CAN-USA Tariff Strife (split from various pol threads)

[Brad Sallows]

Is it viable to upgrade WCS via refining to something chemically comparable to WTI? Like, could we pipe it to coastal refineries, turn it into better quality oil, and ship that overseas as a substitutable product for WTI? I think that’s what you’re describing but just want to clarify. Obviously this would be very long term, but I expect that, in general, there will be an appetite for alternatives to U.S. supply… And we would benefit from alternatives to U.S. demand.

I suppose if we're going to build a refinery, we might as well go all the way.

 

[daftandbarmy]

And more coal mines and coal trains .... Still lots of coal buyers out there.




View attachment 91346

Global Coal Consumption Returns To Record Levels

Global coal consumption has surged in the past two years and is now back to record levels. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a primary culprit.

www.forbes.com

...

When Trump says he has everything he needs I think he means it. He can power his economy for decades on his domestic gas, oil and coal. He will sell what he can at the best price available and power his own economy with the least cost solution.

The Green Transition has been delayed. At least until the day that China, India and Indonesia stop using coal.

And that's good news for Canada!

Coal facts - Natural Resources Canada

natural-resources.canada.ca

 

[Good2Golf]

Is it viable to upgrade WCS via refining to something chemically comparable to WTI? Like, could we pipe it to coastal refineries, turn it into better quality oil, and ship that overseas as a substitutable product for WTI? I think that’s what you’re describing but just want to clarify. Obviously this would be very long term, but I expect that, in general, there will be an appetite for alternatives to U.S. supply… And we would benefit from alternatives to U.S. demand.

Not totally sure, but worth consideration, particularly if partial refinement can be implemented in less time than a fully developed heavy crude refinery capability.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Shut down the pipeline going south for a couple of weeks and call it preventative maintenance.

See how they deal with it.

Or blackout the eastern seaboard for a day. Turn it back on for the night.

We're Canadians, we can say 'Sorry' with a straight face and get away with it.

 

[CBH99]

 

[Fishbone Jones]

But let's increase our trade with China to get away from the States

(sarcastic rant on) I wonder, if Hellfires and SOF troops decend on the cartels in Mexico, if we can get them to do it here. The Canadian people are completely incapable of holding our government to account. Whether disinterested, ignorant or just plain stupid, we seem dumbfounded when we need solutions. Perhaps it's time to get out the tiki lamps and garden implements, load the trucks with WCS and poultry coverings. Maybe a decent into anarchy for a couple of months will smarten people up.

The liberals and Laurentien Elites I can find myself expecting this from. If the RCMP get implicated, I hate to imagine how that will turn out. This is not a matter of a few people being involved, the whole force will suffer. They will be looked on as a Mexican or Salvadoran police force. Hang up the Red Serge. (sarcastic rant off)

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I suppose if we're going to build a refinery, we might as well go all the way.

Yup. And build about ten more cookie cutter ones at the same time also. Cheaper in quantity and identical parts

 

[CBH99]

But let's increase our trade with China to get away from the States

(sarcastic rant on) I wonder, if Hellfires and SOF troops decend on the cartels in Mexico, if we can get them to do it here. The Canadian people are completely incapable of holding our government to account. Whether disinterested, ignorant or just plain stupid, we seem dumbfounded when we need solutions. Perhaps it's time to get out the tiki lamps and garden implements, load the trucks with WCS and poultry coverings. Maybe a decent into anarchy for a couple of months will smarten people up.

The liberals and Laurentien Elites I can find myself expecting this from. If the RCMP get implicated, I hate to imagine how that will turn out. This is not a matter of a few people being involved, the whole force will suffer. They will be looked on as a Mexican or Salvadoran police force. Hang up the Red Serge. (sarcastic rant off)

I want to word this carefully, as some of my long time college buddies & indeed one of my best friends since childhood are RCMP officers (and in the case of my childhood best friend, his father was also a career RCMP officer)

But I'd be curious to hear the thoughts & opinions of any RCMP members on this forum, re the seeming lack of RCMP action in regards to corruption within the federal government, notably the current crop of LPC cabinet ministers

...

I know first hand that the rank & file RCMP members doing community level front-line police work are great people who do great work. I know for a fact that the members doing police work in our communities are not corrupt, and suggestions to the contrary are utter BS. (There's the odd bad apple, but you get that in every single police agency on the planet)

I experience the RCMP's exceptional professionalism almost every single day at work, and am currently experiencing it in my personal life also as I assist a good friend of mine navigate the process of filing a criminal complaint against a former employer.


...

My personal take on the matter of senior RCMP leadership seeming to turn a blind eye to what I perceive to be blatant corruption among Cabinet is the structure that exists at the level of being senior RCMP leadership & the relationship with federal politicians.

The PM appoints his senior Cabinet positions, including the Justice Minister. The PM & Justice Minister appoint who the RCMP Commissioner will be. (In our case currently, I believe our Justice Minister also happens to be the Attorney General...go figure.)

So instead of having an arm's length relationship between senior RCMP leadership and the federal government, it seems like the RCMP leadership is in a position where it...

a) doesn't want to bite the hand that can end their careers & have them replaced

b) literally can't take any notable action against senior Cabinet members when the Justice Minister/Attorney General are amongst the 'in crowd' that would be subject to the investigations


...

Just look at the absolute hell the PM has unleashed upon Chris Barber from the Freedom Convoy.

He's had an incredibly expensive legal battle to endure which I'm sure at this point has financially crippled him, as Trudeau instructed federal prosecutors to appeal the verdict to drag this out even longer, after what was already the longest mischief trial of all time...

As of Friday, federal prosecutors were asking for a 10 year prison sentence...for mischief!! Aggravating factors being included, that's utterly insane. (Especially considering we don't even hand prison sentences to repeat violent offenders who violently reoffend while on bail or probation...)

But it goes to show you how far Trudeau will go to punish anybody who dares cross him.

(All done with the express cooperation of the Justice Minister, and essentially no independent input from an independent Attorney General)

...

So my take on things is that senior RCMP leadership have their hands essentially tied & are unable to investigate matters or lay criminal charges because of the structure of the relationship between the RCMP Commissioner vs the PM, the Justice Minister, and the Attorney General

It has nothing to do with the rank & file members doing solid work in the communities they serve.


(But I could also be 100% wrong about all of the above, it's just my take on things as far as I understand them)

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I also respect the rank and file, but they'll be painted with the same brush. That was my point.

 

[Kirkhill]

And Sam Cooper describes another hill we have to climb to settle with Donald Trump

REPOST: "Fake Chinese income" mortgages fuel Toronto Real Estate Bubble: Canadian Bank Leaks

Canadian Banking Money Laundering Investigation Reposted in Light of Ottawa’s Fentanyl Czar Pledge

www.thebureau.news

In response to Ottawa’s pledge to tackle fentanyl-linked money laundering—including the appointment of a "fentanyl czar" and new intelligence-sharing initiatives with the United States—The Bureau is reposting this February 2024 investigation estimating tens of billions, potentially several hundred billion, laundered through Vancouver and Toronto real estate via underground banking networks tied to China and global narcotics trafficking, including fentanyl.

FINTRAC’s 2023 analysis of 48,000 transactions involving members of the Chinese diaspora exposed vast wire transfers from Hong Kong and Mainland China, funneled through “money mule” accounts linked to students, homemakers, and shell businesses—including law firms. These findings raised serious concerns about Canada’s banking oversight but led to no prosecutions in Canada. The study also revealed laundering patterns central to the U.S. Justice Department’s $3 billion TD Bank case, with international students from China working with Beijing's United Front networks playing key roles in the TD Bank money laundering, according to U.S. investigator David Asher, a former Trump Administration official. The revelations underscore how the so-called "Vancouver Model"—once centered on laundering drug proceeds through British Columbia government casinos—evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic, embedding itself deeper into Canada’s banking and legal systems. These findings align with research from SFU urban planner Andy Yan, who has documented how foreign capital distorts Canada’s housing market, with mortgage approvals and home purchases far exceeding reported local incomes.

At the heart of this investigation is HSBC Canada whistleblower "D.M.," who believes they uncovered at least $500 million in dubious Toronto-area mortgages backed by fabricated remote-work salaries from China. After raising the alarm internally, D.M. says HSBC Canada introduced only superficial reforms and pressured him to delete critical records—deepening his conviction that Canada’s financial oversight remains dangerously weak.

Former RCMP investigators Garry Clement and Cal Chrustie, who reviewed D.M.’s evidence, warn that systemic vulnerabilities persist. Chrustie—who has extensively documented Canada’s weak regulations enabling underground banking linked to organized crime in China, Iran, and Mexico—pointed to the 2012 U.S. Justice Department case where HSBC was fined $1.9 billion over $881 million in cartel-linked transactions involving Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel and Colombia’s Norte del Valle cartel.

As Andy Yan has emphasized, governments at all levels bear responsibility for enabling foreign capital to flood Canada’s housing market without adequate transparency. “When you have programs designed to domesticate foreign capital into local real estate, you see these income-to-home-price incongruities,” he said.

Ottawa’s new fentanyl czar is tasked with coordinating intelligence-sharing and enforcement actions with U.S. agencies to disrupt fentanyl trafficking and related money laundering. Trudeau’s government has also pledged to designate cartels as terrorist organizations, a move that could have sweeping consequences for Canadian banks by exposing them to heightened U.S. financial scrutiny and enforcement actions.

It remains to be seen what position Liberal Party leadership favourite Mark Carney—former Governor of the Bank of Canada (2008–2013) and the Bank of England (2013–2020), and a globally influential banker—will take on Canada’s ongoing struggles with financial crime and illicit capital flows. While the Bank of Canada does not oversee financial crime enforcement, Carney’s extensive experience in international financial regulation—gained through his roles involving oversight at global institutions such as the Bank for International Settlements and his active participation in forums on financial stability—suggests he could offer valuable insights into Canada’s banking vulnerabilities. This is particularly noteworthy as he emerges as a political contender and potential Prime Minister.

The most shocking case reviewed by The Bureau, shows that one woman that owns at least four Toronto properties opened her HSBC Aurora bank account in 2013, claiming to be a “Homemaker with no annual income.”

But her Toronto account soon received incredible amounts of wire transfers from HSBC China accounts, and paid out “high value cheques” to third parties for real estate purchases.

This case suggests “Toronto Method” shadow banking described in FINTRAC’s 2023 study has been seeping into Toronto real estate for about a decade.

And yet in 2020, this same woman applied for another HSBC Canada mortgage, claiming to earn $763,000 remotely from her job in China.

In interviews, D.M. told The Bureau he waited “patiently for a year” after reporting his Chinese-income mortgage concerns to HSBC Canada managers, before concluding the bank’s response was insufficient.

“This has been going on for seven years and no one spoke up,” he said. “In my first meeting last year, they asked me a lot of questions, like why didn’t you use the normal channels? But I had no faith in the normal channels.”

“Many bank staff were obviously involved,” D.M. alleged. “It was not one or two employees turning the blind eye but the entire system, someone verifying those fake offer letters and pay stubs, or their bank statements from China.”

D.M. said his concerns also included HSBC Canada’s proposed sale to RBC, which was announced in 2022, about six months after D.M. 's April 2022 internal complaint. The sale was approved in December 2023 by Canada’s deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.

Christian Leuprecht, among other experts interviewed for this story, agreed that D.M.’s allegations of widespread Chinese-income frauds at HSBC Canada could raise questions about whether Freeland, Canada’s finance minister, had knowledge of mortgage lending investigations inside HSBC when she approved the sale.

Freeland directed RBC to “establish a new Global Banking Hub in Vancouver,” and “maintain Mandarin and Cantonese banking services at HSBC branch locations,” a Department of Finance statement says.

 

[lenaitch]

I want to word this carefully, as some of my long time college buddies & indeed one of my best friends since childhood are RCMP officers (and in the case of my childhood best friend, his father was also a career RCMP officer)

But I'd be curious to hear the thoughts & opinions of any RCMP members on this forum, re the seeming lack of RCMP action in regards to corruption within the federal government, notably the current crop of LPC cabinet ministers

...

I know first hand that the rank & file RCMP members doing community level front-line police work are great people who do great work. I know for a fact that the members doing police work in our communities are not corrupt, and suggestions to the contrary are utter BS. (There's the odd bad apple, but you get that in every single police agency on the planet)

I experience the RCMP's exceptional professionalism almost every single day at work, and am currently experiencing it in my personal life also as I assist a good friend of mine navigate the process of filing a criminal complaint against a former employer.


...

My personal take on the matter of senior RCMP leadership seeming to turn a blind eye to what I perceive to be blatant corruption among Cabinet is the structure that exists at the level of being senior RCMP leadership & the relationship with federal politicians.

The PM appoints his senior Cabinet positions, including the Justice Minister. The PM & Justice Minister appoint who the RCMP Commissioner will be. (In our case currently, I believe our Justice Minister also happens to be the Attorney General...go figure.)

So instead of having an arm's length relationship between senior RCMP leadership and the federal government, it seems like the RCMP leadership is in a position where it...

a) doesn't want to bite the hand that can end their careers & have them replaced

b) literally can't take any notable action against senior Cabinet members when the Justice Minister/Attorney General are amongst the 'in crowd' that would be subject to the investigations


...

Just look at the absolute hell the PM has unleashed upon Chris Barber from the Freedom Convoy.

He's had an incredibly expensive legal battle to endure which I'm sure at this point has financially crippled him, as Trudeau instructed federal prosecutors to appeal the verdict to drag this out even longer, after what was already the longest mischief trial of all time...

As of Friday, federal prosecutors were asking for a 10 year prison sentence...for mischief!! Aggravating factors being included, that's utterly insane. (Especially considering we don't even hand prison sentences to repeat violent offenders who violently reoffend while on bail or probation...)

But it goes to show you how far Trudeau will go to punish anybody who dares cross him.

(All done with the express cooperation of the Justice Minister, and essentially no independent input from an independent Attorney General)

...

So my take on things is that senior RCMP leadership have their hands essentially tied & are unable to investigate matters or lay criminal charges because of the structure of the relationship between the RCMP Commissioner vs the PM, the Justice Minister, and the Attorney General

It has nothing to do with the rank & file members doing solid work in the communities they serve.


(But I could also be 100% wrong about all of the above, it's just my take on things as far as I understand them)

The need complaints or allegations of potential criminal activity. Somebody needs to bring them something that gives them grounds to believe that criminal offence has taken place. If you tell the cops you think your neighbour is a drug dealer, they need more than just your allegations to get warrant.

I forget, was the Chris Barber/Freedom convoy investigation RCMP or Ottawa PS?

 

[Lumber]

Not sure if this has been shared yet, but a solid and highly aggressive piece by Mark Norman. I know a few people on here who will object to his conclusions and suggestions:

Mark Norman: Canada's relationship with the U.S. can't be saved

We are under attack and must act accordingly

nationalpost.com

Mark Norman, Special to National Post

Published Feb 14, 2025

Standing in the schoolyard and taking a beating from the local bully might seem stoic, but it also might be foolish. Further, if the other kids watching don’t have the courage to intervene, they are complicit in the beating. As I reflect on what is happening at the moment I am reminded of the cautionary work of William Golding, The Lord of the Flies.

When the leader of our closest neighbour, ally and trading partner says that he can destroy us with the stroke of a pen — and repeats his willingness to do so — it is more than just an expression of perceived superiority or hyperbole, it’s a real threat. To dismiss it as anything less would be irresponsible and naive. The question we must ask ourselves is whether we are going to act as a serious nation or not.

Although recent comments about the potential futures of Ukraine and Gaza appear to be awakening the capitals of our other allies, we continue to endure a “special” focus and abuse from Washington. Ironically, this might enable us to convince the other kids in the schoolyard that the bully is not as invincible as he thinks. There is truth to the maxim that there is strength in numbers. What has yet to fully materialize however is the requisite catalyst to rally those “like-minded nations” into a coherent and collective response — but we could be close.

The other day, I suggested on X that Canada should consider its rights and protections under the NATO charter. Specifically, under Article 4, we can — and perhaps should — formally approach our allies for support (diplomatic or otherwise) as we are threatened by the United States. Many responded to my comments suggesting that we are getting what we deserve due in part to decades of neglect of our defence and security; that NATO is useless and the gesture would be meaningless; the U.S. would ignore our efforts or withdraw from the alliance; that this is all just an overreaction to bluster; and, other similarly dismissive comments.

Perhaps those critics might be right, but here’s the real issue: we either believe in, and live by, the principles of a rules-based system and the power of alliances and multilateralism; or, we slip into the behavioural model of Golding’s book where Jack runs amuck and the entire island is mired in chaos, conflict and savagery.

I am of the view that Canada’s ongoing transactional approach to countering the overt and repeated threats to our economy, territory and sovereignty is flawed. Trying to placate the ambiguous and chaotic demands of Jack, or responding tit for tat to arbitrary and punitive tariffs is not a winning strategy.

This crisis is not exclusively the creation of Jack himself. He is as much a character of his own fantasy as he is the product of a disturbing systemic shift. Focusing our disdain toward the “talking head” of a deeper problem distracts us from the importance of what is happening. Jack and his tribesmen are convinced of a series of perceived injustices and economic disparities levied against the United States since the end of the Second World War, and by extension they blame much of the world — including Canada — for many of their current woes. As a remedy they intend to reset the entire global system to their advantage, and they don’t care about the consequences. Recent comments to NATO’s leadership by one of Jack’s henchmen that U.S. security interests lie outside of Europe are a case in point. In this emerging reality, are we as Canadians any different than Ukraine is to Russia or Taiwan to China? We need not like, or even agree with this possibility, but we had best acknowledge and understand it.

We are at a serious inflection point in our history as a country. As our predecessors emerged from the control of our former colonial masters, we are once again pawns in a high-stakes power struggle. We must now decide if we are prepared to abandon the relative comfort and convenience of our decades-long dependence on the U.S. We don’t have the luxury of physical separation. We can, however, accept that the marriage is over and focus on “moving on,” even if that means continuing to live next door to each other.

To make matters worse, our current political circumstances and the resultant “power” vacuum are extremely unhelpful, and Jack and his minions are exploiting this vulnerability with brutal effect. Lacking the requisite confidence, we risk potentially self-destructive behaviour — not unlike an abused partner believing that the relationship can be salvaged if they only try harder.

In this growing fog of rhetoric and posturing it is difficult to decipher the fine line between threat and attack. Faced with such ambiguity, we can either continue to wait and respond incrementally or we can act decisively. I submit we are under attack and more significantly, so too is the global system upon which our security and prosperity are based. In response we need to rapidly deploy all available instruments of national power with maximal effect. This may need to include otherwise previously unthinkable actions such as shutting off our oil and gas, electrical power and critical supplies, as well as the abandonment of historic diplomatic and military relationships and commitments. We must also convince our other allies — those kids on the sidelines of the schoolyard — that they too have a responsibility to act as they are at risk as much as we are.

This is no longer just about Canada and our national pride, this is about stopping Jack before he destroys the whole island.

VAdm Mark Norman is a former vice chief of the defence staff and Commander Royal Canadian Navy.

 

[Navy_Pete]

Not sure if this has been shared yet, but a solid and highly aggressive piece by Mark Norman. I know a few people on here who will object to his conclusions and suggestions:

Mark Norman: Canada's relationship with the U.S. can't be saved

We are under attack and must act accordingly

nationalpost.com

I think he has a strong point; Trump is a bully and will likely be forced to back down if everyone else pushes back. Despite how he's being treated by his ass kissing sycophants in Senate and Congress, he's not a king, and they will really start to hear shrieks of discontent from all their donors that will force them to grow a pair.

 

[KevinB]

Perhaps of Canada hadn’t spread its legs so wide for China, President Trump wouldn’t think you’d be so open to taking it…

Now I think the US approach is stupid and hurtful to both nations, but I’m surprised it took this to make Canada wake up, and frankly the angst should be focused on a number of folks not just DJT.

 

[Kirkhill]

Governance by 2x4.

 

[OldSolduer]

Perhaps of Canada hadn’t spread its legs so wide for China, President Trump wouldn’t think you’d be so open to taking it…

Thank Chretien for that and when Harper pointed it out that this was a bad move he was vilified by the left wing. Turns out he was right.

Like he was about JT. And that drunken ambassador we had...what was his name?

 

[rmc_wannabe]

Thank Chretien for that and when Harper pointed it out that this was a bad move he was vilified by the left wing. Turns out he was right.

Like he was about JT. And that drunken ambassador we had...what was his name?

The one we lovingly referred to as "Emperor Palpatine" during Op PROVISION in Lebanon? Who I had to escort back to his room after he passed out in the cigar lounge?

That one?

 

[OldSolduer]

The one we lovingly referred to as "Emperor Palpatine" during Op PROVISION in Lebanon? Who I had to escort back to his room after he passed out in the cigar lounge?

That one?

I dunno - probably. Can't recall his name but Palpatine fits.

John.....McCallum?? yeah that one...former Ambassador to China. The one that told us not to pick on China. I have a word for him....

 

[rmc_wannabe]

I dunno - probably. Can't recall his name but Palpatine fits.

John.....McCallum??

That's the one!

The resemblance is uncanny:

 

[RangerRay]

Perhaps of Canada hadn’t spread its legs so wide for China, President Trump wouldn’t think you’d be so open to taking it…

Now I think the US approach is stupid and hurtful to both nations, but I’m surprised it took this to make Canada wake up, and frankly the angst should be focused on a number of folks not just DJT.

Except I haven’t heard anyone in the new administration express concerns about Chinese influence in Canada. It’s a real issue that needs serious addressing by our entire political class, but I’ve only heard Secretary Blinkin of the former administration express any concern.