Good Sunday Morning,
This was a roller-coaster of a week. This roller-coaster was in the very unamusing amusement park circus run by ringmaster Donald J Trump. We thought we had a trade deal… and as the clock ticked toward the midnight Friday deadline, the whole thing blew up.
Paul Manly, Green Party former trade critic, former Green MP and current member of Nanaimo City Council, North Vancouver by-election candidate Dr. Shelley Luce and I held a press conference on Friday. We addressed the brinkmanship of Trump’s self-imposed deadline and threat of 50% tariffs. At that point, we thought there was a deal to avert Trump’s outrageous threat of 50% tariffs.
Just after midnight Friday, we knew there was no deal. By early Saturday morning, I was asked by The Globe and Mail for an immediate reaction.
I sent them this:
As leader of the Green Party of Canada my reaction is one of shock. It had seemed we were close to some sort of deal, and the question for Canadians this morning would be, ‘Is this a fair deal?’
But now, the questions are around the credibility gap between what US officials claim and what Canada’s team is saying. What we know is this, Trump has violated the CUSMA agreement he agreed to in the last round of talks. In any question of credibility, I believe Canadian negotiators. We must stand firm as Canadians. And I take the Prime Minister at his word. He promised ‘no deal is better than a bad deal.’ Greens stand with Team Canada. If we walked away, then that speaks for itself. This was a bad deal. We stand with all sectors and workers impacted by this. And our efforts must be directed to protect those impacted by US actions that violate trade rules. Elbows up.
When I sent this to the Globe, the Prime Minister had not yet spoken to the media. Reporters asked me to share my thoughts after tuning into the Prime Minister’s press conference. With time to reflect and after working with Paul and Shelley, putting our heads together in the North Van campaign office, I sent these further points:
We support actions by our government, but we call for a more strategic response. Dollar-for-dollar retaliation is reasonable, but insufficient. Retaliatory tariffs hurt consumers. When you are in a boxing ring with a bully, a bully with an economy roughly 12 times the size of Canada’s, our push-back has to be targeted to where it hits that bully in ways that cause pain. It is time for strategic reserves for Canadian aluminum, potash, and wood products. Holding back resources the US wants will hit their industries in key districts the US President needs in upcoming midterms. It is time to stop expansion of fossil fuel exports to the US, as all proposed pipelines will do. We must be far less reliant on fossil fuels with their concomitant increased competition with US in Trump’s fantasy markets. We must boost electrification of clean steel production for European and other markets. We need to consider export tariffs on Canadian raw resources to the US, including energy. There are things we can do that will build our economic sovereignty. It is time to go beyond an eye-for-an-eye to a real shift in our subservient relationship with the USA.
As our national ‘elbows up’ mood grows, so does petition 7531 calling for U.S. Ambassador Hoekstra to be declared ‘persona non-grata’. As I write this, the petition hovers at approximately one quarter of a million signatures. It is open only to Canadian citizens, but citizens under 18 can sign.
I spent the beginning of this week in the beautiful Toronto riding of Beaches–East York. With our impressive candidate there, nationally respected journalist Bruce Livesey, we met with supporters and voters who are hoping for an effective alternative.
Back in BC by Wednesday, with the exception of one day’s commitment at home in Saanich-Gulf Islands, I am now staying put in North Vancouver-Capilano through August 31– Election day! I am really sad to miss Tuesday night’s concert in Victoria of The Guess Who and Chilliwack, Randy Bachman had even given me tickets! (Bummer! But I have to stay focused and every conversation with every voter counts!)
Thanks to amazing supporters in this campaign, local residents and folks pouring in from outside the riding, the Elect Shelley Luce campaign now has 200 volunteers! We had to beg and twist arms to get any all-candidate meetings in a snap August by-election. Community groups were scrambling and unsure if they could pull it together. I am very grateful that the North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce agreed to hold an all-candidates meeting, in partnership with The North Shore News. If you want to get a sense of our wonderful Green candidate I urge you to watch the un-edited youtube of that August 17 debate. I think you will agree Shelley won – hands down!!
And check out her campaign website to see how the campaign is building with endorsements and support!
Advance voting has started in all three by-elections. If you can, please reach out to anyone you know in Chicoutimi–Le Fjord, North Vancouver–Capilano and Beaches–East York. Urge them to use the amazing power of their vote and VOTE Green! Advance polls are also open tomorrow (Monday).
The single most effective climate message–the single most important message for old growth and salmon and SRKW–will be electing Green MPs on August 31!
Paul Manly recalled how after his win in the May 2019 by-election, reporters asked then PM Justin Trudeau how a Green won in an upset. He said, “I guess people in Nanaimo–Ladysmith care about climate.” Winning is not about the Green Party scoring partisan points. It is about showing the PM that Canadians care about the issues and pledges he has betrayed and abandoned.
With love and thanks for all your support, kind messages and donations. We do not give in to Bully Trump and we never give up in fighting to end our suicidal addiction to fossil fuels, For the love of our precious planet and all its creatures, we never give up!
Elizabeth