At a watershed moment for Canada, experts from the School of Public Policy have been in demand with media, podcasts and panel discussions to provide their insights and ideas about our political and economic future.

From Dr. Trevor Tombe on tariffs, Dr. Kent Fellows on energy exports, Carlo Dade on international relations or Martha Hall Findlay on interprovincial trade barriers the School’s depth of expertise has been evident this month.

The seismic political shift in the United States has ushered in  a new world order and, Dade, the Director of International Policy, told CBC Calgary’s The Eyeopener Canadians must now  “fundamentally rethink” our most important relationship.

“We can not continue to drive our relationship with the U.S forward by looking in the rear-view mirror,” Dade said.

Even if tariffs are lowered or delayed, the ongoing war of words has an impact and the uncertainty is enough to discourage investment and slow growth, Tombe, the Director of Fiscal and Economic Policy, told Canadian Affairs.

There are risks for consumers, businesses and governments in Canada from both the tariffs and the Canadian response, said Fellows, an assistant professor of economics and the Director of Graduate Programs at the School.

Fellows recently published a policy briefing titled Crude Oil Curtailment and Collusion: Heterodox Trade War Strategies for Canada that laid out potential options for resource owners like the Alberta government.

“It could be a really big hit to the provincial government,” he told Global News. “I think the province is worried not just about what the United States is doing, but about what Canada wants to do in terms of retaliation.”

Richard Masson, Executive Fellow at the School and former CEO of the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Board, told CBC News the energy sector has endured tough times before and he noted, “it’s not like the higher price is going to result in a big cut in demand… we’re going to continue to sell oil, just get a little bit lower price.” 

Hall Findlay, the School’s Director and Palmer Chair, reinforced in media interviews that Canada has grown complacent over the year but it’s been encouraging to see Canadians pull together in response to threats and look for new opportunities.

“We can never trust that it’ll go back to the way it was,” Hall Findlay told the Calgary Herald.

As the war of words over tariffs escalated, Carlo Dade spoke to Ian Hanomansing on CBC-TV’s Hanomansing Tonight and questioned if President Donald Trump has veered away from the goals of the America First movement.

“He is apparently winging it as he goes along,” said Dade, who doubted the potential for success for the U.S. from such a combative approach.  “This is the not Trump shooting himself in one foot. This is Trump shooting himself in both feet.”

Watch the Interview: