By now, you've likely heard something about the collapse of our trade talks with the United States.

By now, you've likely heard something about the collapse of our trade talks with the United States. And you've probably heard that we could not accept what they were proposing. Let's be clear, it's a shame. Because a mutually beneficial trade agreement between Canada and the United States is possible. One that respects our sovereignty, one that builds on our complementary strengths, one that lowers costs for families on both sides of the border, one that creates good jobs for our workers. Canada has always worked towards these goals, even while America's attention and dedication to them has wavered. Canada has consistently proposed long-term partnerships, while the U.S. has too often demanded short-term transactions. At the 11th hour, they were still pursuing restrictions on our ability to protect and promote the French language and our culture. They wanted a say in our future trade agreements with other countries, and they were offering terms that would, over time, undermine some of the most important industries in our country, including automobiles, steel, and forest products. In short, they were asking far too much and offering far too little. We worked in good faith to reach a fair deal, but since a fair deal wasn't on the table, we made the right choice to walk away from a bad one. The most fundamental issue is that the cumulative U.S. demands revealed that they wanted us to become even more reliant on them, not less. In too many areas, they wanted dependency, not a true economic partnership. In the spring of last year, I warned that America is trying to break us so they can own us, and I promise that that will never, ever happen.