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Mark Cameron: Who speaks for Canada? We all do

Commentary

Doug Ford is swarmed by the media during the fall meetings of Canada’s premiers in Toronto, Dec. 16, 2024. Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press.

During federal-provincial constitutional negotiations in 1981, as provinces pushed for greater autonomy, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau famously asked, “But who will speak for Canada?” Less remembered is Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed’s simple yet profound response: “We all do.”

More than 40 years later, Lougheed seems prescient. With Pierre Trudeau’s son stepping down as prime minister amid the deepest Canada-U.S. trade crisis in a century, provincial premiers have stepped into the leadership void.

Formulating a response to Donald Trump’s threats of economic warfare was the main topic of conversation as the premiers gathered in Ottawa this week to meet with Trudeau. With the president-elect’s inauguration just days away, time is of the essence.

The leadership of several premiers has so far stood out. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has become a fixture on Fox News and other U.S. media outlets. He has been speaking passionately for the Canadian trade relationship while promoting his vision of “Fortress Am-Can“—an energy and resource superpower capable of taking on the world. Ford even showed up to the premiers’ meeting with a flashy “Canada is not for sale” hat on Wednesday.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been equally vocal, championing her province’s oil and gas resources, and flying directly to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump to make her case. Other premiers, from David Eby to François Legault, have strongly advocated for both provincial and national economic interests in the face of the American tariff threat.

Some critics have suggested that the premiers are overstepping their bounds by building independent relationships with the Trump administration and its allies. But with federal leadership partially eclipsed by a prorogued Parliament and a Liberal leadership race, and Trump threatening to impose 25 percent tariffs on all Canadian imports—or even annex Canada as a 51st state—the provinces have had little choice but to speak out.

The proactive stance of Canada’s provincial leaders embodies an updated version of the “Team Canada” approach that served the country well during the 2017-18 NAFTA renegotiation. That earlier round saw a newly elected and still fairly popular federal government reaching out to provinces, business leaders, and opposition figures. They recruited Conservatives like Rona Ambrose and James Moore, along with New Democrats like Brian Topp, as advisors. Today, with the resignations of Prime Minister Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland (the latter considering her own leadership bid), the provinces have had to take a more prominent role.

This isn’t the first time provinces have played a crucial role in trade negotiations with the United States. During the original NAFTA talks in the early 1990s, provinces maintained their own trade offices and relationships in key U.S. states. Quebec and British Columbia were particularly active during the lengthy softwood lumber disputes, with their premiers and forestry ministers regularly crossing the border to defend their industries’ interests. Several provinces already maintain their own trade offices in Washington D.C., co-located in the Canadian Embassy, recognizing that provincial interests sometimes require direct provincial advocacy.

But this provincial assertiveness also carries risks. Provincial actions could appear fragmented or contradictory. We have already seen differences between the provinces’ approaches, with some like Alberta’s Smith emphasizing that the United States has legitimate concerns about border security and immigration that Canada should respond to before considering retaliation, while others like Ontario’s Ford have been quicker to talk about how Canada can fight back. Ford has talked about restricting energy exports to the United States; Smith has warned against using energy as a weapon.

These cracks in the united front are from theoretical, as Smith broke from her fellow premiers on Wednesday, declining to sign onto a joint statement released following their meeting regarding the provinces’ response to Trump.

To prevent these differences in perspective from becoming divisions at the negotiating table, provincial leaders must maintain open communication with each other and with the federal government. Ford’s role as chair of the Council of the Federation can help ensure coordination. So does the continued presence of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who has strong relationships with many of the premiers.

The federal government maintains an indispensable role in international trade negotiations. However, Canada cannot succeed internationally if we are divided internally. Despite musings from Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and others, Ottawa should not use provincially-owned resources as leverage against the United States—especially Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland, and Saskatchewan’s abundant oil and gas reserves. To do so would compound a trade crisis with a unity crisis. The provinces must be consulted on any steps affecting their role as resource owners.

But if the provinces can stay coordinated with each other and with Ottawa, the premiers’ outspoken response to U.S. tariff threats could be a model for an updated “Team Canada” approach. Lougheed would have been proud. By speaking up and taking decisive action, the provinces are defending not only their regional interests but Canada’s economic sovereignty as well. With Team Canada’s nominal captain on the bench, some of our most talented domestic players are seeing ice time in this crucial international game, and they can all speak—and score—for Canada too.

Mark Cameron

Mark has served in several government roles and advisory positions, including as Director of Policy and Research in the Prime Minister’s Office (2006-2009) and Deputy Minister of the Policy Coordination Office in the Government of Alberta (2019-2022). He was also the Executive Director of Canadians for Clean Prosperity and has…...

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