History from the podium
In 1992, the Canadian, U.S., and Mexican governments were negotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement. Canadian civil society groups and many unions were opposed. They said the trade agreement would she jobs and undermine Canadian sovereignty. Maude Barlow, chair of the Council of Canadians presented those arguments to a House of Commons committee.
Free trade with the U.S. has long been an issue in Canadian politics. When he ran for leader of the Progressive Conservatives in 1983, Brian Mulroney vigorously opposed any talk of free trade. But when he was later elected in 1984, he became an enthusiastic advocate. He gave this speech to a Chamber of Commerce gathering in Montreal in 1987.
Free trade, or reciprocity, with the U.S., was the big issue in Canada's federal election campaign in 1891. The Liberal-Reform Party led by Wilfrid Laurier was for it, and the Conservatives, led by their aging leader Sir John A. Macdonald, were opposed. Macdonald gave a famous speech saying no to what he said would result in Canada's being absorbed by the U.S. He won the election.
Donald Trump, the U.S. president, has placed a twenty-five per cent tariff on all Canadian goods. As promised by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada will respond by placing an equal tariff on select imports from the U.S. Here is Trudeau's speech making that announcement.
Moses Coady was a Roman Catholic priest who was born in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and lived there for most of his life. Coady taught at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish and chaired its department of extension. He was fervent believer in using adult education to encourage people to improve their lot by organizing... Continue Reading →
The Great Depression dealt a cruel blow to Canada’s prairie provinces, which suffered a prolonged drought at the same time. Desperation led to agitation and a search for alternatives to the traditional parties. In Alberta, William Aberhart embraced the theories of social credit and used his radio show to promote the doctrine. In this speech... Continue Reading →
Paul Martin became the Liberal government's finance minister in 1993 and was soon convinced that Canada’s deficit and debt were unmanageable. On February 27, 1995, he introduced a budget that chopped social programs, unemployment insurance, and transfers to the provinces for health care, education, and social assistance. The battle for public opinion was fierce. Martin... Continue Reading →
By the early 1900s Western Canadian farmers believed they were being exploited by private grain companies. Aaron Sapiro, an American lawyer from California, had helped to set up marketing cooperatives among farmers in the US. In 1923, he did a speaking tour in the Prairies promoting cooperatives as a vehicle for farmers to buy and... Continue Reading →
Thomas Homer-Dixon is a professor in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo, Ontario. His research, writing and speaking is focused on threats to global security including economic instability, climate change, and energy scarcity. He believes that human society and ecological systems are under multiple stresses occurring at a rate that is too... Continue Reading →
In January 1935 Prime Minister R. B. Bennett delivered a series of dramatic radio addresses that shifted from hard core conservatism to promoting state intervention.
Great Canadian Speeches 