Under Grumpa's Hat

I try, as much as possible, to keep politics off this blog. Not because I don’t care, but because this space has always been about perspective, humour, and the lighter side of life. Lord knows we get enough outrage and doom-scrolling elsewhere. That said, there are moments when staying silent feels less like positivity and more like avoidance. Given the current political climate, this is one of those moments where speaking up matters. Consider this an exception, not a change in direction. There will be one more post like this in the coming weeks, but in the meantime and thereafter, it’s back to our regularly scheduled programming of wit, reflection, and the occasional raised eyebrow.

Like him or not, that’s your right. But what Mark Carney is doing for Canada is unprecedented.

He was handed one of the most difficult mandates any Canadian prime minister has faced, under extreme circumstances. We have a fascist, dictator-wannabe south of the border, actively trying to destabilize the Canadian economy, slapping tariffs on us, threatening CUSMA, and repeatedly floating the idea of Canada becoming the 51st state. That is not normal. That is not harmless rhetoric. That is economic and political intimidation, plain and simple.

Instead of responding with slogans, anger, or division, Carney took a completely different approach.

He has consulted, and continues to consult, with:

• All Premiers, to understand their regional needs
• First Nations and environmental leaders
• All leaders of the other federal political parties
• The Canadian Armed Forces
• Jean Chrétien
• And yes, even Stephen Harper

When was the last time you saw that?

He tabled a budget that doesn’t fully appeal to anyone, because he actually took everyone’s needs into consideration. That’s what governing looks like. If everyone is a little unhappy, it usually means the balance is about right.

Out of necessity, not ideology, he has worked relentlessly to revamp Canada’s economy by establishing new trade and security partners. Why? Because the United States is no longer a reliable partner. That is not anti-American, it is reality.

The China EV deal is a perfect example. Canada imposed a 100 percent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles largely at the request of the Americans. In retaliation, China imposed severe tariffs on Canadian exports, hammering canola, seafood, lumber, and other industries. Then, to thank us for our loyalty, Trump imposed tariffs on Canada anyway, threatened CUSMA, and continued talking about taking over the country.

So Carney had to act.

With Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe present in China, Canada negotiated the lifting of those retaliatory tariffs by agreeing to partially remove the EV tariff. Not fully. It was capped at 15 percent and limited to 49,000 vehicles, the same number imported in 2023. That represents under 3 percent of total auto sales in Canada. This was damage control for Canadian workers and industries, not some grand ideological shift. Further, they are negotiating about creating some all-Canadian made EV’s based on Chinese technology within the next couple of years, creating jobs and a market for “made in Canada”.

Truthfully, I’m hoping Canada does the same by accepting Sweden’s deal for the Saab Gripen fighter jets, to be built in Canada, and cancels the F-35 deal, with software and parts controlled by the US, no longer an ally we can rely upon.

In roughly one year, Canada avoided a widely predicted recession. The dollar has strengthened, gas prices have eased at the pump, taxes have been cut, the federal carbon tax is down to zero, the Toronto Stock Exchange is performing at the top of the G7, and the economy continues to grow, faster than the United States. Employment has risen steadily while unemployment continues to trend downward.

Those are facts. Not talking points.

So can we stop with the politics of division, the constant panic, and the drama-queen behaviour, and actually look at what’s happening instead of trying to predict the future? Worrying works, folks, because 99 percent of what we worry about never happens. Let’s focus on reality, not fear.

What Canada desperately needs right now is a real opposition party. One that doesn’t act worse than kindergarten kids, hiding behind curtains and yelling no to everything. We need adults in the room who can tweak policy, improve it, and move the country forward.

And as voters, Canadians spoke not long ago. It may not suit everyone, but that’s democracy. Let’s not turn into Americans who spend years bellyaching about elections they lost. Our ancestors understood something we seem to be forgetting: when the majority speaks, you respect it.

Mark Carney currently has one of the highest approval ratings seen in roughly the past 15 years, hovering around 80 percent depending on the poll. If you’re in the 20 percent who remain unsatisfied, ask yourself why. Is it because of measurable outcomes, or because of what the CPC is telling you? Is it because you’re staring into a crystal ball, trying to predict intentions and future disasters that have not (and likely will never) materialized?

That is not solid ground to stand on.

Let’s look at facts. Let’s look at what is actually happening. And let’s stop feeding the fear-mongering playbook that some political parties rely on, the same one we see tearing the US apart.

We are all Canadians. And yes, I still am, even while currently living in Costa Rica. I pay my taxes in Canada every month without using its benefits.

This is not about judging. This is about unity. National unity. Something we need now more than ever, under unstable and dangerous circumstances, with a party that desperately wants to divide us so we become weaker and easier to manipulate, just like what happened south of the border.

Let’s be smarter than that. And let’s learn from their mistakes.

More reading:

• Fake News, Real Consequences
• Alberta’s Loyalty Shifting To Become Its Own Liability
• Blind Party Loyalty: The Slow Death of Democracy