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Michael Higgins: Trade war was never about sovereignty

Carney's red lines for walking away from negotiations keep fading

A week ago, in a spirited, resolute and bombastic press conference, Prime Minister Mark Carney framed the tariff war with the U.S. as nothing less than the survival of Canada.

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Carney was determined to “protect Canadian sovereignty,” maintain our “independence and sovereignty,” and “not compromise our sovereignty.”

Michael Higgins: Trade war was never about sovereignty Back to video

“The new U.S. tariffs are designed to hurt us and divide us,” he said.

But a week later the prime minister’s belligerent rhetoric is looking increasingly like political theatre. And it is a show where the script has been shared with his ministers.

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“We cannot accept what they have offered and we will not give what they have asked,” said Carney on that Saturday.

By Monday, ministers were on board.

“They asked too much of Canada and offered too little in........

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