Carney owes MPs the terms of ‘associate membership’ before Montreal
Four in five Canadians back talks on a new tie to the European Union, yet nobody has said what it would contain. Ottawa should put its terms before the Commons first.
Pen name
Cartier
International affairs writer.
Pieces under this pen name may be written by guest contributors or prepared with AI assistance, and are edited by The Borealian.
Modi’s December visit: A CEPA target with no public timetable
Ottawa aims to close a trade deal with India by year’s end, and Modi visits in December. Provinces and exporters still have no clear line on the remaining rounds or the negotiation timetable.
Carney’s CUSMA walkout may have been good for his ratings, but it's bad for Canada
Mexico is bargaining with Washington over auto tariffs while Canada’s formal talks sit stalled. Refusing a bad deal in August was defensible, but staying away is handing the next one to someone else.
Ottawa should get back to the table before Mexico sets Canada’s terms
Mexico is still negotiating with Washington ahead of the 2027 CUSMA review. Canada has held no formal talks since Aug. 21, and every month away lets a U.S.-Mexico deal shape the terms Ottawa will face.
Canada should test Beijing’s promises before it pays for masks
Millions of Chinese-made masks failed Canadian tests this spring. Ottawa should stop accepting replacements on faith and test equipment before it pays.
CANZUK should be Canada’s foreign policy priority
The recent CUSMA negotiations have shown that Washington will tariff an ally to extract concessions. Canada needs trading options, and a CANZUK treaty built on mobility, trade, and security can work as Canada’s hedge.
Canada’s Arctic claim needs roads before rhetoric
Canada’s title to the Arctic is sound in law, but law is tested where the state is thin. Macdonald bound the country with a railway; Canada must hold the North with runways, a port, and patrols.