Mandryk: Moe’s disappointment with Trump tariffs too tepid, appeasing

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It has never been about fentanyl or border security involving the legal crossing of immigrants.

And U.S. President Donald Trump’s 25-per-cent tariffs announced Saturday are surely more than disappointing.

Far more disappointing is the perfunctory response from Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, who said on his social media feeds Saturday night that he was “disappointed.” He did not hold a news conference until Monday.

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Some might argue there’s no consequence in how Moe gets his message out, but the Saskatchewan Party government invests millions each year in strategic communications for a reason.

In this case, Facebook (which doesn’t even allow news stories) and X are where Moe can communicate directly with “followers,” without Monday’s interruptions from annoying journalists demanding things like explanations.

And it sure seemed like Moe’s foremost explanation is that we can win this trade war by simply placating Trump on illegal drugs. Disappointingly, others see this as a right-wing U.S. president bullying Canadian politicians as much as he can.

Disappointed? Aren’t we all? Canadians booed the U.S. national anthem at NHL games on Saturday. They were surely “disappointed” Trump was kicking the crap out of us, but …

“Saskatchewan has been equally clear about efforts to stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal migrants,” Moe said Saturday in his online message about our “enhanced provincial border security measures.”

Moe’s statement further cited federal government problems, urging it take all necessary steps to strengthen border security and have fentanyl “removed from our communities in Canada and the USA” through tougher criminal laws.

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Sure, let’s get tougher on fentanyl drug dealers. If Parliament would sit right now (another ridiculous problem in this country) strengthening the Criminal Code of Canada might be a good item for the order paper.

But does anyone seriously think this will stop Trump’s tariffs? Even Trump is no longer talking about fentanyl or even immigration … or even NATO spending.

Tellingly, Saturday’s justification notes from the Office of the U.S. President that accompanied the tariff imposition announcement were almost exclusively about how “tariffs strengthen the American economy, raise wages and create jobs.”

Fentanyl? Not so much. Of note, among the thousands recently pardoned by Trump was Ross Ulbricht, whose website on the dark web was known to sell fentanyl and other drugs.

One appreciates Moe’s initial wisdom not to rush down to Mar-a-Lago like Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, instead sticking to the “Team Canada” approach of strategic retaliation.

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Even his notion of “engagement” with U.S. counterparts and not overreacting seems a reasonable approach … were we dealing with a U.S. administration offering one iota of reason.

But we’re not dealing with a reasonable U.S. administration, are we? We are dealing with — as Moe eventually acknowledged in his own press conference Monday morning — “one individual, President Trump, that seems bent on using these tariffs, in some way, shape or form, to destabilize the investment environment … and energy and food security.”

So shouldn’t Trump get a little tough love — a strong statement of Canadian leadership — mixed in with all this reasonability? Shouldn’t we at least pull American booze from liquor store shelves like everyone else (except Alberta) is doing?

Moe acknowledged “some provinces are making specific decisions on publicly owned liquor stores”.

“Not to say that we would act on any of those non-tariff or retaliatory measures,” Moe quickly added, before later telling reporters that Canada’s targeted counter tariffs, like on Kentucky Bourbon are “unfortunately necessary.”

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On Monday, Moe repeated his last November call for increased Canadian military presence at the border, citing Mexico’s 30-day reprieve. Canada got a similar 30-day reprieve later that day, but to suggest this happened because Canada somehow appeased Trump’s ever-unpredictable whims seems as frighteningly nonsensical as the tariffs, themselves.

You start a trade war over the number of border patrols, really?

“It’s not about obeying your largest trading partner,” Moe told reporters. “It’s about engaging your largest trading partner.”

Bet that many are equally “disappointed” with Moe’s brand of engagement.

Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-Post and the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

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