Where does one start? With all the daily uncertainty around our province and Canada overall, I ask myself that question every time I sit down to write about tariffs, or no tariffs, and climate myths.
Canada is in the middle of what could be called a trade war with our key partner – the USA. However, our selected PM is unavailable or somewhere on holidays, seemingly less concerned than the average Canadian. What we do know is that parliament is recessed for the summer, with everything important to the electorate pretty much at a standstill. Prime Minister Carney occasionally dictates something from afar that could be classified as policy which apparently no longer requires caucus discussion or support; Bill C-5 being one example full of promised ‘giveaways’ that risks killing our economy. The bill that is to ignite development across Canada and make us a super economy could just end up being our demise.
Our premiers are meeting trying to plan their own provincial budgets when Canada doesn’t yet have a 2025 federal budget to work under. With any luck we may have one by the end of the year. But no promises made! We heard bragging about how PM Carney was the only person who has the experience to negotiate a tariff deal with the USA – hands down. But where is it and where was he on August 1, 2025, the final day for hashing out a final number? President Trump is travelling to other countries to discuss new tariffs on their goods and services while Canada is still trying to decide what to say.
Our premiers are meeting among themselves or with other notable advisors determining how to work closer within Canada and discussing how they might limit or cancel some internal tariffs. But what is needed is some real leadership on the big tariffs. Luckily, we still have CUSMA in place for another few months to cover the absence of new negotiations. Hopefully, our federal party will have a budget soon and be working towards finalizing tariffs discussions with the USA.
As a result of one-sided policies on our natural resources over the past 10+ years, Canada has lost hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars due to outsourcing everything from administration of COVID-19 payments, to call centre operations and manufacturing subsidies that produced nothing. Outsourcing was primarily an attempt to pursue cheaper labour elsewhere and increase profits for the short term at home. However, it created more problems.
It seems reasonable for us to be impatient after 10 years of Ottawa’s constant anti-oil, gas and coal campaigns for Albertans to feel justified to expect more than over-promising change from a newcomer who swept a portion of voters off their feet with clichés of elbows up and it’s all Trumps fault. People who went through the past 10 years of conflict with Ottawa under threat of their livelihood being cancelled and the potential of a cratered economy have a right to speak out and look elsewhere for ways to develop our resources. Albertan families are tired of talk that changes with the language spoken.
Insisting on protecting supply management ‘till death do us part’ and continuing to block our obvious economic engine just may end up becoming our economic demise.
