Prime Minister Mark Carney was endorsed as the front-runner best suited to deal with Donald Trump, but his record raised serious reservations about that claim. To borrow from Casablanca: of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, he walked into ours, and he was not up to the job.
From the beginning, standing up to the United States and securing meaningful results was unlikely to succeed. Mr. Carney knew full well the effort was futile, yet he proceeded with what amounted to a political Hail Mary, one that has clearly failed.
The consequences are especially visible in Western Canada. After a year in office, not a solitary major capital infrastructure project has started. The LNG facility, nuclear power plant, hydroelectric dam, and other nation-building ventures remain stalled, while the memoranda of understanding multiplied without producing visible action.
Controversy surrounding the Gordie Howe Bridge adds another example of uncertainty and weak delivery. Mr. Carney has effectively been summoned to the woodshed by the United States, with financial terms apparently rearranged in ways Canadians may never fully envisage. Results of this tête-à-tête: Mr. Carney was outmaneuvered.
Considering his record, is Mark Carney still praiseworthy of being championed as the best person to challenge Donald Trump’s political manoeuvres? From all evidence … Definitely not!
Regards,
Ronald J. Yaschuk CD.
Quispamsis, NB.
