As U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk take aim at Canada, some high-level observers are calling on the federal government to consider sanctioning or even banning corporations owned by those close to Trump 鈥� much as it did with Russian oligarchs after the invasion of Ukraine.
鈥淲e better have a report coming up on American interference,鈥� former foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy said at a recent panel discussion.
He told the Jan. 27 event held by the Canadian International Council that he鈥檚 increasingly worried about meddling in Canadian domestic affairs by Musk, a social media mogul and the world鈥檚 richest man.
He added that 鈥渙ther owners of big digital platforms鈥� could undermine Canadian democracy.
鈥淭hey are going to try to affect our election,鈥� said Axworthy, who was foreign minister from 1996 to 2000.
Axworthy argued the federal government must 鈥渕ake sure that they don鈥檛 screw the thing up, and make sure that we aren鈥檛 denied our rightful place to make our own choices鈥� in the next election.
Musk has emerged as a close ally of Trump. He raised some $200 million US for Trump鈥檚 election campaign and attended the president鈥檚 swearing-in ceremony. At an inauguration rally later that day, Musk made a gesture that many interpreted as a Nazi salute; he denied that was the case.
In recent weeks, Musk has promoted far-right groups and parties engaged in election campaigns in Germany and the U.K. He addressed supporters of the far-right Alternative f眉r Deutschland (AfD) in Halle, Germany on Jan. 25.
He has been accused of using his social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, to spread disinformation about European policies on public safety and online regulation.
Musk also has tweeted occasionally about Canadian politics. He praised Prime Minister Justin Trudeau鈥檚 resignation and dismissed him online by echoing Trump鈥檚 talk of Canada becoming a U.S. state.
鈥淕irl, you鈥檙e not the governor of Canada anymore, so (it) doesn鈥檛 matter what you say,鈥� Musk posted on Jan. 8.
Musk has faced pushback elsewhere over allegations of meddling in democracy. For five weeks ending last October, Brazil鈥檚 supreme court had internet providers block X over a dispute that stemmed from the company鈥檚 refusal to ban far-right accounts affiliated with a 2023 attack on that country鈥檚 Parliament.
X ultimately complied with those orders and paid millions of dollars in fines.
The European Commission is investigating whether X is breaching EU content-moderation rules. It has stepped up a probe launched in 2023 by seeking new information to determine whether the site鈥檚 algorithms are boosting far-right views while limiting other perspectives.
Musk is also CEO of the automotive corporation Tesla. Liberal leadership candidate Chrystia Freeland recently called on Ottawa to impose a 100 per cent tariff on Tesla vehicles in retaliation for Trump鈥檚 planned 25 per cent tariffs.
University of Waterloo political scientist Emmett Macfarlane has called on the federal government to go much further. In a Jan. 21 blog post, he argued that Ottawa should consider banning X, Tesla and Musk鈥檚 satellite broadband company Starlink.
鈥淲e should treat Trump and members of his administration like Elon Musk as akin to Russian oligarchs,鈥� Macfarlane wrote. 鈥淲e need to impose meaningful costs on the U.S. for its economic aggression.鈥�
Both Freeland and Macfarlane cited concerns about tariffs, not political interference.
But Axworthy said both things should worry the federal government. He said Ottawa should apply measures to the U.S. and people in Trump鈥檚 inner circle using the same logic of containment that Washington applied to the Soviet Union after the Second World War.
Axworthy described that policy as one of deploying sanctions and diplomatic measures that send a strong message without leading to direct conflict.
鈥淓very time they may make a move, there鈥檚 a counter-move,鈥� he said. 鈥淒o it nicely, do it quietly 鈥� but also let them know what鈥檚 happening.鈥�
NDP MP Charlie Angus said recently that he鈥檚 asked Elections Canada to join European efforts to investigate the algorithms used by X 鈥渢o see if (Musk) is trying to push content for extremist groups.鈥�
鈥淚 do not believe we鈥檙e prepared in any way for dealing, particularly, with the threat that is coming from Elon Musk, who has revealed himself to be dangerously anti-democratic,鈥� he said.
He criticized those who seek to 鈥渁ppease the gangster class from Mar-a-Lago,鈥� referring to Trump鈥檚 private residence.
The Canadian Press has asked for Musk鈥檚 response to these criticisms through the media relations offices for X and Tesla.
Axworthy said Trump鈥檚 鈥渢hreats鈥� to expand American territory 鈥� and make Canada part of the United States 鈥� should be met with a united front among the countries he is talking of absorbing.
鈥淚 would be more supportive if our foreign minister was visiting Greenland and Denmark and Panama and Colombia and Mexico to talk to them about, 鈥楬ow do we contain this a 鈥� hole?鈥欌�� he said.
Axworthy argued Canada instead 鈥渁lmost threw Mexico under the bus鈥� when Trump started threatening tariffs. Some premiers suggested that Canada draft a trade deal with the U.S. separate from Mexico and blamed the country for driving Trump鈥檚 concerns about fentanyl and migration.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e into a tough negotiation, it鈥檚 better to have three people鈥� on your side, Axworthy said.
Former prime minister Joe Clark told last Monday鈥檚 panel that Washington has become a 鈥渉ostile neighbour鈥� and Canada must manage the relationship without losing sight of its own interests and relations with other countries.
鈥淣o one knows when the barrage will stop,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have a role of our own, a history of our own (and) interests of our own in the wider world.鈥�
