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Charlie Angus, the long-time NDP MP for Timmins (also legendary punk-rock musician and great writer), warns fellow parliamentarians on his Substack that the same old political games will not be useful against the real and imminent danger that Trump represents.

Canada must undergo a massive rethink of our politics, economy, and international relations to meet the challenge in this new and darker world. To forge a new and independent path means breaking out of our partisan boxes and building a new national consensus. There is simply no other way because no one leader or party has the playbook.

He opens his piece with the story of a woman who was in the second tower on 9/11. Her colleagues assured her it was a freak accident and insisted on continuing to work like it was any other Tuesday. She disagreed and left the building. They all died and she survived.

Are we in this serious a moment? Angus appears to think so. I’m not sure I fully agree. Serious, yes. But not this stark, life-and-death serious.