Prime Minister Mark Carney’s decision to walk away from a trade deal with the U.S. seems to have electrified Canadians.

Could it be that he’s awakened a desire for a more independent Canada — a desire that’s been largely dormant in recent years as our political leaders have moved us towards deeper integration and (let’s face it) deeper domination by our powerful neighbour?

We’ve been mostly on this path since former prime minister Brian Mulroney signed the Canada-U. S. Free Trade Agreement, which was highly contentious at the time.

In the final stages of those 1987 free trade talks, our lead negotiator, Simon Reisman, stormed out, because he couldn’t get a deal he thought Canada should sign.

However, Mulroney was so keen for a deal he ended up signing one anyway.

That original free trade deal was hotly contested in the 1988 federal election, with both the Liberals and NDP vigorously opposing it, arguing Canada was giving up too much sovereignty.

But, with the Canadian corporate elite onside, Mulroney’s Conservatives prevailed.

The deal redesigned Canada in many ways, forcing us to give up important levers over our economy and rendering us more........

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