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As the latest round of tariffs on our automotive sector prove, it鈥檚 an increasingly economically painful place to be.

And if Donald Trump鈥檚 musings over a third term are to be believed 鈥� and they should 鈥� that may be the case not just for four years, but for at least eight. A near decade more of economic coercion and geopolitical volatility.

So, the question is: what is Canada going to do about it? Not in rhetoric 鈥� we have more than enough of that already 鈥� but in substance.

Step One

This is a step we should not still need to take: abandon any illusions that guardrails exist to slow Trump down. No one is coming to curb his ambitions. No one is coming to our defence.

The Democratic Party? Forgive me if, like those progressive commentators, I鈥檓 not popping champagne because , , or the party gained a few points in a Florida special election. These are symptoms of survival 鈥� not signs of a strategic comeback.

Democrats are still in shell shock from November鈥檚 election, floundering without leadership and unable to prevent their nemesis steamrolling ahead with his agenda to upend not only the systems of American government but the global world order.

The media? I鈥檝e never seen denialism so confidently expressed. Last week, opinion columnists tripped over themselves to explain that Trump鈥檚 talk of a third term was mere theatrics 鈥� a distraction from his policy vacuum, a way to shake the lame-duck label.

Perhaps. But this is also the same man who wore a mug shot like a campaign badge of honour. The Constitution has not constrained him before 鈥� why would it now?

The institutions of America? The pathetic lack of spine 聽鈥� too afraid to stand up to Trump鈥檚 recent executive overreaches that compromise their independence 鈥� demonstrate that institutional courage is in short supply.

Lack of integrity

This abdication of integrity is especially worrying, as corporate America may now be the only element of American society that can act as a bulwark against Trump鈥檚 agenda; the other branches of the U.S. government clearly cannot. As markets tumble, a black swan economic event could finally compel corporate America to use its heft to reign in the President.

The rest of the world? To date, they鈥檝e shown little interest in our economic vulnerability.

And now that they, themselves, are subject to punishing tariffs, it is clear this crisis is ours alone to solve.

That puts the spotlight squarely on our current federal election.

While tariffs dominate headlines and Poilievre and Carney spar over who鈥檚 better suited to shield Canadians from Trump鈥檚 wrath, we risk missing the forest for the trees 鈥� at the very moment the entire forest is on fire.

Earlier this week, Tonda MacCharles illustrated the difference between the two leading candidates on Canada-U.S. relations.

Carney鈥檚 rhetoric is aggressive. He鈥檚 declared the 鈥渙ld relationship鈥� 鈥� rooted in tight economic integration and military co-operation 鈥� effectively dead. His focus has been on reaction and retaliation.

Poilievre, while more measured in tone, offers concrete policy. His promise to build a 鈥渘ational energy corridor鈥� to bypass the U.S. and get Canadian oil to other markets has potential to be a surgical solution to our economic dependence.

In a few short weeks, Canadians will choose which approach they trust more.

Action required

But here鈥檚 the bottom line: rhetoric won鈥檛 protect us from Trump. Only action will. We need substance 鈥� substance that frees our economy to stand on its own two feet.

What we ought to do now is steal from our enemy. If not in ideology, then in execution. Trump doesn鈥檛 nibble at problems 鈥� he goes all in. Canada needs that same maximalist mindset.

We need an ambitious, all-hands-on-deck strategy to break our dependency on U.S. trade, diversify our partnerships, and rebuild economic resilience.

That is the best outcome this election could produce 鈥� not based on what happens in the campaign’s final days, but in the weeks and years that follow.

I hope whoever wins does so with a strong mandate. Because the real test for Canada鈥檚 next government won鈥檛 be winning the election, it will be executing a bold national agenda so we can survive what comes after.