Prime Minister Mark Carney’s address to the EU started out on a poetic note as he referenced Faust a tragic play in two parts by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (go-thay) It’s based on a classic German legend. In the legend Faust makes a deal with the Devil at a crossroads, By the way in the legend Mephostophilis is the devil. I’ll be honest – my entirety of knowledge prior to writing this, on Faust is that Mephostophilis is the Mr. Mistoffelees from the musical CATS. However, I digress. I was a smidge suprised by this somewhat poetic opening to Carney’s speech but he is a well read, learned man however the line which stood out to me in the entire speech was “The objective is not self-sufficiency, it’s collective resilience.” He also said that polling shows Canadians want a closer relationship with the EU -but I’m pretty sure no one wants to become an associate member only to be subject to the rules and systems imposed on other EU members. Apparently its going to a vote in the House of Commons. I don’t think anything should go to a vote before we know exactly what being an associate member entails because that is as yet very unclear. And the Liberals have the majority but Canadians have a voice and if they don’t want their representative to vote in favour then its time to get busy on the phone, on paper, on social media – all avenues to let them know explicitly what our expectation is for Canada. In fact in this time of talking referedums, maybe that should be an ask.