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Yes, Trudeau's strategy has failed, but for very different reasons. NAFTA was never about the Americans being "trustworthy", as this is a very naive approach to international trade agreements. It was comical to read the naive outrage in Canadian media that an ally who fought "side by side" at Normandy in 1944 would be so dastardly as to actually impose tariffs on steel and aluminum after threatening to do so for many months. The Trudeau and Freeland Sunshine Band failed from the outset by focusing on a "feminist agenda" instead of the specific issues that the Americans cited as reasons that NAFTA must be re-negotiated or abandoned. Trudeau also stood by a supply management political strategy that Canada had already relented on for the TPP, telegraphing weakness and vulnerability. Lastly, Trudeau foolishly schemed with Mexico thinking that the Mexicans would put their own national interests second behind "trust" with Canada, which gets us right back to point #1...a naive, inexperienced team that brought a knife to a gun fight.

Unfortunately it's not as simple as that. Social safety nets can buckle under a mass of new recipients, and wages can be suppressed under a mass of new labour. So simplistic notions like that are irresponsible.

I cast my vote in the manner that best serves my country. Whether Scheer wins or Bernier I'd be ok with that, but Bernier already had his chance to lead a party and he failed. Now he's dumb/petulant enough to split the conservative vote and I don't see how that's ok with voters. The only thing that really stands out about the upcoming election is that if Trudeau wins we are going to keep digging ourselves deeper into this hole, and we're already well past the point where we can expect a recovery within the next 20 years. This country might be permanently screwed if he gets in again. Would you honestly rather screw the country than do the sensible thing, just based on a principle that only you really believe in? IMO your vote should be used to help move the country in the right direction when you get the chance, not as a protest vote. Voting to keep the worst one out is the smart thing to do sometimes.

The history of CanAm trade relations is full of far more dramatic outcomes...this too will pass. Such conflict and competition is normal and to be expected. The trucks and trains will still be rolling across the border.

I never said I supported supply-management, but just that subsidies are even worse than supply-management and milk tariffs. At least with the latter two, I have the option of not giving my money to the milk industry. With the first option, my taxes would go to it whether I buy milk or not. In relative terms, the US subsidy-system is even more socialist than the Canadian supply-management system. Let's not jump from the frying pan of supply-management and milk tariffs into the fire of subsidies.

This is pure fantasy...boycotting all American and/or Mexican made cars and trucks is much harder than boycotting Heinz ketchup and mustard. If Canada wants to sell in the USA, then it must build it in the USA...see how that silly game works ? U.S. automakers went into Canada to beat Canadian tariffs that did not apply to Commonwealth nations....EMD London was NEVER Canadian owned....and now it is long gone. Yeah, the U.S. is collapsing before our eyes...will fail any day now. Time for Canada to find another host to feed on. Canada has such tough luck....rejected by Britain....screwed by the Americans.

Sort of like how Trudeau sabotaged the TPP........ Link: https://www.smh.com.au/world/canadas-pm-justin-trudeau-sabotages-transpacific-partnership-shocking-leaders-20171110-gzj866.html

Another fake Canadian

I always follow Frank Howard's lesson. Howard was an MP who called a news conference to announce he was being blackmailed. He said he had been convicted of car theft when he was a teenager and spent time in jail. Rather than give in the the blackmailer to keep it secret, he broadcast the event himself. Never give in to blackmail or bullying. The US is not blackmailing or bullying Canada. It is merely using it's size to persuade Canada to accept a deal that puts Canada at a disadvantage. The problem is, if Canada accepts, the US is more likely to go for more and more. It is better to take the hit now than than a lot more hits later. It is a policy that has served Israel for decades. In the long run, it will be better for both countries. Frank Howard was re-elected with a larger vote total in the next election.

Like I said - we can pick and choose and we should.......all on a "needs basis". If it's skills, lets be smart in defining what those skills are - real skills - not nannies. If it's propping up an aging country, lets focus on young, educated families. It's so frustrating to have the immigration industry, lawyers and leftist media and academics oppose every attempt to rationalize the system - calling it discriminatory, racist, unfair, un-Canadian, mean-spirited, blah, blah, blah.

Your demographic argument repeats a myth that's often used by immigration proponents. Australia, which has pursued a large scale immigration program similar to Canada's and which largely modeled its selection process on Canada's system, fairly recently undertook a thorough examination of its program and policies. Interestingly, it concluded that the demographic argument for high immigration levels is largely overstated as its impact on the age structure of the population isn't particularly large and can't be sustained without constantly maintaining very high immigration levels. Commentators in Australia have thus noted that the demographic strategy essentially amounts to a ponzi scheme. So, we have to discuss immigration in terms of its real impacts both good and bad and determine a level that is ideal for both the existing population and for new arrivals. I believe that level is probably around 150,000 to 180,000 annually. Sure, the rate of population growth with drop but there is no proof it would in any way undermine economic conditions and/or living standards and it could in fact have many beneficial impacts.

Trudeau is trying his best to put a positive spin on playing catch-up to Mexico and the U.S. on NAFTA, realizing that if he screws this up, the Liberals are toast in the 2019 election. I'm sure Canada's Sunshine Band will say this is how they planned it all along to get "progressive" values, and Freeland is a trade genius as she goes begging on the DC Beltway.

Turdeau does' nt care about your grandkids. He has dady's money plus ours