OTTAWA-The more striking integration of Canada in the North American economy is a phenomenon that has started almost 40 years ago, say political scientists.
It is therefore false to claim, as the conservative chief Pierre Hairy does, that the increased dependence of Canada towards the United States is the only fault of the liberal government.
Giving the blame to Justin Trudeau is even “a little stupid”, underlines Blayne Haggart, professor of political science at Brock University, in St. Catharines. This phenomenon has been a “bipartite project” since the late 1980s.
The desire to have greater access to the American market had led the Prime Minister Progressive-Conservative, Brian Mulroney, to negotiate a free trade agreement with the United States. This pact and its consequences on Canadian society, culture and industry had become the main issue of the 1988 electoral campaign.
The agreement was extended to Mexico a few years later. Alena, and its successor, the Aceum, were concluded by liberal and conservative governments.
Greg Anderson, a professor of political science at the University of Alberta, judges that certain criticisms formulated by Mr. Poilievre are justified, particularly those on the economic dependence of the country towards his neighbor of the South.
“It looks like Canada was unable to carry out a project for a certain period,” he said.
The trade war launched by the taxation of new customs duties by US President Donald Trump has renewed the interest of business circles to invest in the internal economy and ensure east-east traffic in energy resources.
The Conservatives and the Liberals promised, during the last election campaign, to promote the creation of infrastructure to transport resources throughout the country and even overseas.
“It is rather interesting to note that public opinion quickly overturned. People want these infrastructures to be built, says Professor Anderson. We have taken a step back from all this. ”
Professor Haggart criticizes the Trudeau government for not having understood that Canada’s dependence on the United States had become more risky after the coming to power of Donald Trump in 2016.
“M. Trudeau did not really react to that, but I did not hear the Conservatives complaining either. They have not suggested reducing dependence on the American market, he says. Everyone was asleep behind the wheel in the past four years. ”
Diversifying Canadian trade and reducing Canadian dependence on the American market will be difficult tasks, recognizes Professor Anderson.
Products from different regions of the country, such as lumber, potash, automotive parts or electricity, are transported to the United States, he mentions. “The severity of this huge market represents a challenge.”
Professor Anderson believes that it will also be difficult to eliminate interprotrovincial obstacles from the market.
“We have been working there for decades and nothing has happened. It is really difficult to abolish these trade barriers. ”
According to Professor Haggart, the price of strengthening the Canadian economy “will be very high”, but there seems to be a popular desire to achieve it. He wonders still if Canadians will be ready to “make difficult choices.”
