Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1478 - The 1988 Federal Election with Dan McCarthy, & Murray Simser

Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Dan McCarthy and Murray Simser for a fascinating discussion on a question first raised during the 1988 federal election. In that year’s leaders’ debate, John Turner famously warned:

“Once a country yields its economic levers, once a country yields its energy … once a country yields its agriculture … once a country opens itself to a subsidy war with the United States … then the political ability of this country to remain as an independent nation — that has gone forever, and that is the issue of this election.”

They explore whether Turner was right — tracing Canada’s trade history from the McDonald Royal Commission and the 1988 Free Trade election, through the promises and pitfalls of economic integration, to the challenges of dealing with President Trump’s protectionist agenda. Dan and Murray share insights on how globalization has reshaped sovereignty, the missed opportunities for adjustment programs in the 1990s, and the ongoing question of how much sovereignty Canada can afford to give up in future trade deals.

Their conversation also looked ahead: Should Canada pursue deeper integration with the U.S. through a security perimeter and labor mobility, or diversify trade with other global partners? And what does it mean for Canada’s political independence when the U.S. increasingly views us as its “51st state”?