Canada Makes a Mockery of a Trade Deal

The Liberals want to expand Nafta to cover ‘gender rights’ and ‘indigenous rights.’

But Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland wants to make Nafta “progressive.” So Canada’s Liberal government proposes including new chapters related to “gender rights” and “indigenous rights.” Seriously. Ms. Freeland wants Nafta to reflect the government’s “commitment to gender equality” and “our commitment to improving our relationship with Indigenous peoples.”

These topics should be discussed in an appropriate forum, but this isn’t it. Gender and indigenous rights have nothing to do with a trade deal. Moreover, Nafta’s successful renegotiation would benefit citizens of Mexico, Canada and the U.S., including the “progressive” elements Ms. Freeland is worried about.
..This is another frustrating example of Canada’s political culture. The Liberals are perennial fence-sitters, content to shift with the prevailing political winds. The current government is one of the most left-leaning in years
.. The Liberals also seem intent on blurring the lines between political and economic reality and becoming a political and economic alternative to the U.S. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent profile in Rolling Stone—cover line: “Why Can’t He Be Our President?”—is part of a long-term marketing strategy to make the young, hip, photogenic leader a progressive hero in the face of Donald Trump’s America.
.. only 43% of Canadians hold a favorable view of the U.S. That’s down from 65% during President Obama’s last year in office
.. Canada’s political culture approves of preposterous proposals like gender and indigenous rights in Nafta. It’s the type of modern progressive agenda many Canadians want.
.. If Canada and the U.S. can’t find common ground on Nafta, Mexico may end up becoming North America’s voice of economic sanity.