I enjoyed speaking on iPolitics’ No Talking Points podcast to discuss Canada-US trade and the Carney government’s economic agenda.

My main takeaway is that much of what we’ve seen so far has been symbolic – the creation of frameworks (as in internal trade) without real reforms, and many a new agency that have put forward subsidies to paper over existing problems, all while leaving the status quo of relatively untouched. Build Canada Homes and the Development charge subsidies on the with provinces on the housing file are cases in point, where the collective regulatory, permitting, and zoning glut that are the principle causes of the housing affordability and supply issues remain relatively untouched.

It may be harder to sustain healthy job, inflation and growth figures when some form of tariff regime higher than the current levels likely settle into effect. The question then will be whether Ottawa tackles the policies holding back our economic competitiveness.

The recent Impact Assessment Act changes are encouraging, but it’s remarkable to see the Liberal party do a 180 on their own ideas, and even the Prime Minister, who just yesterday was promoting the greenification of central banking of all things, effectively take the opposite tack.

Time will tell if the changes are genuine, as at present, the reforms do still seem to be coming less from within than from Trumpian pressure without.

Pleasure to speak with thoughtful and articulate colleagues Blue Knox, Erin Morrison Marco Vigliotti and Brian Storseth