Blazingcatfur

President Donald Trump’s provocative suggestion that Canada might as well be America’s 51st state is absurd, as Canadians know.

But it is precisely this absurdity that garners attention — something Trump understands all too well. To Canadians, such comments are exasperating, but they also highlight a deeper issue: the dysfunction within Canada’s own economic framework, particularly when it comes to interprovincial trade.

As a Canadian, I commend to American readers the desirability of avoiding unnecessary friction with that country. It is almost impossible to distinguish an English-speaking Canadian (as opposed to French Canadians — a little over 20 percent of Canadians), from an American from a northern state.

The audible difference is the pronunciation of a few words with the vowels ‘o’ and ‘u’ together in them such as about, and house. That is the cultural barrier between the two countries which has historically been as conveniently penetrable as our actual border. The United States-Canada frontier has not been crossed in either direction by hostile forces for more than 200 years, since the War of 1812.

With Trudeau hanging on as PM Canada can expect a rough ride.

As Premier Doug Ford prepares to trigger a provincial election on Wednesday, opposition parties are raising concerns about his two planned trips to Washington D.C. during the campaign, calling them “explicitly partisan” and an inappropriate use of taxpayer funds.

The moment the Ontario legislature is dissolved and an election is called, the government enters caretaker mode – a long-standing convention that prevents a political party from using taxpayer resources for partisan purposes during an election campaign.

Weren’t they accusing Danielle Smith of not being a team player last week?