A display of moral clarity that others could emulate

“Does anyone believe Belarusian blood potash shipped through Russia is going to be more affordable, more sustainable or more ethical than potash shipped from Saskatchewan — right here in North America?”

— Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe

Sometimes straight-talking patriotic conservatives are exactly what the doctor ordered. It’s too bad they seem to be in such short supply.

U.S. President Donald Trump yesterday announced what he called a “massive deal” to pivot American fertilizer procurement from Canada to the eastern European country of Belarus.

Yes, the same Belarus that maintains an extremely friendly and strategic alliance with Russia. Their armies train together, and Russia stations military equipment and tactical nuclear weapons within the Belarusian borders.

And while it has not officially declared war on Ukraine or crossed that border with its own military forces, Belarus has provided combat and logistical support to Russia’s invasion force.

When news broke of Trump’s announcement, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe recognized the threat for exactly what it was. Much to his credit.

Moe did not mince words, immediately branding the alternative as “blood potash” and noting that purchasing from a Kremlin puppet state actively supports Russian aggression.

It was a display of what former Alberta premier Jason Kenney rightly called “moral clarity” — a swift, unapologetic defence of Canadian economic interests and democratic values.

Why, then, was the immediate reflex of the federal opposition in Ottawa to change the subject to the industrial carbon tax?

“Not only has (Prime Minister) Mark Carney made potash exports uncompetitive with his industrial carbon tax but (he) has inflated fertilizer imports for our farmers with 15 per cent tariffs,” wrote Foothills Conservative MP John Barlow on Monday in a social media post.

Barlow claimed that Canada is the only major fertilizer-producing jurisdiction outside of the European Union with a direct price on carbon.

Similarly, former Conservative leader and Regina-Qu’Appelle MP Andrew Scheer harshly criticized Carney in the wake of Trump’s potash statement, saying that the situation “speaks to what Canada can control.”

He accused Carney of actively choosing to protect his climate agenda over Saskatchewan’s economy, posting on his X social media account that “Carney has kept the industrial carbon tax in place” and that “Carney is not on Saskatchewan’s side.”

And while current Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre did not bring up the industrial carbon tax — at least not on Monday — he and his caucus have joined right-leaning commentators in attacking Carney’s attempts to pivot to an EU associate membership, with the accusation that he has essentially provoked Trump’s trade war escalation.

As Kenney rather bluntly pointed out in his social media post, the federal Conservatives’ immediate instinct to retreat into comfortable, pre-packaged domestic talking points in the face of an existential trade threat is worse than counterproductive — it is deeply embarrassing to the nation.

At a moment that demanded a unified, cross-partisan shield against an attack on a core Canadian industry, they chose partisan deflection.

There are moments for that kind of rhetorical response, but you have to choose them wisely. They would have been better to follow Moe’s lead, in large part because Trump’s gambit is as economically hollow as it is ethically compromised.

Belarus is a landlocked country, one that, like Russia, is heavily sanctioned by Western allies across the board. Its dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, has just admitted publicly that his potash volumes are already fully contracted to Asian markets.

Belarus is simply tapped out.

Never mind the fact that the transportation costs across the ocean would be enormous, and negate any initial cost benefit that might exist.

On the other hand, Saskatchewan supplies 85 per cent of potash imports to the United States with an integrated rail network. What Trump was trying to do here is an incredibly transparent attempt to use Belarus potash as political leverage in his trade war with Canada.

And yet, even Trump admitted yesterday to reporters that the U.S. would “continue to go with Canada” despite his announcement the previous day.

National leadership — Conservative or otherwise — requires more than reflexively opposing the current government in Ottawa with ideological bluster. It requires our MPs and MLAs to create a united front when faced with external threats to our country’s economic survival.

It is time for federal leaders to match the standard set by the Saskatchewan premier — drop the irrelevant domestic grievances, and defend Canada first.

We should be all in this fight together.