The morning belonged to Chrystia Freeland yesterday, starting with her speech on NAFTA renegotiation at the University of Ottawa, followed by her appearance before the Commons trade committee to answer questions – however vaguely – about what the country’s priorities were. And while she did list ten things that Canada is looking for (compared the American wish list of 100 items), she didn’t bow to opposition pressure to negotiate in the media, or to lay out which of the items on that list were merely for show, whether that’s the proposed chapter on gender or Indigenous issues. It was driven home several times that yes, Supply Management is going to be defended (no matter how many times the different opposition parties have tried to play the game that only they truly love the system). And as for talk about things like harmonizing regulations – a constant promise that never seems to make much progress no matter which government is in power in either country – it has become clear that this is something that the government began doing their homework on since Trump began raising trade issues in the 2016 US election.

Meanwhile, Paul Wells evaluates Freeland’s deliberate vagueness in what she was trying to convey about the talks, while Andrew Coyne wonders if the Canadian government’s wishlist isn’t a deliberate attempt to sandbag the talks from the start, possibly in the hopes of keeping things status quo.

Good reads:

• Vacancies at the RCMP are creating a great deal of strain in smaller outposts, where one absence can increase workloads and lead to burnout.
• Mélanie Joly is asking the CRTC to reconsider its decision to loosen Canadian Content requirements for TV and film.
• The federal government worked with Inuit groups to agree to new expanded boundaries of a marine protected area in Lancaster Sound.
• There are concerns that the government’s promise to hire more veterans is only benefitting senior officers rather than those in lower ranks.
• Armenian-Canadians want to stop armoured vehicle exports to Azerbaijan. (What were we saying about no “nice countries only” option?)
• The weekend’s white supremacist marches have driven a wedge in Canadian conservatism and the association with Rebel Media.
• The Hill Times has a look at the government’s image-focused media strategy which focuses on a variety of different outlets not traditionally used.
• Here’s a look at how some NDP leadership candidates will need thousands of new members in order to win the race.
• Here’s an exploration of how Canada can help defuse the North Korea situation.
• Terry Glavin writes that while we don’t have a migrant crisis, it doesn’t mean that the system isn’t in serious trouble.

Odds and ends:

It sounds like Brad Trost may be mulling a run for the leadership of the Saskatchewan Party to replace Brad Wall. Will he resign his seat first?

Canada Post CEO Deepak Chopra (no, not that Deepak Chopra) has announced he’ll step down in March.