On day two of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a speech to audience members and members of the press that is turning heads.
“The old order is not coming back. We should not mourn it. Nostalgia is not a strategy” said the Prime Minister in his speech, one that is unlike what was made by his predecessors.
This speech comes on the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump continuing to threaten Greenland with annexation.
“You cannot live within the lie of mutual benefit through integration, when integration becomes the source of your subordination,” said Carney in his speech in response to these threats and other challenges Canada faces.
The Prime Minister has also been busy outside of Parliament with the recent announcement of deals with both China and Qatar. Signalling a noticeable shift away from the U.S.
The deal with China sees 49,000 electric vehicles enter into the Canadian market at a 6.1 per cent tariff rate. We have seen a similar announcement of lowering tariffs to 15 per cent on Canola from Canada.
Alongside the trade announcement, we have seen the announcement from the Prime Minister on agreement to visa free travel to China from Canada, however, China’s Ambassador has said they need to wait for an official announcement from Chinese officials, according to CTV.
The government of Canada announced plans for the expansion of air service between the two countries, with Canada also planning to establish a new Defence Attaché in Doha, as well as expansion for investment in AI in Canada.
This follows a general trend from the government wanting to diversify trade partners, after the beginning of rising tensions with the United States.
“Canada lives because of the United States,” said Donald Trump, in response to the speech by the Canadian Prime Minister made at Davos.
The speech made in Davos is the first to mirror similar statements that Carney had made when first taking office.
“The old relationship we had with the United States [...] is over,” said the Prime Minister back in March.
This is the first time we have seen this type of rhetoric by the Canadian Prime Minister since the General Election held in April.
“The United States has gone in a very different and troubling direction and is no longer treating us like a friend or an ally,” said University of Calgary Professor and Political Scientist, Dr. Lisa Young.
Canadian Senator Peter Boehm, a former diplomat, spoke with CBC’s Power & Politics, believes that the Prime Minister’s remarks were the “most consequential” speech since Louis St. Laurent spoke of Canada’s new foreign policy direction after the second world war.
“It’s a question of what happens next,” said Young on the comments made by Senator Boehm. “Maybe it really does take us in a different direction, but we won't know for years or decades.”
With tensions not simmering down between the two countries, it is hard to say whether or not there will be a renewed Canada-United States-Mexico (CUSMA) agreement by the deadline.
