coalition” composed of the national political parties buttressed by the engagement of the provinces and territories. In support of this idea, historian J.D.M. Stewart and I recently co-authored a paper appearing in Policy Magazine titled “To Meet This Moment, Canada Needs a New Grand Coalition”.  History offers an instructive precedent. In 1864, a grand coalition was agreed to by political rivals John A. Macdonald, George-Étienne Cartier and George Brown leading eventually to the creation of the Dominion of Canada.  Canada at the time was under severe threat from American annexationists and a recently victorious Union army. American ambitions were thwarted.

3. Canadian advocacy in the United States against the destructive tariff policy and in favour of liberalized trade and economic and defence cooperation between our two countries should be massively increased. The anti-Canada narrative pursued by Trump and with it huge doses of disinformation need to be countered.

4. We must work with our allies in the United States – at the national, state and community level and importantly, with the American business community. Corporate America, which to my great disappointment has remained largely silent, cannot abide much longer the wrong-headed economic policies pursued by Trump. The markets have already begun to deliver their verdict on what The Wall Street Journal has described as “the dumbest trade war in history”. As the chaos and uncertainty deepen, prepare for more market bad news in the weeks and months to come.  It is also crucial that we keep in mind that our quarrel is with Donald Trump and not with the majority of Americans who see Canadians for what we are. In America, where “all politics is local”, the backlash against the economic damage is certain to grow and be reflected in the polls – and eventually at the all-important mid-term elections.

5. Let’s not give up on the free trade agreement that binds Canada, Mexico and the United States. While Trump actions have egregiously violated the spirit and the rules of the pact, it remains in place as a vital reminder of what the rule of law can deliver in jobs and societal benefits. Along with our Mexican allies, when the time is right, we must press for a sensible re-negotiation – a negotiation that will be very tough – but certainly worth the effort.  

For now, my advice is delay.  If, as I expect, Trump policies will encounter ever-stronger resistance, his hand in the negotiation will be weaker.  As for Mexico, it is a vital player, and full cooperation Mexico in the negotiation will be an advantage to Canada.  April 2 is only days away and all US trade partners will hear about the meaning of so-called “reciprocal tariffs”. If they turn out to be as far-reaching as Trump has threatened, the damage and uncertainty will only intensify. 

6. Let’s reach out boldly to allies beyond the continent who are also threatened and deeply concerned about Trump policies – among them, Britain and the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea. Making common cause with them will pay dividends. Hopefully, some of these common voices will be heard at the upcoming G7 meeting in Canada in June. Trump has upended the global order and has endeavoured to lay waste the carefully constructed institutions of the post-War world.  Ensuring that the rule of law survives as the principal driver of the world trading system is hugely important to all democratic countries.  Canada should aspire to play a leading role in preserving the world trading order which we played an oversize role in creating.

7. As important as these measures to deal with the immediate crisis may be, there is an even more crucial long game that Canada must play. The Trump offensive has lit a fire in Canada.  At last, we are ready to tackle the complacency that has afflicted us for far too long and which I described in my recent book “Private Power and Public Purpose”.  Not a moment must be wasted as we tackle the top priorities and opportunities we face as Canadians.  These include:

• • establishing the free movement of goods and people within Canada; (finally, we are seeing welcome movement on this front, but it’s not as easy as it sounds;)
  • making the right choices about spending and taxation at this time of crisis;
  • removing barriers to investment and entrepreneurship and the red tape standing in the way;
  • thinking big again as we embrace national infrastructure projects;
  • aggressively exploiting the advantages of AI in solving the productivity puzzle;
  • celebrating and leveraging our massive resource endowment and pursuing clean energy;
  • leveraging our advantageous collection of trade agreements in pursuit of diversification;
  • punching above our weight once again in our foreign policy as a consequential middle power; and
  • investing massively in our depleted armed forces and in Canada’s defence production base.

8. While this action list is formidable in size and scope, we can make real progress on so many of these fronts. My reason for saying this?  Over the decades as we have pondered these issues, we have come up with clear-eyed solutions again and again. As Canadians, we are among the world’s best at policy analysis.  But sadly, we fail far too often at implementation.  This is our carpe diem moment!

9. Looking to the future, Trump will pass from the scene in due course. But Trump style politics may persist and with it profound uncertainty and dangers for Canada.  We are vulnerable and, in many respects, alone. As we begin the massive job of rebuilding the Canada of the future, we are fortunate to have all the resources and the talent we need.  Yes, this is a period of grave danger. But I must confess to being greatly excited by the opportunities that lie ahead.