Canada's Uneasy Quiet

My column in today's National Post expresses worry whether Canada's relative prosperity can continue to survive global economic turbulence:

Canada increased its exports by $26.7-billion in 2010 over 2009. Almost 80% of that increase was driven by sales of automotive products into the U.S. market.

Canada's economy has been buoyed by strong prices for Canadian energy and food exports, and by a surge in construction activity inside Canada. Canada benefited from a well-designed fiscal stimulus - very unlike the American version - that supported the economy in the crisis and then ended when its job was done.

So congratulations all around. Yet even as Canadians enjoy their comparative success, it sadly remains true: The most important factors determining Canada's future success remain outside Canadian control.

Click here to read the full column.