Canada needs to remain unified in this moment of tension with the United States, former prime ministers Jean Chrétien and Stephen Harper told a crowd in Ottawa Monday.
The two were together to celebrate Harper’s receipt of a gold medal from the Royal Canadian Geographical Society for his career in public service, which included promoting Arctic sovereignty and expanding national parks.
Chrétien received the same honour in 2022.
In a discussion after Harper’s gold medal presentation, the two former political leaders commented on the threats posed to Canada’s sovereignty.
“The Canadian sovereign presence is extremely spotty,” said Harper, who was prime minister from 2006 to 2015. He noted there were “quite serious” threats to Canada’s Arctic sovereignty during his time in office, which prompted him to develop an Arctic strategy.
“I think I’ve been born out in that regard [of threats to Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic],” he told the crowd.
“I didn’t anticipate that [threat] being our southern neighbour. But nevertheless, we have to be able, especially now, to do surveillance and research and ultimately defend all of our land, seas and skies without the support of allies.”
But Canadians should not “accept unacceptable costs” to protect Canadian sovereignty, he said.
“I think there are costs that are going to have to be paid under the current circumstances to [preserve Canada]. But there’s also enormous opportunities. It’s not all costs.
“There’s a lot we can do that we haven’t done to make ourselves more competitive, more wealthy, more connected to the world, and this is an opportunity for us to take advantage of the circumstances. Let’s do some nation building.”
For his part, Chrétien said he “was not discouraged at all” about the current political moment.
“We live in a very important time in the world,” he said. “It’s a big shift. It is probably the beginning of the end of the American empire. And it has to come. All empires change.”
Canada, he said, is in a “very good position” because of the country’s land, highly educated population and values of tolerance.
‘Example to the world’
The former Liberal and Conservative leaders traded good-natured barbs about the differences between French and English Canada.
“We’re political opponents, but we’re not enemies. Not anymore,” Chrétien said of Harper, who was a member of Parliament during Chrétien’s tenure as prime minister and leader of the official opposition during Chrétien’s last year in office.
Both were united in their belief that Canada is a country worth celebrating, defending and preserving.
Chrétien praised Canada as “unique” among world nations, with two official languages and a relationship with Indigenous peoples that, while not perfect, is better than how the American government treated Indigenous people in the U.S.
“We have built something that’s an example to the world.”
Harper agreed, lamenting that Canadians have spent the last decade focused on the mistakes in Canada’s past. Canada has made mistakes, he said. But the country has corrected them and “built upon them.”
“Let’s be proud,” he urged the receptive audience. “Our pride doesn’t have to be just not liking Donald Trump.”
Harper commented on the renewed nationalism he sees as he travels overseas. Canada can learn from this renewed nationalism, he said.
“There’s no reason why this country should not be as nationalistic as anyone. We have a lot to be proud of.”
‘Pull together’
Both former prime ministers were muted in their criticisms of separatist movements in Quebec and Alberta, while also expressing confidence in Canadian unity.
Harper recalled how, during his time in office, support for Quebec nationalism was the lowest it had been since the 1960s, while separatism in Alberta was not a threat.
“I think the reality is, if the federal government manages this country right, puts the stress on unity and not on ideological tangents, there’s no reason why we can’t pull the country together.”
In a time of increased political pressure, parliamentarians of all political stripes need to work together.
“There always needs to be fighting about something because the public needs choices,” Harper said.
“But on big things, like Canadian sovereignty, we need to work together. There’s times where the opposition needs to support the government, and the opposition needs to know that if it does that, the government is not going to exploit that.”
Re: Harper’s time in office, “Separatism was not a threat”: It was the oil industry that Harper and Alberta Conservtive politicians are in bed with that quietly led and nurtured the Alberta separation movement from the background.