Rudy Husny is a former political advisor and strategist for the Conservatives in Ottawa. Former director for the Minister of Worldwide Commerce within the Harper authorities from 2011 to 2015, he was additionally an advisor to the Chief of the Opposition. He’s now a advisor, speaker and political analyst for Noovo and Ontario Chronicle.
Just a few days earlier than the 2019 federal election, I acquired calls from the embassies of G20 international locations. I used to be a senior adviser to Conservative Chief Andrew Scheer on the time. Their request was easy: if the Conservatives received, how might we organize congratulatory calls from their leaders to Scheer within the hours following the election outcomes?
They needed to make sure they had been on the prime of the decision listing. We arrange a protocol between myself and my chief of employees on the time, Marc-André Leclerc, who was in Regina for election evening, whereas I used to be on the Conservative Celebration’s HQ in Ottawa.
It wasn’t the probably final result however international locations had been prepared for any state of affairs and reached out on to us, although political channels, not International Affairs Canada.
Final week, we realized in an interview on Radio-Canada’s Tout le monde en parle with retired profession diplomat Louise Blais, that when Donald Trump received his first U.S. presidential election in 2016, the Prime Minister’s Workplace struggled to discover a cellphone quantity to contact him.
File photograph of Louise Blais, senior particular advisor of U.S. and worldwide affairs on the Enterprise Council of Canada, talking on the Canadian Membership in Ottawa on Nov. 9, 2023. (Kamara Morozuk / Bloomberg through Getty Pictures)
Ultimately, Blais, who was Consul Basic of Canada in Atlanta on the time, used her contacts to acquire a cellphone quantity for Trump’s penthouse in New York. Blais stated she wrote the quantity on a serviette and offered it to Justin Trudeau’s workplace, so he might name the winner.
This illustrates the extent of preparedness—or lack thereof—of the Trudeau authorities, which did not set up prior relations with the brand new president-elect.
Quick ahead to right this moment. Sure, Prime Minister Trudeau did have a name with President (re-elect) Trump. He wasn’t the primary to take action, as was the case with President-elect Joe Biden in 2020. He wasn’t the final, both. I assume he realized from the struggles of 2016 and their errors. Really, no—they made new ones.
For the previous 12 months and since Pierre Poilievre was elected chief of the Conservative Celebration of Canada, the Trudeau authorities has used repeatedly the title of Trump and his MAGA motion in numerous not-so-veiled methods to painting Poilievre because the “Donald Trump of the North.”
Sure, Trudeau did name Trump after the assassination try, which was a very good deed. However what number of occasions has Trudeau and his crew used Trump’s title to assault Poilievre within the Home of Commons throughout Query Interval, in parliamentary committees, and through press conferences? Frankly, I don’t know—I don’t have sufficient fingers and toes to depend.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is greeted by U.S. President Donald Trump as he arrives on the White Home in Washington, D.C. on October 11, 2017 (THE CANADIAN PRESS / Sean Kilpatrick)
In 1969, Pierre Elliott Trudeau acknowledged that, after the unity of the nation, the precedence of a Canadian prime minister is to keep up a powerful relationship with america. It was the identical for Prime Ministers Brian Mulroney, Jean Chrétien, and Stephen Harper.
Even Justin Trudeau has stated: “Canada’s relationship with the United States is one of our most important and enduring partnerships.”
So my query is: why would a major minister of Canada gamble with the nation’s most necessary and enduring partnership for reasonable political factors? Sure, Justin Trudeau is determined. However on the finish of the day, he’s the prime minister, and he ought to rise above this and conduct himself as a statesman. However, no. He made the identical mistake as in 2016—he thought the Democrats would win.
We don’t vote within the U.S. The usual line is that we’ll work with the federal government that the Individuals select. It was a colossal diplomatic mistake made by Trudeau to not comply with that route. Not the one mistake, sadly.
Working example: It was simply introduced that Rep. Elise Stefanik is likely to be appointed U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Rep. Mike Waltz as Nationwide Safety Advisor. In 2022, Stefanik co-signed a letter criticizing Canada for approving the sale of a Canadian firm concerned in vital minerals with out correct nationwide safety screening. One other strike in opposition to Trudeau.
So, let me sum this up: Trudeau tried to make a free commerce settlement with China and obtained rebuffed. He was late to ban Huawei. He delayed the acquisition of the F-35 fighter planes. He doesn’t spend two per cent of GDP on defence spending. We’re not a part of AUKUS or QUAD. We’re in turmoil with India. President Trump didn’t like him throughout his first presidency, and it isn’t going to enhance after Trudeau’s many statements in opposition to him.
Even his newly-appointed U.S. ambassador to the UN holds a grudge over Trudeau’s insurance policies on nationwide safety screenings for vital minerals.
And the Trudeau authorities simply introduced a cap on oil and gasoline emissions — which is actually a cap on manufacturing — focused at Alberta. That’s capturing ourselves within the foot—like we would have liked that. Even former Liberal finance minister Invoice Morneau acknowledged that the timing of this announcement doesn’t make any sense. We export vitality to the U.S.! The Canada-U.S. vitality file is one which we are able to speak about with the brand new Trump administration.
From my expertise, the brand new U.S. administration received’t have a lot time for us. They learn the polls. Why would a brand new administration, centered on their first 100 days, spend time and vitality with the Trudeau authorities till an election is named in Canada?
By the best way, Trudeau goes to a G-20 summit subsequent week. I assume G-20 heads of presidency received’t combat for a bilateral assembly. Our diplomat will, however he’s broken items—properly previous his expiration date. It’ll look extra like Trudeau’s farewell goodbye tour, similar as President Joe Biden.
It’s time for a change. And to reset Canada-U.S. relations.
