Mixed Feelings. Clear Answer.

You can’t scroll through social media or the news right now without hearing that our Prime Minister, Mark Carney, just delivered a jaw-dropping speech to the audience at Davos.

Credit where credit is due. I’ve watched it a couple of times now, and from a standpoint of delivering a powerful, moving speech, this was off the charts.

Talk and words matter, especially in moments like the one Canada finds itself in today.

Canada Has What the World Needs

Many of us have been championing for decades that Canada has what the world needs:

Food. Fuel. Fertilizer. Fresh Water. Forestry.

And friendly people.

We should have been acting on this for the past 20+ years. Canada could have been a dominant player in the global economy.

I believe we need more of Canada in this world, not less.

However, after watching the speech, I find myself with very mixed feelings.

The Mixed Feelings

… Strong words BUT lacking in specific action

… Taking a big stand against the US BUT did we just give our largest customer the middle finger (75%+ of our exports)?

… Great message and needed BUT did we overplay our hand and overestimate our current world importance?

… Inspired and moved BUT is the current Canadian system set up to support entrepreneurs? Are we set up to win?

What I Don’t Have Mixed Feelings About

The time for talk, waxing poetic, and fancy speeches is over.

No more MOUs, oversight committees, consultations, endless studies, regulatory red tape, overbearing bureaucratic processes, and taxes upon taxes upon taxes.

Instead of more talk, how about more doing:

… Let’s get shovels in the ground

… Let’s get concrete go-forward timelines and commitments

… Let’s make it easy for capital to flow to Canada

… Let’s support our Canadian projects

… Let’s support and open up cross-Canada trade

… Let’s strengthen (where possible) our current trade relationships

… Let’s open up new trade relationships

Bottom line?

Let’s get back to work.

One Moment. Two Possible Outcomes.

Canada, and Mr. Carney, this could be our moment.

One we look back on as a proud country, puff out our chest, and say “Thank you. I am Canadian.”

Or we could just as easily say “Thanks for nothing.”

The puck is on our stick.

A Postscript

I wrote the piece above a little while back, right after Carney’s Davos speech.

Since then, RBC published a major new report that, for me, changed the conversation entirely. Not because it contradicted what I said here. But because it gave me something I’d been missing:

A specific, credible roadmap for what “getting back to work” actually looks like.

Starting Monday, I’m publishing a three-part series on that report and what it means for Canada, for the prairies, and for anyone trying to build something in this country right now.

Part 1: The Frustration (Monday)

Part 2: The Report (Wednesday)

Part 3: The Phoenix (Friday)

Stay tuned.

 

Russell Westcott
#Inspire # Encourage #Love