KINSELLA: Many reasons to embrace enhanced relationship with Europe
· Toronto Sun
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Mark Carney famously loved the Clash. So, at least once when he was Governor of the Bank of England, did our Prime Minister ever hum along to the British punk band’s song, Safe European Home?
The tune is about the band’s first big trip to Jamaica, which wasn’t everything they had cracked it up to be. On the chorus, Joe Strummer sings: “Sitting here in my safe European home, don’t wanna go back there again.”
Strummer was referring to Jamaica, and he didn’t mince words about the Caribbean country, either, calling it “the place where every white face is an invitation to robbery.” Back the Clash hustled to their safe European home.
Is that what it is to Mark Carney, as well? A safe European home? Certainly seems that way, these days. There Carney was at the European Parliament days ago basking in standing ovations, and declaring that we Canadians “are not fair-weather allies. We do not pursue zero-sum deals. We hold common values, for which we have always fought, and in whose defence we must always remain vigilant.”
PM avoids naming Trump in speech
That was a reference to Donald Trump’s America, of course, which Carney did not name. But the hundreds of European Parliamentarians present in Strasbourg certainly knew who our PM was talking about, and they were properly enthused. Just the day before, in her State of the Union address, European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen proclaimed: “I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU!” That won her an ovation, too, and a hug from Carney.
Still in the grip of WEF-rabies, Canadian Conservatives were apoplectic about all this illicit Euro-love. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre emerged from his caucus-protection program to warn decisions about Canada’s future “must not be made in Washington, Beijing, or Brussels” and that “Canada must be independent and sovereign. Period.” Other conservatives, small and large “C,” were less diplomatic, likening a EU associate membership to Deep State COVID, but worse.
Honestly, folks: is a closer relationship with Europe — one that is fully debated in Parliament, as Poilievre appropriately demanded — such a very bad thing? We think not. Five reasons.
Canada a Commonwealth member
One, Canada has been, and remains, a member of the Commonwealth, which is headquartered in Northwestern Europe. In English Canada, we follow the common law legal system (which is British) — and in French-speaking Quebec, the civil code prevails (which is French). Our system of law is entirely European.
Two, we pledge allegiance to a nice European fellow named Charles, and his portrait now adorns our bank notes and coins. More significantly, we are still charter members of a military alliance that is headquartered in Europe, and which has been edging away from Donald Trump ever since the nutjob U.S. President started threatening to invade Greenland.
Three, history reminds us that we went to war against Nazi Germany in the same week that Britain and France did, in September 1939. The Americans’ major industries, at that point, were selling arms to the Nazis — which the Yanks continued to do for nearly two more years. So, we Canadians have ample experience with American perfidy, and long before Donald Trump appeared on the scene, too.
Four, the Americans have left us no choice. Last year, Trump declared his intention to use “economic force” against us, and he’s made good on his promise ever since. Mexico, reportedly, has a trade deal with the United States. Canada, meanwhile, continues to be referred to as the “51st state,” and our key industries have been battered by Trump’s tariffs. In those circumstances, what else were we to do, but look for better trade relationships elsewhere?
Fifth and finally, not enough attention is being paid to ominous developments on the edge of Europe, in recent days, which will force our hand whether Poilievre et al. like it or not.
Russian military buildup along NATO borders
Since July, Russia — now in the middle of “elections” — has suspended the movement of people, vehicles and goods at borders with Finland, Estonia and Latvia. Those three countries are all members of NATO, and they have all been warily watching a significant Russian military buildup at their borders for months. Just last Tuesday, in fact, a NATO fighter jet shot down a military drone — almost certainly Russian — over Lithuania.
Which means we have skin in the game. Presently, more than 2,000 Canadian troops are stationed in Latvia, and we regularly rotate troops through Estonia, Lithuania and Finland. For many Canadian Armed Forces members, our relationship with Europe isn’t abstract. It is, in fact, the ground under their boots.
In sum, there are lots of reasons for Canadians to be unafraid of some kind of enhanced relationship — economically, diplomatically, militarily — with Europe. As noted above, we already have one.
Safe European Home: the Clash made it into a song, and Mark Carney may make it into reality.
Whether some Canadians like it or not.