An Open Letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney

Dear Prime Minister Mark Carney,

Yesterday, Donald Trump confirmed what many of us feared: that reason, diplomacy, and decency mean nothing to him. After months of negotiations, negotiations your government pursued with integrity, patience, and purpose, the United States has imposed a 35% tariff on Canadian goods, on top of the 50% duties already choking our exports of steel, aluminum, and copper.

Let’s be clear: this is not a trade dispute. This is economic warfare. And it’s not being waged because Canada failed at the table. It’s happening because Donald Trump doesn’t care about negotiation. He doesn’t care about fair trade, his own people, or ours. He acts out of ego, grievance, and cruelty — not strategy.

You were elected on a mandate to stand up for Canadians. To protect this country, not just with words, but with action. It is time to draw a line in the sand. Enough is enough.

Canada cannot and must not be afraid to stand on its own. We are not America’s shadow. We are not their project. We are their neighbour, yes. Their partner, when possible. But we are not their subject. And we must stop behaving like one.

This moment is about more than tariffs. It’s about who we are, and who we are willing to be.

We see it in Gaza. As the Israeli government continues its bombardment, starvation, and displacement of Palestinians, tens of thousands dead, children buried under rubble, entire communities erased, Canada remains frozen in debate, afraid to act while others suffer.

That is not who we are. That cannot be who we become.

We don’t need more statements. We need action. We don’t need to “follow America’s lead.” In fact, we shouldn’t. When a genocide is taking place, we don't look to Washington — we look inward. We find our own moral compass.

And if we claim to stand for law, for justice, for peace, now is the time to prove it.

History will remember what we did in this moment. Not how politely we spoke, but whether we stood up when it mattered. Whether we honoured our responsibility, not just to ourselves, but to the world.

Prime Minister, our history is not perfect. We know that. But our future can be built differently. It can be shaped by courage, by conviction, by the simple belief that doing the right thing is always the right thing to do, even when it’s hard, especially when it’s hard.

You have the trust of Canadians. Not because we expect you to solve everything, but because we believe you care enough to try. We are a country united not by language or faith or even geography, but by our shared identity. Our shared decency. We are united by being Canadian.

We need you to lead us now. Boldly. Proudly. Not behind the U.S., but beside one another. On our own terms. In our own voice.

It’s time.

Sincerely,
A Canadian who believes we’re capable of more

Cole Bennett

Photo by Igor Kyryliuk & Tetiana Kravchenko on Unsplash