Safeguarding Canada
Greater Na tional self-relia nce will be an absolute necessity post- CO VID-19
Canada needs to become more secure by becoming more self-sufficient. In a new series, the Post examines how a country made wealthy by globalization and trade can also protect itself against pandemics and other unknown future shocks to ensure some of our immense resources and economic power are reserved for our own security.
One powerful lesson from the pandemic is that we are moving to an era of greater self- reliance — a post- globalization age where nations will vie more to advance their own interests and rely less on global institutions to provide stability and prosperity. It is time to examine closely ways to establish a comprehensive and coherent national strategy dedicated to fulfilling our own needs and pursuing our own interests.
Many of our international institutions suffer from advanced sclerosis, giving lip service to their noble intent but failing conspicuously to deliver because of internal gridlock or due to processes devoid of vision. We should recalibrate our financial commitments to many of these in accordance with the degree to which they serve Canadian interests.
On foreign policy more generally, the bedrock for Canada has customarily been a privileged relationship with the U. S. Donald Trump has little regard for the value of allies or alliances and little interest in global leadership. His involvement with global institutions hinges directly on whether they serve or obstruct American interests. Absent principled U.S. global leadership, Canada and other erstwhile allies will be in a “dog- eat- dog,” fiercely competitive global environment. We do not have the luxury of choosing greater self-reliance. It is rapidly becoming an absolute necessity.
The Ame r i ca- f i r s t , unpredictable impulses of the Trump administration are disrupting conventional attitudes and prompting a profound rethinking of foreign policy and security in many capitals. Should Trump win again in November, countries like Canada will be obliged to fend more for themselves, shaping their own destiny in a more precarious world, not because we want to but because we must.
The increasingly aggressive actions and ambitions of China are also a major source of global instability. China’s track record on COVID-19 should be an eye- opener for even those with a rose-tinted view of the Asian behemoth. For more than two months, China concealed the outbreak from the world and seriously handicapped a timely response. Chinese authorities also claimed falsely that human-to-human transmission was not possible, a position initially endorsed by the WHO, and then lamely pointed the finger at the U.S. as the culprit. Some have suggested that the virus may have been caused, not by bats, but by a leak from the government’s research facility in Wuhan.
No country can ignore the power and potential of China. At the same time, we cannot blithely accept the threat China poses to basic human rights and to the fundamental principles of global trade. It would be prudent to adopt some social distancing with China on several fronts. As the adage suggests, “When you sup with the devil, bring a long spoon.”
While focusing immediately on the pandemic, our complementary priority should be to establish a National Recovery Plan with measures designed to stimulate a transition to growth along with a long-range path to fiscal balance. Because it represents a national emergency, this plan should be overseen by a bipartisan advisory commission. Special attention and support must be given to small businesses, many of which are being pushed to the brink of bankruptcy by the lockdown. Programs should be tailored specifically to the most vulnerable and to those least able to comprehend complex government assistance programs. Streamlined regulations would certainly help. Direct consultations and speedy decision-making should be paramount.
On economics more broadly, we should bolster, not denigrate, our distinctive strengths in energy, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, telecommunications and financial services, etc. with policies that enhance our interests rather than nebulous aspirations on agendas that serve no national interest.
Unquestionably, we should dispense with imports of foreign oil. We have an abundant supply for our own needs and then some. Pipelines to our West and East coasts are essential to self-reliance on energy. We should abandon the ostrichlike mentality that assumes the age of fossil fuels is over. Far from it. Furthermore, exports of natural gas to reduce coal production by major polluters like China and India will do more for climate- change goals than any amount of carbon taxes. It is illusory to think otherwise. The government must act to bolster, not hamper, a sector that contributes 10 per cent of our GDP. Meanwhile, tax credits can be introduced to induce Canadian firms, including energy companies, to reduce their carbon footprint — a proposition that would be far more balanced and effective and less punitive to consumers than any tax.
We should cultivate a better domestic capacity for the development and production of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment so that we are not as vulnerable facing future pandemics nor subject to the whim of global supply chains from places like China that can be turned off on a moment’s notice. This should also be a much higher priority for R& D support in Canada. Perhaps some Canadian billionaires could emulate the examples of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett and choose to invest a portion of their good fortunes into R&D that would give Canada a leg up in facing future pandemics. This should not be a task for governments alone.
Among other plans worthy of consideration are:
❚ ❚ Methods to safeguard the integrity of our electricity and transportation networks.
❚ ❚ A made- in- Canada response to threats to our security and our economy from cyber space.
❚ ❚ Much firmer controls at all border crossings — one of the glaring deficiencies during the pandemic.
❚ ❚ A coherent plan to establish and sustain a national stockpile of medical equipment with a distinct preference for more products made in Canada.
❚ ❚ Major retailers like Walmart, Shoppers and Canadian Tire should be encouraged to purchase more goods made in Canada.
❚ ❚ In what might be called the former industry and trade minister Ed Lumley’s approach, we should adopt a carrot- and- stick tactic with Korean and German auto manufacturers who enjoy unfettered success in the Canadian market. To get their attention, incentives for investment could be accompanied by a caution that, without a manufacturing facility in Canada, stricter regulations on their exports will be imposed.
In the area of national security, we need both structural and mission change. We should sharply reduce the ratio between senior officers and enlisted men and women and give a clearer preference to sourcing equipment from Canada. When it comes to sourcing, DND has an unfortunate bias for ABC (Anyone But Canada) — a proclivity that belies its responsibility for “national” security.
On strategy, more emphasis should be given to safeguarding our borders — notably in the Arctic — and developing a better capacity to cope with future pandemics. The armed forces should be a natural extension of our emergency preparedness operation.
By becoming more self- reliant at home, acting more explicitly to advance and defend our national interests, Canada will also be better able to assert a credible and less dilettantish role in world affairs.