Canada as the 51st state? Apparently, that’s what U.S. president-elect Donald Trump suggested at his impromptu dinner with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Mar-a-Lago last Friday.
When Trudeau said Canada couldn’t stomach 25 per cent tariffs, Trump mused about annexation and suggested that while prime minister is a better title, Trudeau could be governor of this 51st state. Sources told Fox News that another guest then suggested that Canada would be a very liberal state, whereupon Trump offered that Canada could be split into a conservative and a liberal state.
According to those present, this exchange produced a lot of laughter, though that of the Canadians was described as nervous. No wonder: while the scenario may seem implausible, with Trump back in the White House, anything is possible.
The idea of the United States taking over Canada isn’t new: it was the subject of Richard Rohmer’s 1973 novel “Ultimatum,” in which a bellicose, rather Trump-like president gives Canada less than 36 hours to grant the U.S. unfettered access to our natural gas reserves in the Arctic, or face economic sanctions. Along the way, he imposes an embargo on U.S. investment, just to show he means business. Is life imitating art, 50 years later?
Perhaps, but there is one big difference between Rohmer’s fictional scenario and Ottawa’s current reality: the response by opposition parties and the provinces. “Ultimatum” saw the opposition put aside their differences to form a united front against the U.S. Today, that’s hardly the case.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has been busy decrying Trudeau as “weak” and unable to deal with Trump, and accused the prime minister of coming back from Mar-a-Lago with nothing to show. In anticipation of a federal election, Poilievre is making the case for change ahead of Trump’s inauguration in January, implying that he is better suited to take on the new president.
As for the provinces, they also appear to be going their own way, notably when it comes to border security. Trump has a big beef with our leaky border, which he claims allows drugs and terrorists to pour into the U.S. But on our side, the big concern is the potential flood of migrants coming the other way, fleeing the U.S. in advance of Trump’s promised deportation order.
We’ve seen this movie before at Roxham Road in Quebec, where thousands of migrants crossed the border after Trump banned immigration from many Muslim-majority countries and Trudeau invited refugees to come to Canada instead. But this time, the influx could be much, much greater — and Canada is woefully unprepared.
Just what is Ottawa planning, exactly? Public Safety Minister Dominic Leblanc plans to dispatch drones and helicopters, along with more RCMP and CBSA officers to the border. Ottawa also launched a global ad campaign in 11 languages warning would-be refugees that they should think twice about coming to Canada.
“Claiming asylum in Canada is not easy. There are strict guidelines to qualify. Find out what you need to know before you make a life-changing decision,” reads one of the ads — a 180-degree turn from Trudeau’s infamous 2017 tweet, “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada.”
But that’s not enough for the provinces. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith already suggested creating a special border patrol that would operate like an existing fugitive-apprehension team that supports police services throughout the province.
Quebec Premier François Legault was somewhat more conciliatory, saying in the national assembly last week that he was pleased Ottawa was “getting the message that we need a plan to secure our borders against immigration and avoid the 25 per cent tariff” — though two weeks ago he talked of sending the Sûreté du Québec to the U.S. border.
How did Rohmer’s novel end? Well, let’s just say there was a sequel, titled “Exxoneration,” which saw Canada repel an American invasion and plot to control its oil supply by taking over the iconic Exxon corporation. It’s heady stuff, and a fun read, but a scenario this government should work at all costs to avoid — unless Gov. Trudeau has other plans.
Postmedia Network
Tasha Kheiriddin is Postmedia’s national politics columnist.