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Governments elsewhere might have to win over their national assemblies. They might need the two years allowed to ratify the agreement, or not. Such is not the case in Canada, where Parliament dances to the Liberals’ tune. Other signatory governments at least are in favour of the TPP. They at least are committed to ratification. Otherwise, they would not have signed. Only the Canadian government signed without supporting what it was signing.

Trade minister Freeland says it was a different Canadian government that negotiated the TPP. The new Liberal government needs time to study the agreement, she says. Never mind that the agreement has been finalized and available for scrutiny since November of last year. The minister can summon into her office anytime the very trade department functionaries who negotiated the deal. She reportedly has had weeks of public consultations on the agreement. If she doesn’t know by now whether it is good for Canada, will she ever?

The Liberals have played at something like this before, to their enduring discredit. Not so long ago they vehemently opposed a free-trade agreement with the U.S. Free trade was the devil, they said. Our very independence was at stake! A promise to tear up the deal was the centrepiece of their election platform. When they finally got into government, however, they suddenly embraced free trade, as they continue to do. Crap artists, they are.

Of course, the Trudeau government eventually will embrace the TPP as well. For Canada to exclude itself from the major Pacific trade alliance is just not on, and the Liberals know it. They only are pretending to be ambivalent to soothe special interests that prefer a captive domestic market. More crap artistry, in other words. Like the 25,000 Syrian refugees by Christmas. Like the $10-billion deficit. Asked about the deficit earlier this month, Trudeau did not even pretend it wouldn’t be higher than promised.

The problem this time is that the whole world heard Canada’s leadership casually dismiss as a technicality its own signature on a 12-nation treaty. It’s what, until 100 days ago, we used to call our word.

Saskatoon StarPhoenix