If John Turner (1929-2020) was still alive today, it would be one of Canadian history’s most iconic “I told you so” moments. The 1988 election campaign was largely fought over the single issue of free trade with the United States. Turner warned Canadians that the ultimate outcome of unrestricted free trade would be economic and political domination. Now that President Trump is holding Canada hostage with tariff threats and openly stating his desire to see Canada become the 51st American state, every Canadian politician (with a few notable exceptions) is publicly stating that Canada should reduce our dependence on the U.S. market to preserve our economic wellbeing and sovereignty.
Let’s take a look at what John Turner said in 1988, a lot of which resonates today. Having first made the case against a free trade deal in the form rational argumentation, Turner began to realize that Canadians wanted to hear the issue distilled into more fundamental and emotive terms – they wanted to hear how what economic dependence on the U.S. would mean for the country they held dear. He didn’t pull any punches: “I believe that Canadians are not going to vote for Brian Mulroney, a man would be governor of a 51st state. They are going to vote for John Turner, a man who wants to be Prime Minister of Canada“.
In the first English language debate of that campaign, Turner delivered a stern rebuke of Mulroney’s support for free trade:
“We built a country east and west and north. We built it on an infrastructure that deliberately resisted the continental pressure of the United States. For 120 years we’ve done it. With one signature of a pen, you’ve reversed that, thrown us into the north-south influence of the United States and will reduce us…to a colony of the United States, because when the economic levers go, the political independence is sure to follow ”
Here’s the clip from the debate. Take a listen:
The Liberal campaign reinforced Turner’s message with a highly effective ad showing a Canadian and an American sitting across a table from one another, negotiating a free trade agreement. “Since we’re talking about the free trade deal, there’s one line I’d like to change”, says the American. “What’s that?”, asks the Canadian. “This one right here, it’s just getting in the way”, answers the American, before the camera shifts to a hand erasing the border between Canada and the United States.
Watching this 1988 campaign ad during the 2025 trade war, amid the Trump administration’s constant threats to turn Canada into a 51st state, is truly eery.
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By 1993 the Liberals under Chretien changed their tune. Only the National Party under Mel Hurtig opposed NAFTA while the Liberals adopted it. The 1988 election was not about FTA; Canadians are too dumb to care about economic matters. Rather 1988 was the anti-Trudeau election after decades of left-wing lunacy.
Nonsense. Canadians are too dumb? American? The ’88 election was all about the FTA – PET was 4 plus years gone and Canadians had had that same period to see Mulroney at work and it was far from all roses. As for 1993, that spoke to Turner’s point – once we’ve gone down the FTA road and reorganized our economy, there was no coming back.
Good job Riley. I been remind friends about this and I’ve been surprised that the mainstream media hasn’t been carrying this story.
Thank you! My goal is to carry the stories that the mainstream media forgets or ignores.