The Trump-Trudeau Sit-down

A once intimate President-PM relationship now sits more precariously than ever.



Unless he can manage to at once defy his principles and please the Liberal base, Trudeau’s favourability is on track to deteriorate within the next three years.

Below the 49th Parallel, the doctrine of “America First” has been made clear. It is a heavy statement. It means more than just prioritizing domestic products; it means a shift in economic regime. And above all, it means a shift that will be felt around the world—perhaps in no place more than Justin Trudeau’s Canada.

A once intimate President-PM relationship now sits more precariously than ever. And for Trudeau, a critic of the Harper administration’s interaction with Democrats, that signals an impending stress test of his diplomatic aptitude. With a meeting of the two executives slated for Monday, the uncertainty around how Trudeau will approach the administrative changes looms large. First impressions will be paramount to the future of Canada, especially with respect to Justin’s weak suit: the economy.

Within a year, Trudeau has flopped incessantly. Just look at his abandoned promise to balance the budget by 2019, which has now been revised to 2050. If the Liberal Party’s failures over the past year are any indication of its ability to attract and retain corporate investment in Canada, then the nation’s horizon is bleak.

Today’s circumstances paint a harsh reality: Canada’s current position will not rival that of its increasingly pro-business neighbour. With Trump in the Oval Office and Republican majorities in Congress, American companies are poised to enjoy massive gains from policy change. Trudeau’s economy may have adequately weathered U.S. competition when Obama was in charge, but it will not endure the incoming storm of commercial competitiveness.