Who is Brad Wall?
“No matter what opinion or partisanry, it must be admitted that it is a provincial Prime Minister who has had a very successful career,” summarizes the observer of the Saskatchewanese political and historian Stephen Kenny.
For the analyst, his ability to recognize when he made mistakes and listening to the public by sometimes setting aside his ideology is what made Brad Wall’s strength.
Stephen Kenny also remembers the growth of trade in the province of meadows during the years when the former Prime Minister was in power, between 2007 and 2018.
According to data from the Canadian Parliament Library, Saskatchewan exports increased by 10.5 % per year each year between 2007 and 2012, while Brad Wall was Prime Minister of the province.
Photo: Canadian press / Heywood Yu
Relations with India were essential under his government […] There were important initiatives. Today, 25 % of Canadian exports to India come from Saskatchewan.
In 2024, Canada exported $ 5.3 billion in India (new window). On this sum, $ 1.4 billion was attributable to Saskatchewan, according to the latest provincial report on the state of commerce.
Where are the relations between Canada and India?
In September 2023, former Canadian Minister Justin Trudeau suspected the Modi government (new window) to be involved in the assassination of a Canadian citizen in Vancouver in June 2023 (new window). These allegations were rejected by New Delhi.
The Prime Minister of India, Narandra Modi, was invited by Canada to the most recent G7 summit which took place in Kananaskis, Alberta, while relations are at the lowest between New Delhi and Ottawa since 2023 (Archives)
Photo : Getty Images / AFP/GEOFF ROBINS
Since then, Canada has expelled six Indian diplomats (new window)including the High Commissioner. The Royal Canada Gendarmerie (RCMP) says he has evidence of violent criminal activities related to the Indian government. In response, India in turn expelled six Canadian diplomats.
However, after a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Mark Carney and his Indian counterpart Narandra Modi during the G7, the leaders agreed to appoint new high-commissioners.
What is a high commissioner?
Ambassadors of the Commonwealth member countries sent to other member countries are given this name. They perform functions similar to the ambassadors working in countries that are not part of the Commonwealth.
According to the founder of the Center for Studies and Research on India, South Asia and its diaspora (CERIAS), Mathieu Boisvert, this warming of India-Canada relations was to be expected in view of the current importance of India on the world economic scene.
He adds that the good historical relations of Saskatchewan with India could contribute to this rapprochement.
“Canada has an interest in resuming discussions with India, but up to a point, because Justin Trudeau’s accusation was not lightly made,” said the expert.
How could Brad Wall save the furniture?
After being questioned about a possible appointment of Brad Wall as High Commissioner in India, Danielle Smith underlined the work of Saskatchewan to extend her trade relations in Southeast Asia in particular. Scott Moe believes that Canada would benefit from having Brad Wall as a representative abroad.
It should not be surprised that Scott Moe and Danielle Smith are in favor of an appointment of Brad Wall as High Commissioner in India, according to analyst Stephen Kenny. (Archive photo)
Photo: Canadian press / Liam Richards
The idea had also crossed the spirit of Justin Trudeau in 2019, when he had offered Brad Wall the position of Canadian representative in China, during a meeting in Saskatoon.
According to analyst Stephen Kenny, Brad Wall refused this offer, who had just resigned from his post as Prime Minister because of “his frequent disagreements with Justin Trudeau during his years in power”.
The rapprochement between the Saskatchewanese party of Brad Wall and the conservative party of Stephen Harper materialized over the years. (Archives photo)
Photo: Canadian press / Mark Taylor
On the other hand, despite the differences in points of view between the liberals of Mark Carney and the right conservatism of Brad Wall, Stephen Kenny would not be surprised that such a appointment becomes reality. He recalls in particular that the current ambassador of Canada to Ireland, Dennis King, is a former progressive-conservative Prime Minister of the Prince Edward Island which was appointed by the Liberals.
The government of Narandra Modi is not unknown to Brad Wall. In 2015, while Stephen Harper was still in power in Ottawa, Brad Wall, who had made several visits to India, participated in the signing of a Uranium sales contract from the Saskatchewani company Cameco to the South Asian country (new window).
There are 100 % of Canadian uranium in Saskatchewan soil, the world’s second producer of this resource, according to the province. (Archives photo)
Photo: Canadian press / Liam Richards
This agreement had an important diplomatic impact since, in 1974, Canada suddenly ceased its nuclear cooperation with India after the Indian government used plutonium from a Canadian reactor to make a nuclear bomb.
With this agreement, Brad Wall, as Prime Minister of the province, has contributed significantly to the improvement of Indo-Canadian relationships.
If an appointment of Brad Wall would be well seen by the current Prime Ministers of Saskatchewan and Alberta, it is not known whether it is in the boxes of the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney.
Contacted by Radio-Canada many times, Brad Wall did not give an interview on the subject.
The federal government has also made a comment on this subject.
