The election debate of Canada’s national leaders was less a clash of ideas and more a careful political dance. The candidates delivered rehearsed messages, stayed mostly civil, and avoided any real gaffes ~ but they also left viewers with little clarity on the most pressing issue of the moment: how Canada intends to navigate a renewed economic standoff with the United States.

With US tariffs once again targeting Canadian goods, including steel, aluminum, and autos, voters were looking for concrete answers. Instead, they got vague assurances and strategic dodges. The historic “dollar-for-dollar” tariff response has been abandoned, but what replaces it? New Prime Minister and Liberal leader Mark Carney spoke of “targeted tariffs” that would minimise pain for Canadians while hitting back at the US ~ a nice theory, but short on specifics. His opponents weren’t much better.

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While critical of the........

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