Voters of a certain age might remember the slogan ‘Masters in our own home’.
That’s because it was the electoral slogan of the Liberal Party in the 1962 federal election that saw Lester Pearson defeat John Diefenbaker to become prime minister.
That was the slogan newly anointed Liberal leader Mark Carney was using to describe Canada’s trade relationship with the United States as he outlined retaliatory steps to US president Donald Trump’s “unjustified tariffs” not just on Canada, but the world.
“We are masters in our own home and we can, and will choose our own path forward.”
Carney said Canada must “build things again” before launching into a broad-based plant to impose retaliatory tariffs on American industries and promote economic independence while protecting the nation’s sovereignty.
“The global economy is fundamentally different today than it was yesterday. The system of global trade anchored on the United States that Canada has relied on since the end of the Second World War, a system that, while not perfect, has helped to deliver prosperity for our country for decades — is over,” he said.
“Our old relationship of steadily deepening integration with the United States is over. (The) The 80-year period when the United States embraced the mantle of global economic leadership when it forged alliances rooted in trust and mutual respect and championed the free and open exchange of goods and services, is over,” he said.
“This is a tragedy, but is also the new reality we must respond with both purpose and force.”
The slogan "Maîtres chez nous" or “masters in our own home” refers to the hill leading to Place d'Armes in Montreal, an important historic site of the French Canadian sovereignty movement in the 1960s that coincided with the secularization of Quebec and its position in Confederation.
The impact of the Quiet Revolution extended beyond Quebec's borders, influencing contemporary politics and leading to the rise of the Liberals under Pearson — impacts that are being felt to this day.
It also coincided with a period of economic nationalism characterized by kicking Americans out of the province’s resource industries.
In many respects, it marked the start of anti-American sentiment throughout the country and especially in the federal government.
On Thursday, Carney once again said French culture was a “red line” that would not be on the table in any future negotiations with the Trump administration — assuming there are any if he’s elected after April 28.
On Thursday, Carney announced Canada will be responding by matching the US approach with 25% tariffs on all vehicles imported from the United States that are not compliant with North American Free Trade and on the non-Canadian content of customer compliant vehicles.
He also said measures to protect Canadian workers affected by layoffs would soon be coming, including enhanced unemployment insurance benefits.
He also said there would be changes to Canada’s military partnership with the US, which has a major economic component — namely 80 cents of every dollar spent on defence ultimately goes to the US in the form of arms purchases.
In that regard, contract to buy F-35 fighters are under review.
Carney said there would be more measures coming, assuming he’s elected prime minister on April 28.
“We take these measures reluctantly, and we take them in ways that's intended and will cause maximum impact in the United States and minimum impact here in Canada,” he said.
“And we should be aware that the president and his administration have also signalled that tariffs will be applied on what the Americans term as strategic sectors, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, lumber and agriculture.”