Thinking of senior citizens and others having to skip meals to heat their homes in this bitter cold. Meanwhile our elites give our money away and like the Speaker of the house have lavish vacations. How come so little coverage of this as it came out?
DS, do you understand this country's current fiscal and GDP situation? No one is suggesting we bring a "gift basket." These are negotiations. We have to NEGOTIATE! There are laid off workers in this country and no signs of anything changing in the near future, if at all. Cooperation is the key. Being combative and retaliatory are totally unproductive stances. It's like poking a bear. Get real!!!!
Brian, you do good work and walk a common sense line that not all are ready to understand. Carney and Trump are like oil and water. They do not mix well as long as Carney thinks like a European. He is not Canadian !
Overwhelmed lol understatement..you a busy guy to keep up with.. i do my best..
Have commented on most of your articles, except..i did not know the armoured vehicles wete made in the usa.. your list is reasonable for protection and we need to play nice.
Carney is likeable, your list is short and mostly in our court to do for Trump to drop or lower the tarriffs.
Paul Wells dinner, pretty nice. The list if sponsors, wow.. a video of the talk would be interesting..
All good news, and appreciated. Especially the list for Carney to present to Trump. We need to get along. It is imperative. I do have to ask, Brian, why do you say 'cover off' instead of just cover? I noticed 'cover off' used in my many newsroom years too. But still, why? ;)
As much as I like Orwell's essay Politics and the English Language, which calls for being strict, sparse even with wording, I like a good turn of phrase, like cover off.
Yeah, as I said, it's in common usage, might be considered 'insider' language viewed from inside the newsroom I worked in. Anyway, no big deal, thanks for the answer. Call me curious.
Brian keep up the great work. You bring an interesting perspective worth thinking about. I am worried about the political football or is it soccer games being played by our leaders. Enjoy Ottawa. Parka is useful.
This whole take reads like advice for how to flatter Trump, not how to protect Canadian interests. Carney’s slow, disciplined approach is working because rushing in with concessions is exactly how Trump gets allies over a barrel. We’ve already learned this: appeasement doesn’t stop him from slapping tariffs on steel, autos, lumber — he does it for leverage, not fairness.
Canada shouldn’t show up in D.C. like we’re delivering tribute.
American booze on shelves? That’s not diplomacy, that’s provincial jurisdiction dressed up as a ‘gift.’
Promises to boost U.S. auto content? If it were that easy, Americans wouldn’t keep trying to rewrite the EV rules.
Commit to the F-35? We already did. And if we were reopening the choice, Gripen offered way more Canadian control anyway.
Giving up critical-minerals access before a full deal is signed? That’s backwards.
And rewriting Canadian tech policy to please Silicon Valley isn’t a foreign-policy strategy.
If Carney goes slow, it’s because that’s how you deal with a president who changes rules on a whim. You negotiate from strength, not from a checklist of pre-emptive giveaways.
Carney doesn’t need to show up in Washington with a gift basket for Trump.
If anything, Canada should be laying out firm counter-actions that protect our interests first:
• Tariffs: If the U.S. keeps slapping tariffs on Canadian steel and autos, we respond in kind—clean, targeted, and immediate. No more pretending one-way pressure works.
• Defence: Whether it’s the F-35 or a Gripen-style alternative, the message should be simple: no country gets guaranteed defence contracts while hitting us with economic penalties.
• Critical minerals: Access to Canadian minerals isn’t automatic. If the U.S. wants priority access, it comes only with a tariff-free trade framework. No deal, no minerals.
• Automotive supply chain: Canada is essential to North American auto production. If Washington wants higher North American content, fine—but that means dropping tariffs, not rewarding them.
• Alcohol imports and regulatory irritants: These aren’t “gestures.” They’re bargaining chips. You want movement? Then we get movement from your side first.
Carney’s go-slow, steady strategy is actually the right one:
No more giveaways. No more pre-emptive concessions. Make the U.S. earn what it’s asking for.
I don't think Carney is the right person to negotiate with Trump. The looney left freeland was a disaster in the last cusme negotiations, wearing an off colour t-shirt and a silly purple frock, which made her look like a grape. The Americans all wore a suit and tie.
I don't see how you bridge the gap between Carney’s current negotiations and Freeland's (who is not in the cabinet) and her fashion sense. Plus you really don't have a choice, do you.
Brian, your advice is missing the most important facet, that everyone has ignored for almost a year, which is, do what Trump highlighted before taking office - recoup control of the RCMP and the CBSA and completely shut down the fentanyl precursor fiasco from China and manufacturing network inside Canada. Completely shut down our diabolical immigration network and start deporting instead of importing. And start taking back control of our banks, casinos, and money laundering cabal that every major country in the world seems to know about and take advantage of to everyone's benefit but Canadian citizens. Why is it so difficult for anyone with a voice like yours to start telling the truth about the situation we are in? You do an excellent job on so many fronts, but on the issue of how to appease Trump, you too are missing the boat. Maybe just do what he asked from the beginning...clean up our shithole of a country for our benefit, and maybe we'll regain the world's respect along with his.
The Carney advice list is pretty tactical, especially the critical minerals fast-track angle paired with trade incentives. Tying defense spending (like the F-35) directly to trade negotiations is smart because it addresses both Trump's NATO complaints and his trade leverage at the same time. The booze gesture is a nice low-stakes opener too.
Another Hard Far Right Ideologues of the Trump MAGA BS always advising Carney - as if are remotely qualified to advise anyone in the World - they all out rank you by 1000 km - although try PP - he is about your low level - but then again line Trump isn’t interested except for POWER and CONTROL!
Now that the US considers Canada to be a vassal state as per its recent National Security Strategy (or National SS), perhaps we can get a revised list of suggestions as to how Canada can appease the demented, orange thing currently occupying the White House.
Work is hard. Keep
It up. Thank you.
My husband and I thought it would be great if you could be an advisor to Carney. You'd give him some good advice.
Thinking of senior citizens and others having to skip meals to heat their homes in this bitter cold. Meanwhile our elites give our money away and like the Speaker of the house have lavish vacations. How come so little coverage of this as it came out?
DS, do you understand this country's current fiscal and GDP situation? No one is suggesting we bring a "gift basket." These are negotiations. We have to NEGOTIATE! There are laid off workers in this country and no signs of anything changing in the near future, if at all. Cooperation is the key. Being combative and retaliatory are totally unproductive stances. It's like poking a bear. Get real!!!!
Brian, you do good work and walk a common sense line that not all are ready to understand. Carney and Trump are like oil and water. They do not mix well as long as Carney thinks like a European. He is not Canadian !
Overwhelmed lol understatement..you a busy guy to keep up with.. i do my best..
Have commented on most of your articles, except..i did not know the armoured vehicles wete made in the usa.. your list is reasonable for protection and we need to play nice.
Carney is likeable, your list is short and mostly in our court to do for Trump to drop or lower the tarriffs.
Paul Wells dinner, pretty nice. The list if sponsors, wow.. a video of the talk would be interesting..
Enjoy!!
All good news, and appreciated. Especially the list for Carney to present to Trump. We need to get along. It is imperative. I do have to ask, Brian, why do you say 'cover off' instead of just cover? I noticed 'cover off' used in my many newsroom years too. But still, why? ;)
It's a turn of phrase.
As much as I like Orwell's essay Politics and the English Language, which calls for being strict, sparse even with wording, I like a good turn of phrase, like cover off.
Yeah, as I said, it's in common usage, might be considered 'insider' language viewed from inside the newsroom I worked in. Anyway, no big deal, thanks for the answer. Call me curious.
Leave the writing to the journalist. Nit-picking is not necessary or helpful.
Brian keep up the great work. You bring an interesting perspective worth thinking about. I am worried about the political football or is it soccer games being played by our leaders. Enjoy Ottawa. Parka is useful.
This whole take reads like advice for how to flatter Trump, not how to protect Canadian interests. Carney’s slow, disciplined approach is working because rushing in with concessions is exactly how Trump gets allies over a barrel. We’ve already learned this: appeasement doesn’t stop him from slapping tariffs on steel, autos, lumber — he does it for leverage, not fairness.
Canada shouldn’t show up in D.C. like we’re delivering tribute.
American booze on shelves? That’s not diplomacy, that’s provincial jurisdiction dressed up as a ‘gift.’
Promises to boost U.S. auto content? If it were that easy, Americans wouldn’t keep trying to rewrite the EV rules.
Commit to the F-35? We already did. And if we were reopening the choice, Gripen offered way more Canadian control anyway.
Giving up critical-minerals access before a full deal is signed? That’s backwards.
And rewriting Canadian tech policy to please Silicon Valley isn’t a foreign-policy strategy.
If Carney goes slow, it’s because that’s how you deal with a president who changes rules on a whim. You negotiate from strength, not from a checklist of pre-emptive giveaways.
So, go slow is all you got? Give specifics, like Lilley did with his suggestions. Otherwise, you're not being constructive.
For those with challenged reading comprehension.
Carney doesn’t need to show up in Washington with a gift basket for Trump.
If anything, Canada should be laying out firm counter-actions that protect our interests first:
• Tariffs: If the U.S. keeps slapping tariffs on Canadian steel and autos, we respond in kind—clean, targeted, and immediate. No more pretending one-way pressure works.
• Defence: Whether it’s the F-35 or a Gripen-style alternative, the message should be simple: no country gets guaranteed defence contracts while hitting us with economic penalties.
• Critical minerals: Access to Canadian minerals isn’t automatic. If the U.S. wants priority access, it comes only with a tariff-free trade framework. No deal, no minerals.
• Automotive supply chain: Canada is essential to North American auto production. If Washington wants higher North American content, fine—but that means dropping tariffs, not rewarding them.
• Alcohol imports and regulatory irritants: These aren’t “gestures.” They’re bargaining chips. You want movement? Then we get movement from your side first.
Carney’s go-slow, steady strategy is actually the right one:
No more giveaways. No more pre-emptive concessions. Make the U.S. earn what it’s asking for.
That’s how you negotiate with Trump—or anyone.
I don't think Carney is the right person to negotiate with Trump. The looney left freeland was a disaster in the last cusme negotiations, wearing an off colour t-shirt and a silly purple frock, which made her look like a grape. The Americans all wore a suit and tie.
I don't see how you bridge the gap between Carney’s current negotiations and Freeland's (who is not in the cabinet) and her fashion sense. Plus you really don't have a choice, do you.
Nothing that Lilley threw out there is realistic. It’s only capitulation.
Good post. You can’t appease a tyrant and a bully. Especially one who is demented. That will just make him ask for more as he senses weakness.
Brian, your advice is missing the most important facet, that everyone has ignored for almost a year, which is, do what Trump highlighted before taking office - recoup control of the RCMP and the CBSA and completely shut down the fentanyl precursor fiasco from China and manufacturing network inside Canada. Completely shut down our diabolical immigration network and start deporting instead of importing. And start taking back control of our banks, casinos, and money laundering cabal that every major country in the world seems to know about and take advantage of to everyone's benefit but Canadian citizens. Why is it so difficult for anyone with a voice like yours to start telling the truth about the situation we are in? You do an excellent job on so many fronts, but on the issue of how to appease Trump, you too are missing the boat. Maybe just do what he asked from the beginning...clean up our shithole of a country for our benefit, and maybe we'll regain the world's respect along with his.
The Carney advice list is pretty tactical, especially the critical minerals fast-track angle paired with trade incentives. Tying defense spending (like the F-35) directly to trade negotiations is smart because it addresses both Trump's NATO complaints and his trade leverage at the same time. The booze gesture is a nice low-stakes opener too.
Another Hard Far Right Ideologues of the Trump MAGA BS always advising Carney - as if are remotely qualified to advise anyone in the World - they all out rank you by 1000 km - although try PP - he is about your low level - but then again line Trump isn’t interested except for POWER and CONTROL!
Now that the US considers Canada to be a vassal state as per its recent National Security Strategy (or National SS), perhaps we can get a revised list of suggestions as to how Canada can appease the demented, orange thing currently occupying the White House.
Brian, you are a traitor. Your advice is nothing more than capitulation. Your self promotion is cringe worthy.