It is uncertain whether or not Premier Danielle Smith’s ongoing lovefest with President Donald Trump is cleverness or foolishness of the highest order.
On the one hand, Trump loves flattery and by attending his inauguration Smith may be opening up future avenues of communication to reduce the impact of expected tariffs on Alberta’s economy. On the other hand, Trump has already said he is going to punch Canada right in the face as one of his first acts in office by charging a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian imports to the United States.
So it must be asked: what value are these Smith overtures for anyone here north of the border? Or is Smith saying she is willing to capitulate to Trump, and take everything he dishes out and thank him for it, to boot, without any retaliation at all? When those tariffs bite, many Albertans may begin looking askance at a premier who refuses to defend her province’s interests. That’s kind of what it means to be premier, and is fundamental to having the job in the first place.
A trade war does no one any good, but such a war seems to be upon us regardless of anything we north of the border have to say about it. And we know from his previous presidency, there is nothing Trump isn’t capable of even if it means biting his own nose off despite his face.
So what can we do going forward? We have to meet U.S. aggression with unity, respond strategically, and open a way forward for negotiation. But let’s not kid ourselves, the dynamic of the U.S./ Canada relationship is about to fundamentally shift, and there is no going back to the way things were from here.
Bullies don’t stop punching simply because you beg them to stop.
