REPORT CARD ON CANADA
Leaving a late-night cabinet meeting with a renegotiated North American trade deal in hand, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced it was a “good day for Canada” — and in the sense that months of uncertainty are finally over, he’s right. But is the trade deal itself — now renamed the USMCA — good for Canada? A year ago, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland announced Canada’s key demands going into negotiations with the Trump administration. That speech was an exercise in moderation compared to the U.S. demands that numbered more than 100 items, but still, Canada’s goals were ambitious. Savvy negotiators will announce “demands” they’re prepared to abandon in exchange for concessions from the other side, so it’s unrealistic to expect Canada to have run the table on their asks — but it’s always worth keeping score. The National Post’s Stuart Thomson compiled a brief report card on Canada’s win and losses.