On the morning of the U.S. election, a Vancouver radio host asked Justin Trudeau what topped his list of cross-border concerns.
"Trade," the prime minister said. "Continuing access to the American market, making sure we're defending Canadian jobs, defending Canadian workers and ensuring a smooth flow of goods across the border, even in a difficult COVID period right now."
His answer reflects what Canada no longer takes for granted.
Donald Trump won his first term by campaigning against trade. His aggressive, America-first offence gave economically-vulnerable workers hope.
"People identified with it," said Andrea van Vugt, a former policy adviser to Stephen Harper and chief of staff to Conservative trade minister Ed Fast. "They believe that countries have been taking advantage of the United States for many years, including countries like China. And they voted for him and gave him a mandate to do something on trade. And he delivered."...
This was excerpted from the 9 November 2020 edition of CBC News.