Jack Tame: Maintaining a low profile makes sense for now, but not the long-term

“Canada will never be part of the United States!”  

That was the defining line of Mark Carney’s first speech as Canada’s new Prime Minister overnight. It was not said in jest or as a joke. It said as a statement of firm defiance, a serious response to Donald Trump’s ‘51st State’ taunts.  

I can’t think of a time in my life where so much in the World was changing so quickly, where so much we took for granted was being tipped on its head. I bet Mark Carney can’t either! Just a few weeks ago, his party was 25 points behind Canada’s Conservatives in the polls. He wasn’t even a politician! Now he’s Canada’s Prime Minister. There it is, I suppose... the power of Donald Trump.  

It’s interesting how differently Mexico and Canada have approached the Trump Presidency. Mexico was kind of used to Trump’s hostility from his first term and its government has taken a softly-softly-gently-gently approach, delaying retaliation and hoping that negotiations will spare them the worst of the economic pressure. They’ve been surprisingly quiet. Canada’s opted for a much more combative response, from its big retaliatory tariffs to the ice hockey fans booing the US National Anthem, and the nationwide coordinated campaign not to buy American-made stuff.   

The irony of Mark Carney’s rapid rise to Canadian Prime Minister is that his party’s support has come at the expense of a political opposition in Canada that was arguably much more closely aligned to the US Republicans and Donald Trump. It’s so ridiculous – Canada’s opposition leader has effectively been reduced to posting social media videos, insisting ‘Donald Trump hates me too!’  

Fundamentally, no country is going to out-muscle the US in an economic fight. Not Canada, not Mexico, not Australia, and certainly not New Zealand. And I reckon what’s lacking at the moment is a more forceful, coordinated international response. Most countries are sucking up to Trump while keeping their heads down and hoping not to attract Trump’s ire. As Canada is bashed by tariffs, it seems absurd their King could possibly go ahead in welcoming Donald Trump to the UK for an official state visit.   

Winston Peters is in Washington DC this week. From New Zealand’s perspective, I reckon there’s probably no better person for the job at this moment. And in those meetings, for now, we will no doubt continue to try and maintain a low profile.  

That makes sense for now. You just have to hope that behind the scenes, like-minded countries are quietly coordinating on a longer-term strategy. Playing a small target game only makes sense until for whatever reason you do catch the President’s attention. It could be something so minor: a dumb tweet, a viral video, or an ill-advised comment from a diplomat. The temptation for leaders around the World is to shut up and hope their countries can slip by, unnoticed. But in the long term that’s no way to defeat a bully. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Team podcast
from News Talks at be Canada.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Will never be part of the United States. That was
the defining line of Mark Carney's first speeches Canada's new
Prime minister overnight. It was said not in jest, not
as a joke. It was said as a statement of
firm defiance, a serious response to Donald Trump's fifty first

(00:34):
state taunts. Look, we don't usually talk too much about
geopolitics on Saturday mornings. Usually we try and make this
a relatively geopolitic free zone. But I just cannot think
of a time in my life where so much in
the world was changing so quickly, you know, where like

(00:58):
so much that we took for granted was being tipped
on its head. And well, look, I bet that Mark
Kearney can't either. Mark Carney be honest. Two months ago,
did you have any idea who Mark Carney was? Just
a few weeks ago, his party was twenty five points
behind Canada's Conservatives in the polls. Mark Carney wasn't even

(01:20):
a politician, and now he's Canada's Prime minister. There it is,
I suppose that is the power of Donald Trump. It's
kind of interesting how differently Mexico and Canada have approached
the Trump presidency in the threat of tariffs. So Mexico
was kind of used to Donald Trump's hostility from his

(01:43):
first term as president, and its government has taken softly, softly, gently,
gently diplomatic approach, delaying retaliation, hoping that negotiations will spare
them the worst of the economic pressure from their northern neighbor.
Mexico has actually been surprisingly quiet, I reckon over the
last couple of months. Canada, though, well, when it had

(02:06):
opted for a much more combative response from its big
retaliatory tariffs to the ice hockey fans booing the US
national anthem, and the nationwide coordinated campaign not to buy
American made stuff. I've got a couple of mates in Canada.
I was speaking to one yesterday and she said, it's
amazing the extent to which everyone feels united. Like going

(02:30):
to the supermarket, there are signs that say this is
made in Canada, this is made in the US. Everyone's
going for the Canadian made product. The irony of Mark
Carney's rapid rise to Canadian Prime Minister is that his
party's support has come at the expense of a political
opposition in Canada that was arguably much more closely aligned

(02:51):
to the Republicans and to Donald Trump. It's just so ridiculous.
So Canada's opposition leader has effectively been forced to put
out social media videos now insisting Donald Trump hates me too. Fundamentally,
no country is going to outmuscle the US in an

(03:11):
economic fight. Maybe China, I suppose, But most countries are
not going to be able to outmuscle the US in
an economic fight. Not Canada, not Mexico, not Australia, and
certainly not New Zealand. And I just reckon that what's
kind of lacking at the moment is a more forceful,
coordinated international response. So most countries are sucking up to

(03:33):
Trump and trying to keep their heads down, hoping not
to attract Donald Trump's ire. But as Canada is bashed
by tariffs, it seems absurd, for example, that their King,
our King could possibly go ahead in welcoming Donald Trump
to the UK for an official state visit. What countries
are standing up for Canada. Winston Peters is in Washington,

(03:58):
DC this week, and from New Zealand's perspective, I reckon
there is probably no better person for the job at
this moment and in those meetings in Washington, DC. For now,
we will no doubt continue to try and maintain a
low profile. You just have to hope that behind the scenes,

(04:20):
like minded countries are quietly coordinating on a longer term
strategy Australia, Canada, the UK, EU countries and yes, New Zealand,
because playing a small target game only makes sense until,
for whatever reason, you do catch the President's attention, and
it could be something so minor right. It could be

(04:41):
a dumb tweet or a viral video, someone making a
speech at an awards evening, or an ill advised comment
from a diplomat. The temptation for leaders around the world
is to shut up and just hope that their countries
can slip by unnoticed. But in the long term, that's
no way to defeat a bully.

Speaker 1 (05:03):
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