Ex-PM Harper: Canada should make ‘any sacrifice necessary’ to preserve independence against US
Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Canada must be prepared to make “any sacrifice necessary” to defend its independence amid mounting threats driven by US President Donald Trump.
Harper, who led a Conservative government from 2006 to 2015, delivered the remarks on Tuesday, warning about Canada’s future.
He described the current moment as dangerous, underscoring the gravity of the situation facing the country.
The warning echoed remarks by Prime Minister Mark Carney on January 20 at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, where he spoke of a “rupture” in the global order.
His comments were widely read as a rebuke of Washington’s trade and foreign policy direction, even though Trump was not mentioned by name.
Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of turning Canada into the 51st US state and openly threatened Ottawa with punishing tariffs, moves that have fueled deep concern across the country and reinforced fears of economic coercion and political intimidation.
US pressure has extended beyond Canada’s southern border. Trump’s push to seize Greenland has rattled the NATO and alarmed Ottawa, which shares a 3,000-kilometer maritime border with the Arctic island and sees the move as part of a broader pattern of American expansionism.
Harper urged Canada’s two main political parties, the Liberals and Conservatives, to close ranks against threats to national sovereignty.
“We must make any sacrifice necessary to preserve the independence and the unity of this blessed land,” Harper emphasized.
He called for "resisting outside pressure," noting, “But that will require that in these perilous times ... both parties, whatever their other differences, come together against external forces that threaten our independence."
Harper also cautioned against internal divisions that could weaken the country at a moment of external danger.
His remarks come as a separatist movement in Alberta, known as “Alberta Prosperity,” may gather enough support this spring to trigger a referendum on breaking away from Canada.
Multiple reports indicate that figures linked to Trump’s administration have held meetings with leaders of the movement and offered economic and political support, raising concerns about direct US interference in Canada’s internal affairs.
“The US is extremely enthusiastic about a free and independent Alberta,” the group’s legal counsel, Jeff Rath stated.
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