Canada’s “America First” foreign minister claims to be best placed to stand up to Donald Trump. Chrystia Freeland’s absurd argument only sounds plausible because of media bias and politicians’ refusal to challenge Canada’s pro-empire foreign policy.
At her launch event and in a video produced by her campaign for Liberal Party leadership, Freeland has argued she’s best placed to respond to Donald Trump’s bullying. But when Freeland was appointed foreign affairs minister after Trump first won the presidency, a US embassy official in Ottawa dispatched a cable to the State Department in Washington titled “Canada Adopts ‘America First’ Foreign Policy.” Uncovered by Communist Party researcher Jay Watts through a freedom of information request, the largely redacted cable noted that Trudeau’s government would be “Prioritizing U.S. Relations, ASAP” and that Trudeau promoted Freeland “in large part because of her strong U.S. contacts.” The Trudeau government, it noted, “upgraded Canada’s approach to the bilateral relationship.” “Her mandate letter from the PM listed her number one priority as maintaining ‘constructive relations’ with the United States,” the memo adds. “Trudeau then added to her responsibilities for U.S. affairs, giving her responsibility for U.S.-Canada trade, an unprecedented move in the Canadian context.”
The Grayzone, RT and some left media reported on the cable. But, as I detailed in House of Mirrors: Justin Trudeau’s Foreign Policy, even mainstream media critical of Trump ignored the revealing memo.
Coordinating the bid to overthrow Venezuela’s government was the highest profile example of Freeland’s “America First” policy. But, from Bolivia to Nicaragua, Syria to Palestine, she aligned with US policy. In fact, Freeland praised the US’s “outsized role” in world affairs since World War II.
“Canada is grateful, and will always be grateful, to our neighbour for the outsized role it has played in the world,” she noted in a major foreign policy speech the day after the launch of a new defence policy that called for a 70-per-cent increase in Canadian military spending. In the speech Freeland said Canada required “hard power” and a readiness to fight wars to maintain the North American-led “world order”. “To put it plainly: Canadian diplomacy and development sometimes require the backing of hard power,” explained the foreign minister. “Principled use of force, together with our allies and governed by international law, is part of our history and must be part of our future.” Freeland also expressed support for the US empire on many other occasions.
Considering her track record it’s remarkable Freeland could portray herself as best placed to stand up to Trump. It partly reflects a ruling class that will bargain hard to protect its immediate interests but is happy to assist Washington in subjugating the Global South. But Freeland’s ability to position herself as standing up to Trump also reflects the lack of a movement criticizing Canadian support for the US empire. Recently, Just Peace Advocates and the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute initiated a letter writing campaign to NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson calling on them to truly stand up to Trump. It notes:
“Canada needs a political party that stands up to Donald Trump and calls for an independent foreign policy. As you know, the incoming US president recently threatened to annex Canada through ‘economic force’ at a press conference in which he suggested using military force to take the Panama Canal and Greenland. As we approach Trump’s inauguration, the NDP should call for Canada to clearly distance itself from the Ugly American.
“After 15 months of the US arming and assisting Israel’s genocide in Gaza, Washington’s standing in the world is at a low point. Its role in Gaza makes a mockery of US claims to be advancing international law in Ukraine or elsewhere. In reality, the US has long provoked conflict with Russia and is doing the same with China. Canada shouldn’t blindly follow US policy towards Moscow or Beijing. Nor should Ottawa back any US war with Iran, imperialism in Haiti or regime change efforts in Venezuela. Canadians deserve a major political party that doesn’t automatically assist a nation with 800 military bases around the world.
Canada should also reject Trump’s pressure to increase military spending. Trump is pushing Ottawa to spend even more on the armed forces because Canada’s military usually acts as an appendage of the US empire.
“In responding to Trump Canada can learn from Mexico, which is equally dependent on US trade, but has a more independent foreign policy and spends far less on its military than Canada. Leftist President Claudia Sheinbaum immediately responded to Trump’s tariff threats by threatening equivalent countermeasures and saying fentanyl was principally a US problem and American guns spurred violence in Mexico. The bully backed off Mexico while ramping up his rhetorical assault on an overly deferential Canada.
“Irrespective of Trump’s moves on tariffs, Canada must distance itself from Donald Trump’s USA. The NDP should advocate for an independent Canadian foreign policy.”
In a sign the call for a more independent foreign policy may be piercing through, MP Niki Ashton echoed the message on Tuesday. She posted, “We have a fascistic far-right president of the US who has threatened to invade and put tariffs on Canada backed by the billionaire oligarch class. It’s time Canada stop blindly following the US and starts pursuing policies based on human rights and international law.”
The vast majority of Canadians don’t want to be part of the USA. With Trump on the rampage once again, a Canada first foreign policy could be an electoral winner. Will any political party take up the challenge?
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