Editorials & Other Articles

Carney hasn’t “rearmed” Canada…yet. But he has significantly increased the defense budget, and has taken steps to expand Canadian weapons manufacturing capacity - no more dependence on the US for arms (but it’s going to take a few years). Canada has finally met its NATO obligation of spending 2% of GDP on defence.

As far as securing the Arctic, that too is a work in progress, but Canada and the Scandinavian Arctic nations have been working closely on an allied strategy that does not include the US.

Trade relationships are definitely shifting, and the most exciting part to me is Carney may succeed in creating a partnership/economic alliance between the EU and the Pacific Rim nations, an economic powerhouse that would dwarf the economic power of the US.

Carney has put all these wheels in motion while Trump sleeps and golf’s his way through his second term.

It will be a delicate transition period, but if the nations involved maintain their resolve to see the process through, these “middle powers” will come out the other side much stronger, and no longer dependent on the US for much of anything.

It could also mean a more peaceful, stable world.

It could be the biggest legacy for both Carney and Trump (of course, not from the same perspective)