Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued an extraordinary call for partisan cooperation Monday, urging Canada's Liberal and Conservative parties to unite against what he described as existential threats to Canadian sovereignty.
The appeal, reported by CBC News, represents a stunning departure from Harper's deeply partisan political career. The former Conservative leader, who governed from 2006 to 2015, rarely acknowledged common cause with his Liberal opponents—making Monday's intervention all the more remarkable.
"Canada faces serious challenges that transcend party politics," Harper said, pointing to U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to Canadian sovereignty and rising separatist sentiment in Quebec and western provinces. "This is not a time for business as usual. This is a time for national unity."
In Canada, as Canadians would politely insist, we're more than just America's neighbor—we're a distinct nation with our own priorities. Yet Harper's warning suggests that distinctiveness faces unprecedented pressure from both external and internal forces.
Trump has repeatedly suggested Canada should become "the 51st state," comments initially dismissed as provocative humor but increasingly treated as genuine threats by Canadian officials. The U.S. administration has threatened 25% tariffs on Canadian goods, weaponizing economic interdependence for political leverage.
Meanwhile, Quebec's nationalist Bloc Québécois has gained parliamentary influence following Liberal setbacks, while western alienation—particularly in Alberta and Saskatchewan—has intensified amid federal-provincial disputes over energy policy and equalization payments.
Harper's call comes as Canada enters an election campaign with the governing Liberals trailing badly in polls. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre leads by significant margins, yet Harper's appeal suggests even a Conservative victory wouldn't end the sovereignty crisis.
"This is about Canada itself," Harper emphasized, calling for a temporary cross-party cooperation on defence spending, trade negotiations, and national unity initiatives. The proposal received mixed reactions, with some Liberals welcoming the gesture while Conservative partisans questioned Harper's timing.
The intervention reflects growing unease within Canada's political establishment. National security officials warned Monday that Russia's information warfare against Canada has become "increasingly successful," while election monitors announced plans to watch for U.S. interference in the upcoming federal vote—an unprecedented step between allied democracies.
Provincial reactions to Harper's appeal divided predictably along regional lines. Ontario and Atlantic Canada generally supported national unity messaging, while western premiers expressed skepticism about Liberal cooperation and Quebec nationalists dismissed the entire framework as Anglo-Canadian centralism.
The former prime minister acknowledged the challenges but insisted Canada's survival as an independent nation requires political elites to "rise above partisan advantage." Whether that appeal resonates in an increasingly polarized political environment remains uncertain, but Harper's willingness to make it suggests the sovereignty crisis has reached levels that alarm even Canada's most partisan political veterans.
