Politician Ed Fast on Trump, Carney, Turmoil in Politics & Trade in Canada & the USA

April 17, 2025
by ELO

On Wednesday, April 16, Dr. Richard (Rick) J. Goossen hosted a Q & A webinar with long-time Conservative MP (Abbotsford-South Langley) Ed Fast, on the topic of “Trump, Carney, Turmoil in Politics & Trade in Canada & the US: A Strategic Perspective." 

 

 

Ed Fast has been involved in politics at both the municipal and federal levels for 40 years. He has been part of federal politics at the highest level, working closely with former Prime Minister Stephen Harper as Minister of International Trade. For almost 5 years he led Canada’s most ambitious trade agenda ever, leading negotiations on free trade agreements with the European Union (CETA), South Korea, Ukraine and the original Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries. He is a lawyer by training and spent 24 years practicing corporate and commercial law in Abbotsford, BC.

In 2006, Ed was elected to Canada’s House of Commons as Member of Parliament for Abbotsford. He was re-elected five times. He had previously served two terms as an Abbotsford School Trustee and three terms as a member of Abbotsford City Council, three of those years as Deputy Mayor. In 2011, he was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in recognition of his distinguished service and leadership in the legal profession. Among other responsibilities, Ed served for 3 years as Chair of the parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice & Human Rights.
 
Ed was also in the room with Prime Minister Harper when he travelled abroad and met with world leaders like Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Benjamin Netanyahu, Shinzo Abe, Narendra Modi, Angela Merkel and David Cameron. Over his many years in public office, Ed has developed an extensive network of contacts within the global trade and investment community and within Canada’s community of political and business decision-makers.
 
Since the 2015 federal election, Ed served variously as the Conservative Shadow Minister for Environment, Industry and Finance. He recently announced his retirement from federal politics and is committed to sharing his knowledge and experience with trade-oriented organizations. 
 

This session provided great insights for business leaders trying to do forecasting, engaging in scenario planning and thinking about risk mitigation in light of current turmoil covering questions such as: 

  • What do you think of the current political landscape in Canada? How do you think the situation may play out over the coming months?

  • As a former Minister of International Trade, what's your perspective on the present trade war? How do you think the situation may play out?

  • Have political dynamics changed over your almost 20 years in Parliament and, if so, how?

  • Who is a political leader you have worked with that you admired the most and why?

  • What motivated you to get involved in politics?

  • How does your faith shape your approach to politics?